You hear some interesting things working at a nursery. Customers say the darnest things. My favorite came from early this spring. If this were a book I would entitle it: "IS THIS MUSHROOM EDIBLE?" So I get this phone call from a customer asking me if I know about mushrooms. Just to confirm I asked the gentleman (sounded like he was older) if he meant how to get rid of the mushrooms in his lawn. He said no, he wanted to know what mushrooms were edible. He said he thought he heard that any with gills were poisonous (flawless logic...). You know when something strikes you so funny that you laugh, even though you know ya' really shouldn't? That is what happened to me- though thankfully I was able to turn it into cough that lasted awhile to add a air of authenticity ;-) My only reply was that I REALLY was no expert on mushrooms and I would advise seeing if there is a a local mushroom-hunting group or specialist and asking them before eating ANY found mushroom. The guy even asked if I knew the phone number/how to get in contact with them. Yeah...I have that in right here next to the numbers for Skagit gardens and Monrovia. LOL. "Is this edible" has popped up before too with regards to other things. Hate it when I am asked that. Because obviously you have to be 1000% sure it is, otherwise they are NOT going to be a repeat customer, if you know what I mean, lol. I once told [a thankfully good-humored customer] that pretty much everything is edible, the question is whether or not you would survive the attempt. One thing I never EVER what to hear again (but know I likely will if I work at the nursery again next year) is "what is that grass planted around town that looks like wheat?" Talking about Calamagrostis. I can't for the life of me understand why people think it looks like wheat. Drives me nuts. Also for questions on the Euphorbia polychroma/epithymoides planted in the beds. Seems I alone get three questions a day about it when it is in its prime. "But it doesn't look anything like that plant" they say, holding up a not-"blooming"-anymore-1 gal.-potted version of the Euphorbia. SIGH. Ditto the "that plant looks like a weed" and "that yard looks kinda' nice, except for the lawn". CMK

Good news about A. pelona! I was worried about that one for some reason...it just 'looks' so delicate! = ) My A. nizandensis has been in-ground since January 1st last year, so made it through half a winter already. When cold-stressed, it took on a really maroon-ish color (starting to now), and when it warmed back up in Spring, it went green again. It's a favorite of mine, so I am hoping it will be OK! I'll definitely keep an eye on it of the temps drop too much more. (had ice crystals in the bird bath this morning!) I feel for you with vermin...I'm just luck thrashers haven't taken a liking to my Agaves. Yet. Thanks for the great info!

puglvr "why don't you just let me buy you a box of mangoes next summer" 75% of the time you can not find a good mango in the supermarket. It is 99% impossible to get a great mango in a supermarket. A great mango is one from your backyard or a neighbors. It is picked at just the right time to ripen just right. During peak native mango season in Fl you find Mexican mangoes in the supermarkets (not joking) Haitian mangoes are common Some local Fl mango growers will have mangoes picked at the right time. Dittos for small markets. But even they usually pick the local mangoes prematurely. So you have to grow your own mango tree or have the right neighbors/family/friends who have trees and will let you pick the mango at the right time or they will. Many times the best, ripest mango was already picked by nature...meaning it is on the ground waiting for you to eat before animals do. Other fruits ..... I have a much better chance of getting decent specimens at the supermarket. Plums I can pick good ones, cherries usually ship well but first of the season tend to be too unripe, apples I can pick winners. Apricots are always a challenge but they can be the best of all. Peaches are usually awful but I'll take a chance. Grapes can be fantastic towards end of season whether it be Chile or California. Black grapes with seeds are your best bet Mangoes are very in these days. I see something like mango salsa and I get angry. They are taking the world's most delicious fruit and desecrating it. If the author of such a recipe had a real backyard mango in her possession..... I have to hope she would eat it straight. But she doesn't so she takes some jive supermarket mango and makes it into (????wtf) salsa and thinks she has done something impressive and "in". Very similar to the huge salmon mousse centerpiece I saw at a reception. Ten pounds of the world's most delicious fish desecrated by mixing in ten pounds mayonnaise. In summation ..... Grow your own mangoes if you have a backyard. I see northern people with potted mango trees they can wheel in from the cold. They are on the right track and know what the world's most delicious fruit is!

When I take those personality tests, I come down right in the middle of extrovert/introvert, which I think is appropriate. I love time with friends, and I am often the organizer of social outings. But I also love being alone. As an only child, I was home alone often when my parents were at work, so maybe it's just that I got used to it. DH grew up in a big family and he doesn't particularly like being alone (as in being home alone for a weekend, or going to our beach house alone -- which I LOVE). But he is very introverted and getting more so as he ages. Friends who know him well can laugh about the fact that if one of them happens to stop by unannounced, he might barely say hello. But if he knows someone is coming, or we're going out somewhere, he is prepared and will be friendly and is often (esp. after a couple of beers) the life of the party because he is incredibly funny. It makes me crazy at times because he can be very self-absorbed and gets involved in solitary activities that can exclude me and the rest of the family. Fortunately when the kids were little he was more engaged and hands-on so it bothers me less now that the kids are more independent. Our kids are: one nerdy extrovert, one slightly nerdy introvert, and one non-nerdy introvert!