In my defense, I did leave plants with eggs and cats there. At least one of the women there knew what they were, so I knew they wouldn't be moidered ;) Shannon00: It's called Bowood Farms, and it's off of Olive close to where it intersects with Washington. Really nice, clean, and attractive place. All of their plants look great, especially impressive at this time of year. They are a bit pricey on some things, but I was fine with $2.95 for 4" pots of good looking stock. I have paid that for the little 2" pots in the past. (some of the parsley was a bit leggy, but the rest was ok, and as mentioned, the fennel was *really* nice.) I am wondering if all of my current chrysalids and eggs/cats will go into diapause. It seems early for them to do that, but I was certain some would eclose last week, and they're still sittin' tight. Here is a link that might be useful: Bowood Farms

the flower from rose of sharon is beautiful but my neighbor Monique is lazy and does not dead head hers, it spreads everywhere even her own lawn has about 900 seedlings in that area,and they do not care. They are inconsiderate. I had to pull 275 shoots from my grass and now they planted them along the fenceline...I'm sure i will have at least 700 to pull next season. Nothing you spray on them make them die..The seedpods are still there from last year and they dont trim them either. They also have a birch tree that spews seed pods for months clogging my pool, gutters, and branches fall continuously all season long from those trees.I have pulled tons of seedling trees from that as well in my landscape, very invasive! If it was the other way around she would be going ballistic! May the wind blow their way and have them have to clean up after their own problems. Plenty of other plants to plant but they are wealthy and very very cheap.

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!!!!

I can handle poison ivy without a problem but I get rid of it because others are allergic to it. I also only mess with poison ivy when necessary because I know that my immunity to it can go away as I age. The same is true with rue. Allergy to rue Hoptree is a small tree native to Missouri that hosts giant swallowtails and tiger swallowtails. It is easy to raise the caterpillars right on the tree using wedding bags. Golden Alexander is a plant native to Missouri that hosts black swallowtails. The leaves are much bigger than the usual plants people use for black swallowtails and that is why I never run out of food for my BSTs versus the many other people who do. But because it is tough to spot BST eggs/pillars on Golden Alexander, I also have other hostplants. I have learned the ideal time (end of July in my area) to plant dill seed so I can maximize the number of BST pillars I get to raise. Mama BSTs prefer to lay their eggs on the young dill and it is easier to spot the eggs on dill versus other BST hostplants. I also grow parsley the entire season. Has the side benefit of making my sister-in-law happy when I show up to her house with fresh parsley.