No, this doesn't have to do with safety. The trees that they're cutting down are FAR from the road --so there's no chance of them falling down on passing cars. Also, there aren't any power lines on the sides of highways. And no, there're not specifically cutting down invasives, although a few also get "trimmed". What I'm talking about is cutting the lower branches of pines, oaks, etc., that are WAY away from the road. Sometimes they cut ALL of the branches on the side that faces the road. (A good example is Route 140, from New Bedford to Taunton.) It's a money-maker for whoever got the contract, that's for sure. Money waster is more like it. If they were to spend the money we're spending on this abomination, we'd have put a serious dent in the bittersweet that's strangling so many trees around here, and the miles of multiflora rose, autumn olive, and Japanese knotweed that's everywhere. If you're from MA, just take a moment to look to the side of the highway this summer. You'll see this monstrosity of a machine, just tearing up the trees. Makes no sense. We need all the trees we can get: They sequester CO2 from the air, (reducing greenhouse gases), produce the oxygen we breathe, keep water in our area, make and preserve the topsoil, keep our houses cooler in the summer, increase the value of our homes, are beautiful to look at, bring in the tourists in the fall... These were just off the top of my head. I could probably go on if I took some time to think about it. I wish we could be more like the Lake Tahoe area. In an effort to keep the lake clean, (If you don't have grass lawns, you won't have run-off of pesticides and synthetic fertilizer) and keep the tourists coming (Many come from the city, and would like to get away from the concrete jungle they live in) they have a law that you can only cut down enough trees to build your home. Or North Carolina. My daughter lived there, and she said you had to have a permit to cut down a tree in your yard if it was of a certain size. (She also said it was one of the most beautiful states she's ever lived in, and she's lived in many states.) Again, I digress. But, that's pleasant wishful thinking, Terrene.

Wow....what an amazing list of people.... too many of them no longer with us or active here. It is nice to remember some of their names and their struggles that we shared. Thanks for the memories.

