yiming Thank you for responding. I see great window space, and like how you suspended the 'branch' to hang some of your plants. And other container (repeating myself!) and the stools-benches they sit on...good taste IMO :) Most of all - great looking plants. May I ask what is the plant with yellow flowers or fruit in your first photo?

I put a spider plant in my compost because I was sick of the terrible appearance. It was much happier there until I buried it under other stuff. LOL! This beautiful variegated ivy that was here when I moved in - this spring I unpotted and divided it, kept some and gave to 2 other people. Mine promptly died but the others are doing well at their new homes. Some cane Begonia pieces I thought I'd propagated were just taking a long time to die. Beautiful Alocasia "African mask" has stopped growing leaves but the bulb still seems firm and greenish at the top. It's just a pot with the tip of a bulb showing in the middle. I don't know what this thing wants, and I may have went too far trying to not water it too often. It was looking great, loving lots of sun, then suddenly, within 2 weeks, all 6-7 leaves died off. Never kept one of these alive more than a few months, I should have passed this thing by but did enjoy the leaves while they lasted. One of the kind people here sent me some cute little baby plants, newborn "kitties" just like I like, and one of them seems to be dead. It was so cute and hung on long enough after arriving that I feel like it was something I did, maybe too much sun too soon, or the shock of being mailed may have just taken a few weeks to manifest. Thank goodness there were 5 little plants, but 20% loss still feels tragic. Some plants in suspended animation: Datura, a few cane Begonias, scented geranium (Pelargonium.) Ask me this again after it frosts here and in the spring, could be more to list. Winter is always the time for plants to die and I might fail to get everything in on panic night if I find a lot of ants in the pots. Amccour, hope you're feeling better! When I get depressed, I neglect cleaning but not usually plants. You never know how it's gonna hit you though. Does it usually get you in the winter? If so, try to get into the sun more, or put some brighter, fluorescent bulbs where you usually sit, it really does help. Love that "now there's room for one more" attitude! Replace these dead beats with something that appreciates us (after a brief but decent period of mourning of course!) Gotta wear green for a week or two...

Everyone, thank you for your excellent suggestions. I think I now have some good ideas on what to do with my front yard. Gonativegal - thanks so much for listing your plants. I need hardy plants in my area as well. Although I;m listed a zone 5b in Canada, I believe my area compares to a US zone 4. Eduardia - nice to hear from you. I've always admired your garden. Just love those roses particularly the one that looks like a pink/peach double cup rose. Are these David Austen types? Threedogsman - love that look. It may just work for that median I was talking about. Although it faces a south east direction, it does have parts that are shaded and so your ideas could work out for that part of it. Some of the ideas I could also use for my backyard fence which has lots of light shaded areas. herblady I still love the idea of the wildflower garden and will use this idea for the main garden. I can imagine the wildflowers peeking through the ornamental grasses I have in that area.

Marcia, I had Duchess of Albany for 3 years, but it was planted out in the open, no shelter at all. Is yours planted up against a building? If it is, it'll have a much better shot at living I would imagine. Mine did ok the first year, but went into decline the next 2 years. It's the same story for my John Paul II, and Ville de Lyon, and Jackmanii.....there's so many nice hardy types of clematis out there, I think I'll stick to them. I also just picked up Durandii, so we'll have to compare notes together.;^) Gillian, I've also noticed that my Orientals are looking really robust this year. I wonder if it depends on how far down the frost gets to in the winter, as to how well they do the next year? I expected/hoped that the ones on the south side of the house would do well, but even those out in the island bed have multiplied as well.