If I were that little green guy, I'd be glad the snake was gone, too! Add snakes to my list of creatures I just don't want to get friendly with, even though they do serve a purpose in the ecosystem.

I agree... Evergreen is an overachiever! I was heartily impressed by the number of blooms on mine! I've one more scape to go!

Limona is a lovely variety... one of my favorites. I like the subtle touches of red or orange that appear... very lovely! It's a giver, too!

Grand Cru is very nice, as well... a lovely red! The shape is almost trumpet-like. Intriguing!

Pink Diamond is a looker, too! Regardless of how many times I see these varieties in photo form or in person, I'm always amazed! Even my common Minerva amazes me each time she unfurls her blossoms. These bulbs are a never ending source of enjoyment and pleasure! I can't imagine anyone NOT wanting to grow them!

The "gone" snake is the 54" rat snake that ate a golf ball and then got stuck trying to squeeze through the gate. When he got "pissy" with me, I got the shovel. Everyone says that I put him out of his misery as he would have died from the golf ball. I don't like snakes either, but they have a purpose. I have become good at IDing the local venomous and nonvenomous ones, although I did kill a coral snake in the driveway about 7 years ago, and have had 2-3 copperheads killed by a neighbor that came to my aid.

All the talk about spiders on the other thread that you all highjacked gave me the creeps. When I was a teen, I had a dream that a big spider was on my face and I smashed it. When I woke up there was a big wolf spider dead on the sheets and it had bit me under my eye. Half my face swelled so badly that my mom took me to the ER. Yuck...it was ok a few days later, but I don't like creepy crawlies!!
K

Kristi- what a cute lil froggie! He just blended right in!

I do love that Evergreen...its on the must have list as well as Limona. I'm surprised that I like them so much being that I usually like alot of color. I guess its the subtle beauty that does it!

EEEEK! I do hate spiders and your story creeps me out...Good thing you killed him before he killed you! Yikes!

Moral of the story, more hippis and less spiders!

-Frank

We only have one dangerous living thing here... the spider Larissa talks about in that other thread. It's commonly known here as the Fiddler Spider. We used to have timber rattlers, but they're gone for the most part. The only other thing to be feared in my area are tornadoes... or the big earthquake that will rip up the Mississippi Valley some day. Other than that, we're fairly safe.

Snakes and spiders are the two things I fear the most... I always wear shoes and gloves when I garden outdoors, but that doesn't stop the nightmares I have occasionally. I wake up in a pool of sweat, my skin crawling! We have other large spiders and snakes, but none are harmful... they're just ugly and scary!

I'm thankful for the large praying mantises we have... they eat spiders! And the dogs like to catch and kill the snakes! It's true, though... they each have their place in the ecosystem... I usually just avoid them when I see them, and let them go about their business. The adage that they're more afraid of us than we are of them, is very true!

In any case, you did that golf ball eater a favor... I doubt he'd have lived. He probably thought it was an egg, and then was sorry once he'd swallowed it! And the frog... he'd be very welcome in my gardens!