Kingturtle I believe you mean Bradford Pears which, suck as a tree, are overused by developers and builders, love to snap in the slightest wind, and have flowers which smell like dead fish. That Pear? 'Cause Bartletts are tastey. Bumblebeez, you quit talkin' bad about my metal and plastic edging. Just for your enjoyment I have pictured just how well these products work. Plastic edging> See how well this has contained my weed problem? Metal Edging> While this one won't stop weeds either it sure helps to hold this patio in place and will eventually become unseen after the sedum takes over. Both? For an extra thrill, here is a piece of plastic intersecting a piece of metal.

I just love this thread!! I set down and read the whole thing which is unusal for me lately. I'm still on a mission to get all 800 pots repotted before Christmas. I've done nearly 400 now. Those 400 have netted me over 700 new pots. So, no, I haven't spent that much on seeds but I have stock in Miracle Grow garden soil and fertilize!!!! Lots of stock!!! I love Nats "so next year I'll just enjoy what I have. Maybe" Yeah right!!! I've said that one before. Then I start looking at the Hybridizers sites and I'm lost in that wonderful world of wishing I had all the new ones. Since I can't afford the new ones, I hop on over to the Lily Auction and promptly spend way too much on some that I just think will fulfill my itch to have something that even looks like all the $200 to $300 new intros. And then came my adventure of finding out about Maryott's wonderful end of season sales and WHOA!!!! I may have to take out a loan to get all the ones I WANT!!!! Yes, I WANT and WANT and WANT. How much would I spend on seeds? I thought $1 apiece was huge 5 years ago. Now, the opening bid is usually more than that. So, I've thought about $5 a seed but so far have resisted. I may not make it through the year, though. I've seen alot of beauties on the Auction. If I didn't have to worry about money, I'd be a force to be reconned with on bidding for my WANTS. I wish God's blessing on all from Texas. May you get a slow and long rain to replenish your parched land. Blessing to all, Mona

It was 2 degrees here this morning. brrr! Sun is out, haven't been out there yet. Hope these temps are going to be short lived. The furnace has been cranking. Thanks Jane, interesting article. I am a marmalade fan, so IâÂÂll have to look for some of these brands that have ginger in them and try it. DtD, that recipe sounds delicious. We will use a roast for pot roast once in awhile, but never thought of using it as a base for chili. So do you use beans with it or just âÂÂchiliâ spices? Sounds like I could use a large crockpot, too. Bill, I have been looking for new âÂÂsoupâ recipes, so IâÂÂll have to try your version this winter. We had an Italian connection in our family in the past, and my Mother was a huge fan of many Italian dishes and got her sauce recipe from an old world Italian woman. We make lots of sauce and chicken cacciatore, minestrone soup and thereâÂÂs always some of that in our freezer. Making tiny meatballs for chicken soup sounds like a new fun version. And the escarole adds a lot of nutrition. BTW, there is a new book out called Eating on the Wild Side, that reviews current studies of nutrition in food and I was surprised to learn that a can of tomato paste is chockful of nutrition and during the off season when fresh vegetables are not available from the garden, beans are one of the highest nutritional foods you can eat. And blue cornmeal if from a non GMO source, is also better nutritionally than yellow cornmeal, according to the book. So chili made with canned tomatoes and beans with blue cornbread is a very healthy meal. And the book is a very interesting read, if you donâÂÂt find nutrition too dull. It also offers names of varieties of vegetables and fruits that are the highest in nutrition, that you can grow. As for gardening, IâÂÂm not quite in the garden mindset yet. Later in January, IâÂÂm sure that will change, but I am very interested in how all the âÂÂzone pushersâ are faring. As much of a worry as it is to have the temps dip so low, Bill, you are right, this will be a good test of which varieties are really solid zone pushers and I will be fascinated to see whose plants survive come spring. All of them, I hope!

wow these all sound like awesome baskets! i got my basket from Vina and wow! i am floored and don't quite know where to start. there were ladyfinger cookies, chocolate marshmallow eggs, chocolate truffles, and adorable chicken statue for the garden wearing red galoshes lol, a really cute test tube vase for the window, a chili pepper (which i am going to convert to a christmas ornament for the veggie patch section of the tree ), soap shape dlike a garden fairy that is too cute to use, a picture book of here comes peter cottontail, eggs filled with candy, all nestled in gold ribbon and wrapped in pictures her kids colored!!!! so cute and what a great idea. there were also bleeding heart plats, an adorable bunny shaped tin filled with seeds and a cool blue and green shell bracelet (and i have the perfect hippie skirt to go with it), and a red peony!!! i think the easter bunny probably got a hernia carrying this to my house LOL. ooo and a flower notebook and a cute card signed by all. thank you so much and tell billy and taylor i loved their coloring. i am smoothing one of them out and hanging it on my office door :) little dog came home safe and sound-- exhausted and extra dirty, but better than she usually is after one of these excursions. thank you all for your support! and now, for bingo! bonnet lamb quack tulip Bonus word 'cause it's friday: columbine* Bonus word becasue little dog came home :): polliwog for those of you who missed it, the person who gets the most bonus words gets a prize too :) how are the bingo boards? anyone close? i need to go through and mark all the lists i have. hope everyone has a great weekend :)