Sounds like winter damage. Pieris can take hard pruning and will respond with new shoots, even from stubs at the base. May not look like much for a season or two but if the plants are still viable, they will respond with new growth. Be sure they get sufficient water during the growing season. An organic mulch at their base will help.

Thanks for the reply John. The *pot idea* is/was only for its first year. I was intending to put it in a good size pot - 5 gall or larger - hoping to allow it to develop a stronger root system over the summer. I have a smallish garden shed which has reasonable light and a heater in there should the temps fall drastically. I was thinking if I put the EC in there during say Dec/Jan + may Feb, then come March or so I could bring it out and plant it in ground. Interesting your comments that they took quite a considerable length of time to put on height. The reading I've done indicated they were fast growers but seems that is not the case given your experiences! I can live witih the 5-7 years for bloom thing if that's the way it is. I'm getting a couple of Davidia involucrata and gather that they also can be 10 years to bloom. Hope I'm still around for the bloom of both. LOL!! Again, many thanks for sharing your experience. Holly

Good Morning! Gosh I can hardly believe it but the day's are getting bright and longer...so hurry up spring! ...the bottle collection like my bells and my pretty rocks and my tea pots and several other collections came about because I said I like them and haven't learned to say enough all ready! My grown kids still bring me agates and "pretty" rocks. I just add them to the pond, the rocks that is! Same with the rest. But....I'll get even, someday they will have to deal with them. But then I can just hear them...Why in the world did she have to keep all this junk? lol As to the rooster and hens. We had chickens when I was growing up and I have always loved them, but not to eat, well except fried or in a salad. Yes, I did paint the chickens. The "weather forecast" hen on the left used to be outside my front door and landed 4 1/2 feet up in the yew wood tree. I almost cried when they found her and she was OK. Luvs, I believe you posted a picture of 5 chickens in a line that you made for your DD or DIL - I have one too. Did it years ago. It sits on my frig watching the hen house. Hubby never cooks anymore, DARN! Luv ...I can relate to you dear friend and her driving. I worried about my GM, she raised me, and her driving as she got older. I worked back then and because she didn't drive at night, I asked my son (then 16) to ride with her as she went on her weekly excursion to the grocery. His report sounded like this...Mom, she drives better than you do. She only had one car honk at her! I could have rung his neck. And it was really hard when we had to take the keys away from my D, DFIL- with men it is a "macho" thing. Speedy AKA Rose Lady....isn't the fog just wonderful! We have live here since 1972 and I have actually gotten lost coming home in the fog. When you are down to 10 miles and hour and blinking your eyes every two seconds because your eyes feel like they have left their sockets and are sticking out about 2 feet. And you just know that some darned fool will be traveling to fast and coming at you in the middle of the road or will catch up to you can rear-end you...Oh! What fun days! Well, I need to make an early start today. Almost forgot that I had promised a good friend a project for her charity raffle on the 22nd. So I'm going project hunting, think I will curly up on the couch to do this one, at least that sounds good! Anj.....where are you girl? Hope you are resting!!!!! Belle PS...we just "celebrated" our 46 anniversary and hubby took me out to a french restaurant......La'Taco Belle and gave me a dozen carnations, one of my favorites and staked me to the poker tourney....I came in second - beat him out! Belle

Debbie, Danielle and Venice, thank you for your kind comments. I'm thrilled that my kitchen is an inspiration to someone, and was remiss in not mentioning my two main inspiration kitchens: those of cat_mom (wouldn't have tried for a more contemporary feel had I not fallen in love with the clean lines of her kitchen) and Jodi_in_socal, the original GW trendsetter for the Fire and Ice backsplash. But truly, there are so many beautiful kitchens on this forum and so many helpful people that I had a wealth of inspiration and information, for which I am extremely thankful.