I don't even know where to begin because the PJIC-itis set in so bad this year that I am STILL trying to pot stuff up. LOL With all of the stuff out there, I would say my biggest success was trying a goldflame honeysuckle for the first time, and not only having it bloom all summer with each segment of new growth (there is a bloom out there right now), but having it actually ATTRACT a hummingbird. And we're talking about up on the 18th floor. I haven't seen the hummer in weeks though and I was never quick enough to get the camera out to get a pic of it, but for that week or so when it apparently found my spot was just unbelieveable. I still haven't recovered and have all sorts of plans for next year for any hummers who are interested. I have already grown natural attractants for years out there (weigelas, etc), mainly because I liked those plants. But the honeysuckle hit pay dirt!! Here's what the blooms look like: The parts of the vine that had grown to the ceiling and bloomed are what the hummer apparently spotted from who knows where. LOL The other pat on the back success was getting my Sarah Bernhardt peony bought last year, to bloom this year in a container. Of course, as we container gardeners are often told - it's "impossible" and other nonsense. But my little plant (that had 3 buds last year that never opened while still in the original pot) sprouted this spring and produced 5 big blooms after living in its new home: A closeup of the first flower: I didn't have a peony hoop when I needed it. LOL But I have one now for next year. As for disasters, I would say bugs and powdery mildew. Usually I get swamped by aphids but was ready for them early on with some ladybugs that one of my sisters ordered and gave some to me. But aside from not seeing any early aphids this year (nor did I see ants this year - even on my peonies), it was the whiteflies on my tomato plants (first time in my life) and the spider mites on them and on my beautyberry (been there done that with mites but this year was the worst I've ever seen), and of late, mealey bugs - on one hoya and on a gardenia (ARRRGGGG!!). Yeah, I would say the bugs were disasterous this year. Interesting that the spiders were more numerous and I have 2 biggies at each end of the balcony who have spun enormous webs between shrubs and the balcony ceiling and they are cleaning up on the "food gathering" (literally...lol). And with the PM - gosh, the poor honeysuckle, my peony, and crape myrtle bore the brunt by late summer. The whole peony is now frosty white and the honeysuckle had pretty much defoliated, but is putting out new leaves continually and with those new vinelettes come a flower! I sprayed all sorts of different PM remedies on all of them but just couldn't keep up with it because of the bizarre weather this year. I mean, the temps were very mild as opposed to frying as they can usually get, but the humidity and lack of breezes every once in awhile just made it perfect for PM. Well, back to planning in what to pot the recent acquisitions and figuring out where to put them. LOL

hmacdona, I'm afraid that I was being facetious (largely) about the chickweed problem. Hand-picking does help -- I've eliminated it (largely) from the front yard, as does attracting some of the smaller passerines at the bird feeder (they eat chickweed seeds). The truth is that we've had a hot, dry summer and chickweed likes it cool and wet. Thinning/ventilating (to dry out the soil and increase sun exposure) has kept my chickweed under control this year.

I think I may have to get some grape vines too! Your's look wonderful Don. ☺Successes Yes, deciding to join into the Farmer's market with Brenda, turned out to be great idea. I've met lots of new people and made some coin as well.....surely a win/win situation. Most of the plants made it through last winter, so that's always a plus. I think I only had one iris die, so that was pretty good. Most of the roses bloomed well. Whether the alfalfa tea that I gave them was the cause or not, I'm not sure, but I liked the end results either way.;0) The lilies bloomed really well this summer too. 'Red Dutch' and 'Fancy Crown' didn't do well this year. Fancy Crown just didn't come up at all, so I may have to replace it yet. Forever Blue iris bloomed in the beginning of September. The Pineapple Lily that I thought was rotten this spring and then just tossed into the veggie garden to be tilled under, I found growing in the peppers. So now, it's potted up and will grow happily in the living room for the winter. Got my first seeds from a Tet daylily 'Quest of Dreams'. And I also got a few seeds from Red Ribbons and a noid pink daylily too. I'm not sure why Tets are harder to set pods on, but hopefully I'll be able to get a few more next year. Failures Dahlia barely got blooming before frost. And the cannas never did bloom at all. The veggie garden didn't do overly well at all. I think that the poplars and spruce that we planted on the east side, are taking too much of the water and shading it for too long in the morning. So next spring, it will be time to re-evaluate where things will be going. There were quite a few daylilies that had spring sickness, and for some it extended into the summer as well. There are maybe 3 or 4 that I'm not sure if they will make it through the winter or not. Keeping my fingers crossed on those. So therefore, the amount of daylily blooms was a bit disappointing. Cabbage worms did a number on my ornamental cabbages....grrrr. All in all, it was a successful year for me in the garden. I added quite a few new perennials this year, so I'm quite excited to see how well they all do next year.☺

Cowdiddly, It is great to hear about your progress in your corn-breeding project. It is so unfortunate that Monsanto Bt corn is growing within 3 miles of you, but I guess that is better than having it within a mile---or a half mile. If their Bt pollen gets into your corn, you know they won't come and get it. They'll sue you like they sued Percy Schmeiser. Our world is so messed up! Keep us posted on how you're doing! Buhl's is the favorite corn of every critter everywhere that ever robbed corn from a corn patch, so when you use it in your breeding project, I hope it doesn't attract animals to your field to eat your corn. Mike, Most any corn you want to grow will grow well here when planted at the right time. Our favorites are Country Gentleman and Texas Honey June, and my friend Fred generally grows Merit, G-90 or Silver Queen. I like all corn, but have found they're breeding so much sweetness into the newer ones that it is losing the old-timey corn flavor...so find that we like to have an older type for corn flavor and a newer type for the sweeter flavors. I grew Sugar Dots in my new back garden plot last spring and it did really well. I have noticed the corn earworms seem to like the sweeter ones more than the older, less sweet ones. That's not a scientific observation---but I've noticed a couple of times that Texas Honey June, which we think is a wonderful corn with real corn flavor, doesn't get nearly as many earworms as some of the newer supersweets and triplesweets. Dawn