Thanks for the info on geranium sporting. I thus christen this geranium "peppermint deeprootsii". Re: the CA buckeye - on bike rides in the foothills, I noticed the pods (good word for them) by the side of the road in great profusion. I believe they show up in November or December typically, that time of year more or less. Since they sprout where they land (if they don't dry out too much or get eaten by squirrels or run over by car tires) I initially tried to mimic those conditions by just placing a pod in a pot of soil. This was not successful. What I discovered is you need to find pods that are putting out this white tap root which they will typically do most often if they are near a creek or rivulet by the side of the road and the weather is wet or has been very wet recently. The white tap root comes out as the pod cracks open and the tap root bends and seeks soil. You can take a little soil with the pod if the tap root is already anchored. Just gather these pods up and set them individually in your pot of soil and protect them from squirrel depredations for the first year as squirrels see the pod and will grab it if they can, and the success rate is very high. After the first year or 2 the pod degrades and you get a good trunk and the squirrels will then leave these plants alone. I currently have 5 little trees. The key is: White tap root emerging from pod = easy as pie.

I would love to tour your moms garden. Her daylilies are wonderful. I just love that RASPBERRY WINTER, what a stunning eye. The colors all blend so well too. Plus I love the last two also but that RASPBERRY WINTER is my favorite by a mile.

Another beautiful black cat. Midnight has such silken fur......I like your garden so much. You have a real eye for color. I didn't see too many yellows though, maybe they aren't in bloom yet. Your Hydrangea is loaded with those large blue flowers. Isn't that the result of acidic soil? I love the shade of blue they are. Your true Lilies are show stoppers. How nice it must be to sit in your garden in the early morning.......Maryl

Thanks for the comments! :) I realize that a garden of love isn't nearly as exciting unless you can share it with fellow gardeners. I'm a single guy with a modest income but my budget is pretty much jammed into my gardening efforts which have basically caused my wallet to be real light for the first two years in the hobby. I subscribe to the 'The best time to plant a hosta(tree, etc) is twenty years ago, the next best time is today". Well, in my view this justifies 'extending oneself' a little bit to acquire the plants you want today so you can watch them grow tomorrow. I am also fanatical about hobbies: when I started 'collecting hostas', I went out and bought several hundred in a few weeks. Almost all of my plants are what I refer to as 'legacy plants' in that they are most likely to still be growing and becoming more beautiful even after I have passed on. All the more reason to invest as much time and energy as I can while I am still relatively young. Maybe some of you folks can visit in person some day! :) -Will