Great work! Of course you have my attention. Do you have other creations? Is that a muffler clamp for the eyes? Can you email me a larger picture? Robert I posted my scorpion tonight - just for you. Thank you for your comments on the Mantis Planter.

Well, I think I'll just do what I did this spring than, and make sure I get a pretty good amount of dirt from the horse pens. The manure is really aged, the hard part is scooping, moving and scooping it into the gardens. I just got a cute little 1942 Bantam Trailer, which holds three or four huge wheelbarrow loads. My barn is fifteen miles from the house. When I filled my two gardens this spring, they didn't heat up at all. The only problem I've had is some settling, well, a lot of settling. Everything grew like it was on steroids, though, except for the beans. Probably too much nitrogen for the beans? I had no pest problems except for aphids on the beans. I did have a great hatch of praying mantis which was a lot of fun! I'm guessing I need at least ten loads, maybe more. The two active gardens will need refilling and the two empty gardens I'm starting from scratch. Well, almost scratch. I've been using the one as a lasagna garden and have gotten it surprisingly full in the last four months! I may try digging some holes in the yard for a little native clay, then refilling them with gravel, since I want to clear some gravel from a few areas to start growing grass. Will see how much energy I have after moving all this manure!

oh, mantis.I do not go on facebook. years ago,I think about 10 or 12 now, when my oldest daughter bought me, my very first computer, ( a used one from the company where she works in N. C.),she told me to never go on none of these chat rooms to visit.and she saidFacebook or twitter.,She said it could destroy my computer. soI have always done what she said. I knew nothing about using a computer,,I have learned a lot since that day, but,so much I don't know.I asked her that day, when she called to tell me I have a package, what am I suppose to do with this thing,as I know nothing about computers,not even how to turn it on.. She said I have another box coming with books to read and study to tell me how to use it.she says she knows that when I want to learn something new,I have always found a book to explain and tell me how to do some thing, so she had no doubts that I would learn how to do it.................jean

Love your container combination, but you always do so well with the combos. I assume those are the "non-stop" tuberous Begonias. Unfortunately they don't like our summer heat, but I am always drawn to them at the box stores in spring......Roses were my first love so naturally I appreciate yours. Leibeszauber (what a name) does well even in the mid south and Nicole C. Miller has that lovely lavender color that so appealing. My roses hit peak about 3 weeks ago, and with the daylilies and other gardening chores, I'm just now getting around to deadheading them. But boy were they glorious at peak .............Maryl