mantis: Tomorrow I plan to go and count the number of fans, scapes and budcount. I love the bloom so it isn't going anywhere even if it gave me heartburn this year. We have 2 cameras. My husband has a Canon Rebel XT with all the bells and whistle plus the telephoto lens that has IS. I just use the dial that points to the flower icon with auto focus, adjust the telephoto lens to the closeup I want, focus and shoot. I'm not really that technical with changing settings with allowing more or less light or changing the speeds. My camera is a Canon SD800 IS which is the nice handy small size point and shoot. Oh yeah, it has all these things you can do to change settings and speed and what not but I like to use auto function. That is one I could actually do the white card/paper trick and not get off balance. I switch between the cameras but mainly use the larger Canon. I like the distance of the telephoto lens so you don't have to step into the garden beds to snap a photo. The white card trick was told to me my a long time member of the forum Jan (tweetype). I do miss her posts on the forum. Probably more than everyone needs to know LOL. Julia

These are both lovely Hostas, actually seem to have a lot in common with each other, and as much as I love a good yellow, the shade of green on Queen of the Seas is fantastic. Cher

Nice! Abiqua trumpet is one I have been mulling over....I want a small blue cupped one. I think my Heatwave is the same age as yours and this looks like a good year for it, too.

Thanks very much guys..... Brownii is actually a bigger fern than the other ones and is already proving to be unreal in regard to growth, the other ferns are not in the same league! The C.Medularis,Brownii and all Dicksonia were all purchased via mail order from The Fern Factory in Cali(-: Central My T.ferns are still small enough that they grow all spring,summer,fall. Cooperi is very tough as it has endured 106F heat and less than 2" rain in 3+ months,last years 60"+ over the same time frame had them doing better. The humidity has been very low here lately.... last 5 days Oct 1st.20% 2nd.10% 3rd.4% 4th.6% 5th.12%