Well I'm NOT a blue person. Indoors I have NO blue. My husband doesn't understand this. I have no idea why I feel this way. Outdoors things are different! I have a blue/yellow/white garden bed which I love. Yes, delphineums, catananche, campanulas, baptisia and more, are mixed with trollius, coreopsis moonbeam, peony Claire de Lune and low growing white clematis and aquilegia. It is a big mix and wouldn't be any fun at all without the blue! There are loads of clematis that are purple or blue/purple, but also some very nice blues I think. You do get into the question of "what is blue?" My husband and I think this could well be a male/female issue! Also, by saying a flower is blue, perhaps a catalogue gains more sales? * Posted by: coolbeans (My Page) on Sat, Feb 2, 02 at 13:12 This is my VERY favorite thread, and I totally agree with all those who feel that there is just "something" about blue flowers; they ARE magical, they ARE very special; and they make me happier than any other color flower. Don't know why...I just started a flat full of Bluebird delphinium seeds I saved from my one lonely plant last year. A bunch of them germinated, so now I can't wait to have a huge stand of them! Maybe they won't bloom this year, but maybe they will. And also "true blue" penstemons, I'm trying for the first time. I can't get enough of this precious color. * Posted by: Anne_Marie_Alb (My Page) on Tue, Feb 5, 02 at 17:47 WOW....... Did anyone realize that this thread started almost 5 years ago... on Feb. 15, 1997!!!!! I am amazed it has survived that long. Probably, the oldest thread still on the top page! I wonder if "Clare B" (who started the thread) is still an active member of the Garden Web!!! I personally love blue flowers (I mean blue, and not purple, which I also like). I can't believe how many blue flowers I am starting from seeds this year... and that was just a pure coincidence! I also love RED flowers.. Maybe, I should start a "red flower" thread! I will first check the archives! * Posted by: Clare (My Page) on Thu, Feb 7, 02 at 20:34 Yes, Ann_Marie, I am still here! I will be a bit sad to see this thread fade away when it hits the 100 posts mark. After that, the threads are closed. I don't think I have any true blue flowers still. "Victoria Blue" Salvia is the closest thing. I use it a lot. It is such a heavy, long bloomer, and about one in twenty of them will survive winter here. Just wish I could predict which would survive so that I could save seed from those alone and perhaps work up a more hardy strain. By the way, the Hydrangeas in Memphis, Tennessee are incredible. Some are so saturated blue that I'd have to call them navy. * Posted by: Dswan (My Page) on Sat, Feb 9, 02 at 22:37 I'm going to add to this extremely long thread only because there really is something to true blue. I grow from seed a very difficult plant to propagate called Penstemon cyananthus or Wasatch Penstemon. I cold stratify and plant these every year in hopes of gettting one or two in my garden every year. Absolutely gorgeous. * Posted by: Rosa (My Page) on Mon, Mar 11, 02 at 10:24 Did no one mention Gentians-now those are blue! (along with my favorite penstemson of course-some are indeed blue). * Posted by: pineshade7b ) on Mon, Apr 15, 02 at 11:02 i agree with gloria mc coy. i love blue and green , they are my favorite colors in anything. just look in my house and closets. blue..ocean, blue jeans, my own eyes are blue and my husband's are green. many reasons to answer -why blue. although i do not "hyperventilate" , if i should go into a nursery and ask for a blue -flowering plant and the staff looks down their nose at me, i'll know now that they are only doing it because they think I'M a snob. until i adopted gardening as a serious hobby i had no idea that blue was a "snob" color. i just naturally began to look into flowers in the colors i liked personally. you learn something new everyday. i would have been hurt and confused to walk into a nursery and be looked at like a pariah, what did i say? now i know, thanks clare. * Posted by: DesertGardner (My Page) on Fri, Apr 19, 02 at 12:38 Wow - I never knew there was such a controversy over the color blue in the garden. After reading all the posts, I now understand why some gardeners prefer the color. And I have to say that I've never met any gardeners whom I would consider snobbish. Most of them are really quite down to earth! (if you pardon the expression...) I recently tried planting a red, white and blue flower bed, with 'Victoria Blue' Salvia being my blue color. It's a little too purple and doesn't look right as a "patriotic" design. I will probably tear out the red and white and keep the "blue" (purple) since it seems to like this desert heat. Someone mentioned black flowers, and I remembered seeing black pansies in the most recent Burpee catalog. They're a beautiful velvety black with a spot of yellow in the center. I think I'll plant some this winter, and start an obsession with black flowers! (just kidding Clare...) -Kara [* Posted by: yeona_sky (My Page) on Mon, Jun 24, 02 at 0:37 I just bought a blue poppy and am nervously watching its progress. My success with blues has been an up hill battle, but that hasn't changed my desire to spotlight it in my garden. Why blue?, again it's a passion with me. Clare, I hope you get the last word on this thread, and I hope you understand Why blue, a little better. * Posted by: Duster (My Page) on Wed, Jun 26, 02 at 23:56 I agree with the many others about getting annoyed when purple is referred to as blue. Maybe that's why I take up the cause of truly blue flowers! 99% of my Delphiniums are the true electric blue ones. I'd love one of the Himalayan Poppies but just not right for my little yard. I like the blue flowers, rather than the blue foliage plants. And no, blue is NOT my favorite color - I have nothing blue in my home decor. I just like the uniqueness of the TRUE blue and my stubbornness to get people to stop calling it purple!!!!

Hi everyone. Lars - Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful pictures with us. I'm always interested in seeing how these interesting plants are grown in different countries, especially with "in habitat pictures" which give you such a great clue as to what conditions we need to emulate when trying to grow these various plants in our own environment. I think the $20 park entry fee was very reasonable when you consider the cost of the upkeep for the care of the plants and birds within the park, and I just wish I was able to go to such a place. I did however visit a "Bird Park" in Bali almost twenty years ago and found that a great experience as there were many birds and plants I had never before seen her in Australia. I think we all need to realise that although sometimes the costs seems a bit much, when you consider the cost of feeding the birds and the maintenance of the grounds, it's a small price to pay for the enjoyment you get in return. Debby - You say, "I wish I had been interested bird and plants when I visited Mexico City in 1973" and I agree, you probably would have seen much more had you been looking for these things on that occasion. It's never been a problem for me as ever since I was a small child I've been fortunate to be able to indulge my interest in all things to do with "Mother Nature", and as far back as I can remember, we have always had some sorts of animals, birds or unusual plants in our yard. As I grew older I became interested in a range of different things such as breeding birds, fish, frogs and growing ferns, orchids and now bromeliads; this has resulted in our yard now looking more like a small nature park. To his day at age 76 I'm still feeding many different types of native birds twice daily and we have permanent inhabitants such as skinks, a blue-tongue lizard and frogs and I’m still fortunate to be able to indulge in my pet hobby of bromeliad growing. Below are a few pic's of our back yard and some of our visiting feathered friends. Random shots of our back yard Kookaburras and magpies getting some meat "tasters" Rainbow Lorikeets waiting for dinner Kookaburras lined up waiting for their dinner Rainbow Lorikeets descending on the food dish An escapee from someone's aviary who dropped in for dinner one day All the best, Nev.