WOW! I didn't expect to stir anything up just posting some christmas lights! To the tree huggers, Just so you know, I don't promote this elaborate display to others, its just something that a customer wanted, (you know, the customer is always right), he had a $500.00 light bill for december last year, and we added 10k lights this year so he'll probably have a doozie this year. At any rate, I just thought it was impressive, kind of like going to Opryland in Nashville. Now there's some fossil burning. For the time it took to hang these things, I wouldn't want to do any more. Merry Christmas, Greg Pierce, CTP

Can you believe it's 48F here?And it's almost January? So odd,isn't it. Yesterday I was surveying what was happening in the gardens and whenever I smell that earth smell I just want to dig and plant! The weather feels like I should be taking the winter mulch off and start pruning back old growth-funny how these temps throw you off yet I know full well that frozen weather WILL come...it's just a matter of when. I'm so sorry for all of you who have lost pets suddenly. I don't do well when I lose a pet(childhood experiences)and I think that's why I don't have any-it hurts so much to say goodbye...this sounds terrible but the closest we have to a pet is AJ's new Robopet...it even pees with no residual fluid to clean up: ) Cynthia did Mikey actually have aquamarine eyes? In that pic they look very aqua-he was pretty. Chelone you don't think the kittys slipped Larry some of their stash,do you? Just kidding. Wow over 17 years seems to be unusual for a bird? I don't know the norms on birds. ((Jerri))-how rough things have been for you and now your Molly too! Remember we are here if you need us. Michelle & Eden-I just marvel at how grown up Kenzie and Bella are these days with their longer locks and sweet faces-hard to believe they aren't the tiny babies they were just a couple months ago-lol. Oh Norma-Wyatt did it too and looks much older: )I remember a chubby face and wisps of hair-what a handsome boy he is. T! That pic of the twins is adorable-I was wondering how many shots it took to get them to both look at the camera. I bet Jaimie had a great Christmas-he's at that perfect age for wonderment. Boy, I hope you(and all of us) can stay clear of the bug going around-that sounds horrible. This warm weather really seems to make stuff hang on. That laryngitis I had took forver to leave and I still cough up a lung or two in the mornings. The Dr. says these viral respiratory things are lasting up to three weeks long. Michelle & Prairie-I've waited 15yrs to get my Kitchenaid since we could never afford one. I've been using my mom's hand me down Sunbeam that at one time produced a puff of smoke and then went from a 12 speed to a 10 speed: ) I grew up with a KitchenAid and no other mixer worked as nicely. Prairie,at Christmas I like to make biscotti which I've been mixing by hand(that gets hard real quick when you double a large recipe). I also want to make bread-something I used to do before I had kids.(We'll all be getting fat here). I also like to make whipped potatoes with the mixer...and a zillion other things.COOKIES: ) Kathy-I loved hearing your story of your mantel mirror-that really is a special piece. How sad your DH was very young to have passed away when he did. It must have been so hard for you. Oh your roses are stunning! I always admire others who can grow roses-I have way too much shade. VERY nice pics here of all the pets, bday cards and celebrations. Norma tell me about the card you posted-that's Chihuly glass,right? I love that. Eileen-since I am short on time I will just link you to some info about Canaan firs. I will say that this tree isn't highly fragrant but for us that's good because AJ and I are especially allergic to a more fragrant tree-I don't know why the scent affects us but certain trees are worse than others. A fresh cut Canaan holds it's needles nicely and isn't painfully prickley(say that three times fast). I think you asked if Canaan was related to the Douglas-fir...I read somewhere that Douglas-fir isn't actually a fir at all but a false tsuga. Anyway our tree was just 30.00-much cheaper than a Douglas. If I didn't have deer here I would really like to grow a Canaan. 'Bug-good luck & have fun with your visitors-we'll wait for pics. Deanne-lol I must confess those are not my lisianthus. I think that lisianthus enjoy the cooler weather-hot sun might not be what they like-I did have some as annuals but they were planted late summer(did nothing)and looked their best in mid september. I do want to try them again. The flowers in Monique's card are from the Chicago Botanical garden during IU3! It was really cool-this weekend's newspaper included a shot of CBG's walled English garden-so neat that I can say I was there with my idyll friends. I have to seize the day~ ~Babs

Hmmm, possibly a Winterthur impostor!! You know, when those viburnums and some other plants were delivered last year I remember wondering out loud with the guy who delivered them if the labels might have gotten jumbled. I'd had a problem the year before with a boxwood or two that didn't really look like the ones I'd ordered (or like the other ones they were supposed to match up with in a hedge!) But the source insisted these were indeed the correct ones. I joked with them I was thinking about ordering a DNA test! I'm going to go right out and look at the remaining leaves on what I think is my Winterthur and see if I can make out any other shades. It's really quite a lovely shrub, though, and in every other respect looks pretty much like what I THOUGHT a Winterthur should look like, so I"m not too worried about it. But it's very interesting to hear what characteristics it really OUGHT to have. And I love hearing about everybody else's viburnums! And some really good information to print out for my very fat viburnum file, as always. Would a Burkwood be mostly yellow fall color? Maybe the labels really were mixed up, and the Winterthur is the one that had the shiny burgundy red leaves. (I'm not going to be too quick to blame the labels, though. Usually if there's a mix-up in my garden, my first bet is on ME as the mixed up one:)) I'm sure if any of you were here you could sort it out instantly! Like I said, though, they're all beautiful so it will be a pleasure to watch them next year and make certain of their identities. Thanks for the help! Stay warm, everybody, and happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, its been quite mild. I do recall a year (pre-garden journal, or I would look it up) shorty after we started gardening that was very mild (1997?1998?) up until the middle of January when it proceeded to drop down to Zero and sub zero temps for the next month or so...I recall it because there was new growth on the roses in my rose 'hedge' in January. Even as a farily new gardener I knew that wasnt good. Lost most of those roses that year. Anyway , we may be able to see the hellebore hyrids, sometimes nicknamed 'Christmas rose' actually bloom at Christmas this year. A hellebore that usually blooms in Spring is sending up a flower shoot now. Another hellebore , foetidis, which carries its flower shoots over the winter and blooms in early spring, is trying to bloom now.....While acceptable in a genaerlly mild climate zone like England, I cant imagine that January and February will stay this mild. May take a look at the snow crocus and other eary spring blooming spots as well. May also put out some slug bait, the foxgloves look like they are being chewed on :)