Hi clax66,..southerngardening24, thank you for your generous comments,..oh southerngardening24 well spotted that Orchid truly looks like a cat wearing a cape. =============================================== Hi frogview,..Jim our climate is a strange one indeed. From Wikipedia. The climate of Ireland can be summed up as being mild, moist and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. It is defined as a temperate oceanic climate, or Cfb on the Köppen climate classification system, a classification it shares with most of northwest Europe.[1] The country receives generally warm summers and mild winters. It is considerably warmer than other areas on its latitude, because it lies in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, and as a result is warmed by the North Atlantic Current all year. The influence of the North Atlantic Current also ensures the coastline of Ireland remains ice-free throughout the winter�"unlike for example the Sea of Okhotsk and the Labrador Sea which are at a similar latitude. The climate in Ireland does not experience extreme weather, with tornadoes and similar weather features being rare. Philip ============================================== Hi aftermidnight,..Annette,..i have often notified those about to view one of my videos to have coffee in hand as some are quite long,..that June video is 24 mins long,..i was very pleased to get a feedback it makes producing one worthwhile. Ahh so you have Clematis Freckles nice little bloom and enjoyable to see it still blooming in Winter its a little gem. You will be surprised to learn that i have another garden,..well that is i started one for my next door neighbor who is 85 years of age,..she loves flowers but does not understand anything about gardening or plants so all my surplus plants go into her garden and i tend them daily,..it is a garden in progress,..it will improve in time as i have plans,..time permitting,..again thank you for viewing the video. Philip.

Beautiful Orchids, Suetran...You sure know how to grow them!! Thanks for sharing!

Tracy, Those limelights are growing in full sun on the northeast side of the house. I also have Oakleaf Hydrangeas which, though only planted 2 years ago, are blooming well, too: This picture makes them look like they've fallen over under the weight of the blooms. In truth, I think it's just that they've been expending their energies on the root system and will start growing "up" soon. (I have a few in a different area that did that. They are now about 5' high.) Anyway, the Oakleafs are planted on the NW end of the house, where they receive hot, hot, hot afternoon summer sun! My "shade dwelling" hydrangeas haven't flourished so well for me. I was excited that, after 3 years, Endless Summer bloomed this year: It's small (freezes back to the ground every winter) but pretty. My variegated and Blue Wave both freeze back as well. Neither has recovered to this point yet. So frustrating!

Thanks to those who voted so quickly. I will keep voting open until tomorrow at 10 AM California time to give everyone a chance to vote. I hope to get everything wrapped up and prizes in the mail Friday Thanks to all who played and participated in this swap. Hope you got a surprise you enjoy and can use.