Some very funny comments, I laughed a lot! Well in the defense of mulch, I use grass clippings over newspaper. i think it looks good and is far superior and easier than trying to keep the beds weed free. Well the most obnoxious front yard in our area is a small pond surrounded by these big odd shaped rocks, and scattered all over the "lawn". Oh yes, I forgot my neighbors front yard in which he has put all sorts of rusted old farm machinery. The final touch is a plastic deer pulling a hay rake. Now he lets the grass grow until it is knee high then he finally mows it using this immense tractor that makes an enormous noise, something for use on a farm for cutting hay, I think. And weed wacks around the old farm stuff for hours. He loves noise making machinery. And we are at odds over our vastly different politics which doesn't help when he revs up his stuff. Oh yes did I mention his chain saw for cutting fire wood. Of which he has a huge pile on his lawn. As you can tell I live in a once predominately farming area. t

Just a few questions...I pretty much don't watch T.V. I do watch it when I'm in a friend's home or visiting one of my kids or when I'm at the dentist. (I don't have anything against T.V. either. I just got out of the habit when we moved to this house without a cable connection.) Anyway, I always thought if I were going to watch T.V. that I'd like HGTV because of their gardening shows. So I want to know what they do on these shows that I'm not aware of? As for hiring people to garden for you, my husband (when he was alive) and I did all of the work ourself. I feel good knowing it's our own creation, but I've been tempted to hire help; however, it just never worked out. For example, I happened upon a really cool web site that belonged to a local gardening expert. I contacted him for an hour consultation to give me tips. He never showed then called two weeks later to say he'd forgotten. More recently, I contacted a native plant expert who does "garden coaching" to see if she could give me plant recommendations for the right-of-way outside my fence.--It's a difficult area with dry shade. She charged $185.00/hr and that was more than what I could afford. (I can figure it out myself, but I thought it would be nice to have someone see what I see with fresh eyes.) I'll have to look that "piss off" plant up. :-)

--I am grateful for my wife when she lets me mow around the wild flowers. --I am grateful for my wife when she knows that I just have to squeeze in one more plant. --I am grateful we live in a rual comunity where the can't tell me to mow my wild flowers. --I am grateful for the roadrunner that sneeks down my drive and eats my tomatoes. How do you sneek up on a road runner and take its picture? --I am grateful for those little blue tailed lizards that eat bugs in my flower gardens. --I am grateful for My neighbors guinnies when they come to my house and eat grasshoppers. --I am grateful That my grasshopper plague seems to be slowing down. --I am grateful That I still find simple thing amuseing.

Actually I'm kind of feeling bad. The whole toilet bowl idea may be someone elses pride. Even if a whimsical joke. And Im wondering if I could say what I'm typing to that persons face personally. And not feel the hurt I might cause. But I did get a good laugh : ) To add constructively to the thread one pet peeve of mine? Neighbors or homeowners in a community hiring Landscapers to do renovations requiring the disposal of old shrubs and perennials. Seeing them chainsawd and chipped, buried by heavy machinery. I mean that is horrible. I never looked at it that way until I started the process of donating a Japanese Garden to a local community business. Here I am wondering why the rootstock cant be shared by community members who are financially unable to afford such plants. Here I am wondering how Im going to pull this off with no money of mine to spare. So I must resort to finding recycled plants. For the first time in my life. Ive always spent other people money. Now I have to come up with ideas so as not to loose face and make the Japanese Garden a reality. I wont accept a penny more from the place Im building it. The whole idea is about community service. Giving something that is a passion for free. I have a passion so its easy. The rest is patience. I hate evil plant killers :) Let youre fellow citizens have a chance to adopt a plant before you send it to a tragic death.... People!!! Especially at the hand of Monster Landscape Contractors who arent even willing to keep the plant for themselves to use on another project.Sometimes the completion date requires dispossal of ornamentals not in the design rather than re salvaging. Maybe the local town Gardening Committee will use those ornamentals. Making the town plan of beautification financially feasible. Ive never heard of such a thing but sounds like a good idea. So many homes are stripped of old growth ornamentals that have overgrown the original space. To be lost forever. I sometimes to the embarrassment of myself will stop at such a job and ask for all the root stock still alive.. Many trades men will look at me askance. Like Im crazy and should know better than to ask such a question. Giving that tough guy attitude. Like get the hell off of my job you jackass. I can see it in their eyes. And in truth I hate that feeling. Its hard for me to swallow. I must look like an amatuer doing such things. So in reality I'm doing this rarely. Driving my dump truck to the sites who are kinder. I might get something. Knowing one particular customer of mine who is low on money would appreciate these plants. Giving that customer back for the opportunity they provided earlier. To work on their property when they had money to spend. Maybe sounds old fashioned but I like my customers to be happy. I want them to have dreams fulfilled just as I want mine. Business sometimes corrupts that process of brotherhood. No one could put the value of driving onto a customers property with a huge Rhody salvaged from being destroyed. Its a priceless moment. And what did it cost me. Maybe 20 dollars in gas. A few hours labor. But what I get in return is priceless. Compassion from the person Im thinking about. We see eachother as equalls. Something money can not buy. And when you get used to this way of thinking you never expect anything in return. The whole idea was just do it. Its the right thing to do. For no real reason but it just feels right. I dont need books to know this. Its the same act as when a baby hands over the food for you to take a bite. Isnt it awesome to see a young child offer food that was almost going into the mouth hesitate. Then look at you and put the food in youre mouth intead! Its human nature to share. Sometimes I think how cruel it must be to see ornamentals a neighbor could never afford but truly desire and watch that tree discarded like trash. The owner of such ornamentals never asking fellow neighbors if they would like to have it. I guess most people believe in not sharing and rather see material things in the garbage before theyd ever concede to the principle of giving without hesitation. That was good. I feel better! Japanese Gardening has made me think differently. To give and help the community you are a member of is the goal. Finding every opportunity to make a community come together with little things. Not on the rare occasion. But on a daily bases. Its easy. I like what Im saying and will try harder to do so. This is what makes me feel like a boulder resisting the rivers current. Finding wieght in my doings. Even if the community is too complex to understand I feel rooted to living out one aspect of being a member. Feeling like you belong. Not just driving to the local store for groceries and back home. But stopping along that daily circle to do one small thing. No matter how little. Like someone you see going to the mailbox every morning while leaving for work. Saying to that person.. "Hey Ill have Peony roots by the end of the day. Only a few. Ill leave you some tomorrow morning." At least its a start. And after a few years you can see that act of giving grow into a smile on each others face every time you cross that persons path leaving for work in the morning. Nobody said this means becoming nosey or involved with strangers. Its just one simple way to say hello. Next time we see each other we can smile and wave hello instead of me driving by like a sardine in a car. Gardening is probably the easiest way for a community to come together. Every home has something to offer. Dont throw ornamentals away.