Thank-you for spreading the good news around, it sure helps, but meantime what do we do with all this ice and snow around? Our backyard is a mess, hope the poor perennials make it. Send that robin my way, can use him about now. Tricia

The new computer files all pictures by the date. The dates are all nonsense. It seems to be something made up in collusion with the camera (LOL). The old computer let me file wherever I liked. I would upload then tranfer or copy pictures into folders with the kind of plant, etc. This one makes everything go in a folder with that date. I can rename the picture (though I never seem to do them all, maybe I just take too many) and I do, but finding it again is a problem: when I close it goes back into a mythical date folder. Your suggestion, Ken, gives me the idea of putting the date as part of the title. That would at least solve part of the problem. I donÂt upload all that often either so might not remember the date I took it, but I could be close. There is probably a sort function which I need to explore too. What I really need to do is take the time to figure the system out and make it do what I want, which I have not done. ItÂs probably some default setting I need to uncover and change. I should start keeping a log. I did, of bloom times, but never did one for emergence. I did mean true lilies, Lilium, I should have been specific. Asiatics-orientals-orienpets-etc. My daylilies, my hemerocallis, are already up. There is enough left at the surface that I never worry about where they are. ItÂs the true lilies that do weird things sometimes like send up a stem at an angle, not above the bulb, that I have to worry about. In the last few years I have bought so many that they are shoehorned in all over the place. I tagged everything last fall but about ¼ are missing. Some squirrel must have built himself a nice house of plastic knives. Nice to "see" you on here too, Ken! Pitimpinai is a little south of me. If she sees hers in mid-April it'll probably be mid-April for me too. Thanks, everyone.

I'm not sure I can tell the difference between colors from stress or fall. However, we've been living here for 6 years & usually everything starts to change towards the end of September and by mid October everything is in full fall color. By the end of October the show is pretty much over. This year has been different than any in the past... This year many maples and other trees around here have started turning colors as of the last 2 weeks of August. It could be do to the cooler summer temps... not sure. Normally we are in the 90's to 100's during July/Aug. This year we only reached 80 a few times... it's been around mid 70's for the high and 50 for the low. Rainfall has been decent... no drought for 2013. I'm not sure what to think of it... but more and more are tuning.

"Where and how much did you order your basjoo, if you don't mind me asking?" Sorry, I'm just catching up! I ordered mine on Ebay. This is my second time ordering and I think I generally pay around $5-6 a plant. I received them already and they look great, so I have four in the ground at this point (three new and one I had as a houseplant). Blondboy, I'm so happy for you!!!! What a sight!!! I guess I was the only one who actually killed mine. :( But as a Zone 5er (and borderline 5 at that), I'm not all that surprised. I WILL try again this coming winter though, maybe even with Christmas lights for a little warmth! I did a few things wrong this winter like having plastic directly on the plant!