If the plants have pesticides they'll probably be something systemic, and so won't wash off, but if you knock off as much of the soil in the pot as possible then the plant won't have access to any more that might have leached into that soil. Any new growth and the flowers should be fine. The whole plant should be fine after a few weeks, once any pesticides used have degraded. it's just a precaution you need to take if you have existing caterpillars and run out of milkweed. You'd probably need to be careful with pretty well all commercially grown plants - they might be deadly for caterpillars. I have been told that I should never use store bought parsley to feed my black swallowtail caterpillars - fortunately I've never run out of my own parsley, so it's never been something I needed to worry about :-) Wooly bears, if they're the black and brown banded sort, are the caterpillars of the Isabella moth. The yellow sorts with the black hairs are Tussock moth caterpillars. They overwinter as caterpillars, and pupate in the spring - the ones you saw had probbly just emerged form hibernation and were looking for a place to pupate. BP

I heard it was just going to be some rain and wind, well that is what they are saying so far, I don't quite believe it either. The weather has been a bit weird, too humid for this time of year, the animals are acting weird, the geese are in the harbor honking already, fawns still have their spots? I am prepared as i can be for whatever comes our way, lots of water, dishes are all washed, the cupboard is stocked with canned foods, batteries and wood in the basement. Brought in all of my garden ornaments just in case, don't want any of those cans flying through the air. I just have a feeling we are going to get hit with something, perhaps not Ophelia, but something. Batten down the hatches all. Here she blows. Valerie

Mistral is a beautiful Herreshoff schooner built in 1938. Her LOA is 82 ft. She has been rebuilt twice at great expense and treated us well...well except for the time the Capt surfaced from the bilge to inform us that we were on a sinking boat but J's good common sense soon had a jury-rigged bilge pump set up so sink we did not. Annette I may never catch up with my weeds, too many clients have to come first. Looking forward to your poppies blooming this year. Thinman, google" Bermuda Dinghy" for all the info on Elizabeth 11, you will be amazed. I know ,roller-furling, not traditional, but I kinda like it (when it works,lol) Edna your painting news is fabulous! Good on you, I'll echo Cameron here "you rock" Patti and Nancy, so good to hear from you! Glad you enjoyed the pics, Martha

Major General - First Bloom. The only way I could get the colour correct was a wide picture and then crop Major General out. Belle Cook Dean Corey