Was at L's yesterday trying to buy wood-crafting tools they don't even sell (go figure!) and the few TC's left were on clearance. The $10 were $5 and the $3 plants were .50. Although there were several bigger ones with white, very white flowers, even I couldn't rationalize such a purchase with the present-budget. So I got 7 little .50 ones with the lightest colored buds. For $3.50, worth waiting for a year to see what they open to, assuming all of these buds will fall off as I'm expecting. I also picked up all of the broken pieces from the floor & stuck them in the tray. A few look promising, and total mysteries regarding flower color. Now, where in the world am I going to put these things? I'm pretty sure I'll be cutting more/bigger holes in the sides of hanging baskets & sticking them in those. Seriously no room for any more pots!

GG- thank you for sharing those links with me! David- I think you have the most awesome set up- I love how neat everything is- all in rows :) The plants are just gorgeous! I agree with Kelly- MORE than impressive! Isn't it nice(or perhaps slightly weird) to know so many people are living vicariously through your photos?!? lol I've added another 5 Hoya just this past week, and my 'want' list is still a mile long! Hubs is starting to worry that I may have a hoarding problem. I told him it was okay until we could no longer use certain rooms of the house, then I would agree that I might have a *slight* problem. Thank goodness all this is giving him the motivation to get moving on building me a small greenhouse! Of course, he thinks that the house will be less 'plant-full', but we all know that it just means more room for more plants!

Wow, five astrantia...what do you think went wrong? Location? I have two now. May I ask where you have yours? I have both in part sun with moisture retentive soil. I found a small division in one of the pots that came away easily, so I took it off and planted it separately in full sun with moist soil most of the season. I hope they are happy..the flowers I had seen were really pretty. Thank you for directions to Clare's of Patterson. Do you happen to know the exit number on 84? I'm not that familiar with Dutchess County. As far as self control goes..ha ha ha..not me. I always find unusual things to come home with. That's how I got my amsonia and my sneezeweed last year..saw it and had to have it. I printed up the plant list from LorJons and had a little shopping list of things I wanted to get. I forgot, I also picked up a Coral Reef Monarda. The campanula wasn't on my shopping list but I had to have it. I only had an hour to spend there, so that helped im the restraint department. I think I will be going back next week. I didn't get halfway through my list. By the way, can I aak if anyone has shopped at Matterhorn? I have gone there three times..twice last fall, and once this spring. I have to say, I was disappointed. The plants all looked awful and full of weeds, snails and slugs. In the fall I just thought that it was the end of season and maybe it was just leftovers they were trying to get rid of. They had deer get into their hosta houses and eat all the hosta down to nibs last September. Good for me, I bought a Sagae, for 9.95 that had a $40 price tag because there was nothing left to it. I picked out the weeds, and my son was glad to help collect the snails. When I got it home I separated it into 4 nice divisions, removed the soil and planted them. They came up fine this spring. So my question is: Are the plants always like that there? I thought they were pricey and I really got the impresseion they didn't take care of the plants that well. What have your experiences with them been if you don't mind sharing? The place looked like it had potential, it is huge. The gardens are lovely, and they had some great bonsai. Thanks...JoAnn

Update: Both coconuts died within a 3 weeks of being home. Last winter's brutal temps and my struggles to keep the greenhouse in one piece resulted in 2 dead coconuts. :( Laura in VB - if you're still on here - that's why you never got one. Sorry. However, I am not discouraged..... Generation 2 greenhouse is WAY stronger, better insulated, better heated etc. Temps dropped to 39 F ONCE during a power failure, and otherwise never fall below 48 at night. Day temps are routinely over 70 (usually 75-90). I don't know if this helps, but by way of comparison - my Cavendish banana flowered and is producing a huge bunch of fruit, all my citrus trees (especially the lemon) are flowering like crazy and growing fast. I would take this as a sign that a coconut should manage such conditions. SO - I have located a 5' tall coconut palm at a Home Depot in Jacksonville which I will take home this weekend. Hopefully the combination of getting in there with the worst of the winter behind us (hopefully), it being a bigger tree, and the improved greenhouse will mean success.