Very nice testimonial, Jane, to the value of this forum! You have become a worthy member.

You said "There are many times that I do not post a question because I think my question may be trite or my mood stinks, so I say to self, "For the love of Mike, look it up yourself." So I dont post. What I fail to remember at those times is that someone 40 years younger than I may have no clue as to what to even ask much less look up; so had I posted, a thread discussion just may have helped someone. Posting matters."

I remember a time in my career when I went back to school in a new field, and I was surrounded by shockingly young people who were very talented but didn't have the self-confidence to ask a question that might sound dumb. So I would ask it for them, even if I knew the answer already. My ego had been forged by a lot of years of both success and failure so I could take a chance without being devastated.

Some of the FAQ's I've compiled have been too simplistic for regular posters, but the lurkers may not know, and lurkers may be future active Garden Webbers. Or maybe they'll go on to something else, but at least they gained something from their time here.

We all have different expectations of what we should get from the forum, and we don't always agree, but I do believe this is a very special place.

Claire

We're glad to have you 'round! Here's a toast of Asti Spumanti to you Jane!
Deb

That's what I like about you Jane, you just put yourself right out there... :-) It doesn't seem like 2 years since you first started posting. I remember how impressed I was with how you just took the bull by the horn and had those trees out and the new shrubs selected and planted in a flash. I wonder if we could get an update? If I remember right, you bought a whole lot of new plants and I wonder how they all worked out.

You have me thinking of how long I've been coming to GW forums and it's actually been about 12 years. Long time. You're right, I don't stop and think about how much of my gardening is effected by everyone I meet here on the forums, but I am sure it is a lot. I have two favorite shrubs, Viburnum maresii in the garden, that I wouldn't have selected if someone on the shrub forums hadn't suggested they would work in my shady border and if I hadn't seen a photo that ego45 posted of this huge, gorgeous Viburnum maresii the next week. And I was just thinking of idabean the other day when I was updating my plant inventory, since I have at least 5 of my favorite plants that she shared from her garden at the first swap I ever went to. Lots of other plants in my garden with NE forum names on them too. And Trudi in the Winter Sowing forum added a completely new and exciting element with her winter sowing method that I had never heard of or tried. Claire's bird photos have brightened up the winter. Lot's of nurseries I wouldn't have known about if Sedum37 had not started that thread on Favorite Garden Centers and Nurseries in 2006. I could go on and on. I'm sure we don't stop and appreciate what we receive from each other often enough, so you had a good idea with your post. :-)

Really funny story about the shy GW member living in the same town as a friend of yours. I'm sure she was very happy she posted to GW and look how it brightened your day.

Hope you will post more, Jane, I enjoy your posts. :-)
pm2

Thank you, all. Lord knows, it's mutual! This is a great place to share and learn, for sure. I went to Target during their sale and bought 4 clear storage tubs because of what terrene and diggerdee wrote in the WS forum and bought the seeds based on what I read in here (PM2's Primadonna coneflowers) so hopefully, I will have something to share at the CT swap this year. It's all cor unum - one heart; for me, everything is connected.

I did post a follow-up pic of the results, PM2, but you may have missed that thread. Here is what the border looked liked last June 2nd. It's growing and underplanted with more rhodys and azaleas.

New gardens going in this year, I'm sure I'll be seeking opinions!

Jane

Very nice post! It sounds like you've made a tremendous amount of progress with your yard and gardening in 2 years. Would love to see before and after shots of the Pine trees. Didn't you move some big Rhododendrons? Did they transplant okay?

I have gardened for years, but it has become almost an obsession in recent years. The internet with its forums and databases and photos and have enabled this obsession big time. So much information at your fingertips. New England Gardening on GW is unique because I have connected with many people IRL thru this forum. I love the swaps and sharing plants and seeds, and several New England forum gardeners helped out last year when I had tendonitis by driving me to the Spring swap, and digging out some of the plants from the sidewalk area.

And wow, had no idea any body paid attention to my doofy pictures of cat grass! ;)

Okay I didn't refresh the screen and see that the Rhododendrons appear to be doing just fine!

Jane, I thought I had posted here, but I guess I was distracted with the other thread on forum slowdown. Sorry about that. What a healthy looking group of Rhododendron! What amazes me most, is that I really didn't know you could move a Rhodie that large so successfully. It doesn't seem to have missed a beat. So, do you ever miss your pine trees? Don't I remember that you also added a lot of new plants in the back too? Where are you putting in new gardens?