Hi Amanda, Nice to see you visiting. I still have Iris that you gave me at that swap. :-) Glad you are enjoying your spring garden. Mine was under so much snow, it's just starting to wake up. A few crocus blooming and that's all so far.

Hope you will post some photos of your garden. Welcome back. :-)

Hi PM2 - how nice to see you. I have a 'Good n Plenty' begonia from a cutting you gave me.

I'll be moving at the beginning of June, so the parts of my garden that are currently active (and that I like) are in pots. I'll try to post some pictures of potted-up hellebores - probably not until the weekend, though.

Amanda

I still have my original. Angel wings are so easy, that's what I like best about them, I think. Glad your 'Good n Plenty' cutting worked out.

Are you moving locally? I guess you will be potting up a lot to take with you. I hope you will have a great spot for a new garden in your new place.

Hi Amanda -
There are still a few of the old regulars here who were at Marie's swap. So nice to see you here again!

Hi, N/DtD - great to see you. Hydrangeas you gave me have thrived. I've really enjoyed them.

A, I'm moving locally, yes. I'll be moving to the middle of the city, which is great, as far as I'm concerned, but which does mean I'll have a lot less in-ground gardening space. There are some bathtub-sized areas beside the front door. They face SOUTH SOUTH VERY SUNNY SOUTH, so I think my favorites, the hellebores, will have to go in my parking spot! (It's around the back, in shade.) There's a little room around the parking area; I'll try that, first. I'm only bringing "a few" special plants with me - "a few" being sort-of relative, here, to how many plants I have, rather than meaning, actually, something like 2-5 :) . I'll be living on the top floor, and will build a roof deck one of these days/years. I'm really looking forward to the roof deck. I love container gardening, and I come from a family of roof-gardeners.

My Good n Plenty was in too bright sunlight for a decent photo when I got home today, but here's a (not particularly decent) photo of another begonia, Madame Queen. Please excuse those dried-up-and-fallen-off Hatiora flowers on my plant shelf. Why do we not see these things until after taking the photo?

Amanda

Hey! I haven't checked in here in quite a while and it's delightful to see your post. Do you remember the chickens and the chicken-catching escapades at my swap? They got rid of the chickens because a horse got samonella and was very ill.

I'd love to have chickens here but no time and less energy than awhile ago.

Thanks for the saying something nice about my garden. Now almost half the back hill is planted with "real" plants, not trashy norway maples. I really have to stop planting .

Maybe if I hosted a plant swap, you'd come! Great to see your name, Amanda. I knew exactly who asarum was after all these years

Marie

Marie

Amanda, that's a very attractive Begonia. I don't think I've seen that variety before. I do remember you always had an eye for container plants and displaying them. I trained my 'Good 'n Plenty' into a standard that I enjoyed for two years and I lost it last year. Luckily I had taken cuttings from it just before that and now I'm starting over again.

Our daughter lives in the city and they have a roof deck on her building. She is not on the top floor and it's a couple of flights to bring anything up there. She would enjoy growing something on the roof, but she really doesn't have a lot of time. I was considering giving her a container of succulents this summer. There is no access to water up there, so I really wonder how much gardening you can do without a lot of vigilance. The light is so strong and with no shade at all, I imagine everything dries out really fast.

It sounds like a really fun project for you and lucky that you will have a full sun area outside to work with too. So many things you will be able to grow.

Hi Marie - it's as delightful to see you posting. Is it possibleNOT to say something nice about your garden? It's so, so lovely.

I'm afraid I only vaguely remember chickens. I remember meeting people from the forum. I remember spilling coffee (by accident!) on PrairieMoon2, who was wearing a shirt with a lot of white in it. And I remember a plant combination you had - asarum europaeum planted under/in front of taxus. I loved the similar colors but contrasting texture and sheen. One day I hope I"ll have an occasion to copy that planting, but, meanwhile, I think of it.

I'm sorry to hear about no time and less energy; I hope the time goes in ways that are satisfying, at least.

PrairieMoon2, the standard sounds really interesting. I've tried that with coleus, but never with a begonia. Now you've inspired me: something to try this summer. Perhaps a cutting of 'Madame' can find its way to you?

Succulents are a smart idea for a roof garden. Mine doesn't have water, either, at the moment, and I'm still thinking about how to resolve that. (I'll try to put it in, but I think it's a little tricky in a condo set-up.) I imagine there will come a time - fairly soon - when getting a workout by lugging water up to the roof gets, oh, I don't know...a bit old? :) Whatever I do, I imagine I'll use self-watering containers.

Amanda

I hadn't remembered the coffee, Amanda. It's funny the things we remember. I do remember the huge, gorgeous planting of asarum that Marie has in her garden that she very generously offered me a division of. I still have it under my Maple tree. Thank you again, Marie. :-)

As lovely as that begonia is, I think it would be happier at your house, with someone who will take good care of it, (g) but thank you for the generous offer. I find myself simplifying my houseplant collection to only those that will suffer the most neglect.

I hadn't thought of a 'self watering container' for the roof, great idea. She has a birthday coming up soon, that will be a great gift idea. Thanks. :-)