lol well its a long story. I learned the old school way. Not sure how they do it on photo bucket. I just learned how and just use my own html code. Heres what I do Where the red writing is that says URL Link copy and paste the url link to your picture there. There are two links one is for your big picture and one is for the small picture (or thumbnail) the first one is where the URL link to the larger picture is and the second one is where you put the URL link to the smaller picture If I don't want to use a thumbnail then I use this code the URL Link is where your large picture URL link goes. Just copy and paste the URL code. There is a lot of typing and remembering with this way but I guess its how I learned so its easy for me(-:

schoolhouse, These Larkspurs were originally planted further up the hill, nearer to the house, but over time they spread down the hill and almost took over the front yard. I loved it! No Mow Grass! I had to weed-eat around them the second year. By the third year, well, the above is the result. But alas, we had two severe drought years with no rain during that whole time and above normal high temps and they all died before they could go to seed. Bye bye larkspurs. Even the Bermuda grass died. Last year we had enough rain to sustain them, but I was too ill to extend my gardening beyond the immediate back yard. But this year, I am feeling better and I hope to re-establish flowers in the front again, especially the tall blue Larkspurs. I have the seeds - lots of packets of seeds. Not sure how I am going to keep my big dogs out of the seeding area until they grow to size. Once they are established, they will go around. They are very respectful of "Marmie's gardens", my good boys. If you look closely at the photo, on the left side, just below the cedar bough and berries, you can just make out a little tree. That is a Native Oklahoma Redbud tree I planted that year. It has now grow into a lovely, medium sized tree and provides much needed shade in the front yard in summer. You will also notice that there is a triangular space of just grass in the center of the larkspurs from there down the hill to where the larkspurs end. The dogs run a path around that space and it looks like a good spot to re-establish my flowers. Maybe I can put up a little 2 ft. fence of hogwire around it. The roses and Bridles Wreath spireas no longer hang over the fence into the yard like that on account of the dogs running along the fence line. They have to run somewhere. So I deal with it. The bushes hang over the fence the other way now into the driveway side. I planted a white Rose of Sharon & a Forsythia bush in the middle of those roses on the outside of the fence. It looks so pretty in the spring when the roses and forsythia are all in bloom and then in the summer when the RoS is blooming with the last bloom of the roses. I am going to plant some columnar junipers or spruces up by the house and evergreen shrubs...somewhere. On this hill, they will look even taller and stately. Anyway, that's the plan - I hope it works. I want larkspurs growing there again. We shall see.....

Thanks folks, glad you enjoyed my bright spot today. :) Ellie, I've lost so many buds to this drought, I can't tell you how many empty scapes I've cut off, some will give me 1, maybe 2 blooms if I'm lucky, then others drop all their buds. It's heartbreaking watching the buds shrivel up and drop off. I hope you don't lose as many as I have. :( Jan

Hi arctic, The Moy Grande was at the botanical garden here in Austin so I can't answer for the normal petal count. All I've heard is that they're supposed to be more cold-tolerant than most hibiscuses. It was so huge and such a spectacular color I had to get that shot. I leave my hibiscuses out all winter here, let them get frost temps around 30 or so to kill off pests, then cover them with blankets when it gets colder than that. Of course, our winters are much less harsh and shorter than yours. They die back in their pots and come back late spring. They're such happy flowers that I'm sure you agree they're worth your trouble in Utah! Jen