Hey Ann, long time no "see". :) I don't know if silver eleagnus (winter blooming eleagnus) is hardy in your zone but it makes a wonderful hedge. I've got it as a secondary hedge behind the leyland cypress so when that goes, there's still some privacy left. The first plants of it that I planted (gulp) 7 years ago are 10' tall now and they were only 1 gallon specimens then. I've rooted countless others since then as it's really easy to do. Stick a trimming in the ground in fall and it's taking off the next spring. A big bonus is that it blooms in late fall and smells divine. My black bamboo is supposed to be a runner, but in 5 years, it's barely grown 4' in width. It has matured enough to reach 15' high and the canes turn black though. It's lovely! A mixture of it and some white striped passalong clumping bamboo is the basis for a future "Japanese are" if I live that long. LOL! Another neighbor has some shorter holly planted boy/girl boy/girl in a close enough configuration that it all looks like it has red berries in winter. Only problem with it has been the invasion of the honeysuckle. Crawling around under a holly trying to get to the root of they honeysuckle is BAD job! Even on a "single point" holly! LOL! The absolute cheapest hedge you can grow is probably cedar. The ones I planted 16 years ago on this property are now 20' tall and totally screen the neighbors on one side. They were just tiny "bird droppings" plants that I harvested from the woods at the back when I planted them. Those are probably lining your property everywhere waiting on you to either mow them down or brushkiller them. The quick hedge would be the silver eleagnus in larger containers and plant the tiny cedars 15' away and then you'll have a 2 layer hedge with enough room to get in and weed out the blackberries and oak seedlings. Or, there's always poke salad. It's hopeless to weed out anyway, so go with the flow and use it's invasive evil properties! :)

i did, huby just picked up this morning!! awww guys!! lets see if i can do this any justice!!???!!! she sent us some Paladde In's ? it had turned to mush, but the bulb is VERY healthy!! **big smile** so it will be replanted green spice heuchera awesome i've never had one not grown in my own yard!! LOL country romance hollyhock way awesome !! i love hollyhocks midnight reiter heuchera cool looking little guy!! chocolate chip ajuga looks awesome!! mmmmm chocolate!! LOL and she sent hazelnut body showergel, smells good, i HAD to open it as i'm a fragrance person!! LOL for talla she sent a bag full of seeds **flower fairies friends** sugar daddy lip balm actually a lip balm!! LOL Zinnia scarlet queen ** sunflower chianti hybrid artichoke emerald tomatoe beefsteak four o'clocks kaleidoscope onions evergreen bunching poppy oriental brilliant red ** cornflower blue boy ** candytuft sempervirens white ** sweet pea little sweetheart mix ** nasturtium tall mix ** kinda fits talla LOL zinnia profusion orange forget-me-not blue bird ** canterbury bells cup and saucer mix ** sweet italian basil a hand made door for talla's fairy's, and a little fairy statue. i just love it all!! how cool is that?? the plan is that?? talla was so excited to see her name on the box and was so excited to see all the stuff. thank you so much!!! you made a little fairy very happy!!! although now, she know's that she's on her way to being a fairy, the fairy watcher's are making sure she's being good and reporting back to the main fairy person, ummm i haven't said or know who that one is yet!!! this mommy don't know ALLLLLLL yet!!! LOL thank you, thank you, thank you thank you!!! :')) the kiddo's are doing great em! and my ws babes are just a growing like crazy!! i'm having to transplant them so much!! i swear my work is never done!! LOL but that's cuz i kept choosing the wrong size, once i finally got the right size, boom!! i was well on my way to being done with it all, now we just have to plant half of it ans sell the rest!! LOL Hugs medo :')) a very happy mommy!! who is sending off 3 boxes tomarrow. WHEW!!! LOL

Kate- I just returned from a trip to DC and found that the swap seed had arrived!! I am extatic with the wonderful variety I got!!! You did an absolutely amazing job and I'm going to try to find some extra seeds to send you from your wish list and a HUGE thank you for such an amzing swap!!! You're the best! Thank you also to everyone who participated, I'm especially excited about all of the veggie seeds and the special packet julie_mn put togeter for me, that was extremely thoughtful and I'm going to try to do the same thing for future swaps/robins! Thank you again to everyone!!! -Elizabeth (zabecc)

First of all, Merry Christmas to all and a big thank you to Kelli. In Kelli's Christmas package there were two things that were not wrapped so I enjoyed them right away and put the other things under the tree - opened them today and loved everything! Kelli sent the cutest Snowman's Garden sign, a Maxine Calendar (her sayings are so funny!), chocolate walnut fudge (yum!), brown sugar & fig shower gel (that sounds kind of "yum" as well...LOL), a lovely book called Country Living Seasons that has holiday ideas, garden information, and crafts (just my kind of book!), and a gift card from Lowe's (you can bet I will visit the garden center once it warms up...) I hope I didn't forget to list anything. There were so many packages - my family kept wondering how many more when I was opening them. Anyway, Kelli, you have been an absolutely fantastic pal all year. I don't even know how to express my thanks for all that you sent. Beth, you are welcome for the gifts I sent. We had a short year together, but it definitely was fun. (...and Jan, if you are still reading the Round Robins, it was fun sending to you as well.) I also want to thank everyone who participated in the Circle this year. So many of you remained for the whole year and were so wonderful in all that you did for your pal. We missed those who had to drop out, but certainly understand that things happen. Enjoy the remainder of the holiday season! Jeanne