Thanks for the nice comments, Violet and Rich, it was a fun random trip. I just picked it at random: some place I've never been, not cold, and 2 hours or less away by air. It really was fun, and I did have serious climate envy. The botanical garden has the second highest spot in Texas, a whopping 46 stair steps up, LOL, so no mountains anywhere near, hah! Here's the view from it. Thanks again and happy gardening all! I hope other road-trippers post botanical updates of where they visit too. All the best!

KC- A whole fence row? How lucky you are! I can't wait to just have a nice little row...forget that...I want a big row if it will really help me to have more butterflies! I found one swamp milkweed yesterday at a local nursery. Does it spread and how long does it take? I already have some lantana and just planted a Black Knight butterfly bush last week. Now I've got to bribe my son to dig me up some more milkweed from the side of the road! Jeff-I've bought several coreopsis, 4 tickseed and a couple of other varieties. I only have the 2 chocolate Joe-Pye weed plants. Haven't been able to find any more. I've only found 2 fennel and 2 4-packs of tired looking dill plants. I'm still digging up coneflowers that seeded from last years plants and moving them to the hillside garden and the front bank. Also found 2 pots of Kim's Knee High. I can get all of the black-eyed susans I want from the roadside within 1/4 mile of my house. I have seeds for cosmos. I guess it is too late for them this year, but I will broadcast them anyway for next year. tdogmom- You have a lot I'm not familiar with. I will have to research them. Not living close to any big cities, I'm having some trouble finding some of the plants I want. Thanks for the link to your site. Lots of good information there. Poor Linda, You sound like me with my roses. Darn deer eat them up before I can enjoy them. Why do you think I'm switching to butterflies? :) lol I really appreciate all of the suggestions and information from everyone. Can't wait to get everything planted that I've found. Got a bunch of phlox for $1 each because they were pot bound and had gotten a little mildew. The lady even gave me some begonias. Guess she was happy because I had spent so much money! Keep those hints coming. I'm loving it. Betty

OK, some people are taking things I've said a bit too personally. I agree with a couple others who have suggested that this thread come to a close before any true harm comes. I never had any intention of this thread turning into a debate. Fact is, this place is just too nice for this. I don't regret starting the topic, but I knew it would bother some of you. I understand some people don't want their beliefs challenged. I find this odd, as I am inclined to question extraordinary claims. All this being said, I don't like leaving things hanging out there, so I will answer a few of Prouds points. **Don't read any further if you plan on taking any of this too personally. ** I really don't want to have any kind of debate. I am terrible at such things, because I am not very scientifically minded. It's all based on what makes sense, and what doesn't. It all boils down to this for me. I simply wonder why so many people, when faced with the origins of the world, choose to believe in an invisible, supernatural being who resides over some super-elite kingdom somewhere. Like Kent said, It all just seems so silly. It makes more sense to believe something a bit more logical first. "Do you have evidence to support that there is not a supreme being? If if can't be proven it doesn't exist? What about if it can't 'not' be proven? Does it then indeed exist? Hmmm, would that mean that there are or are not aliens?" A person making the claim is the one who needs to provide proof. You can't prove a negative. Someone says "I believe god" I say "prove that god exists" someone responds with "prove that he/she doesn't!" This doesn't make sense. I can say there is an invisible tiny dragon sitting on my shoulder. You can't prove there isn't, now can you? When proof shows up of gods existence I will join you all in your adoration. We have one child. He is not a gift from anything. We created him because we wanted a child. Amazing biological stuff happened, and then there he was. We are teaching him to not just accept everything people tell you. Ask questions. Doubt. Be skeptical. I tell him that many people believe many things. If he chooses to be religious when he gets older I would be baffled, but accepting certainly. No, I don't believe in miracles. Nothing happens for a "reason". The world just is what it is and we all happen to be lucky enough to be here. There is nothing special about humans or what we do in the overall scheme of things. Our lives are utterly meaningless when you consider the scope of the universe. Depressing, isn't it? "Here's an interesting concept. I once asked a practicing christian (and there is a difference between a christian and a practicing christian, but that's a different topic) "What if you get to the end and you find out there is no God and you've lived all of your life serving him?" His reply, "Wouldn't you rather spend your life serving God only to find out there was no God than to spend you life not serving him only to find out there was?"" This is called Pascal's Wager. See link. Makes no sense at all. Personally, I find religious debates pointless. Nobody convinces anyone of anything, and everyone leaves in a huff. This was fun, though, at least for me. I'll have to think of a topic a bit less controversial to start up. Maybe about favorite color, or the great 'Tea or Coffee' debate. ; - ) Here is a link that might be useful: Pascals Wager

I know what you mean when you say it brought a tear to your eye. I did too! I wish more people could take lessons from a dog. They surely are man's best friend. They are forever faithful, loving, they only want to please, they will listen to you when no one else will, etc, etc. I could go on. Hope you enjoyed it...