Jay, I was watching the radar last night and thought to myself that "it missed Jay again", and I couldn't believe it. Of course, when I was looking at the pink severe portion of the radar, I didn't want for THAT to hit you, but I was hoping some of the rain would. I've decided y'all must be in a "black hole" where rain has been banned. We had wicked storms all around us, but at our house we only had a half-inch of rain (and I am indeed grateful for that half-inch) although we had a couple of hours of very intense thunder and lightning, and a little bit of rowdy wind. Most of the severe stuff went just a few miles north of us. There was a big summer street festival going on in town in Marietta ("Frontier Days") and, when the NWS radio said a severe storm was entering our county, they had to call it off early and all the vendors, carnival rides, etc. had to pack up in a big hurry to get off the streets before the severe weather hit. I know the wind blew over street barricades, but think all but a couple of vendors were packed, loaded and driving out as the rain arrived. It ALWAYS rains during Frontier Days, but this year they made it through the first two days and all but 3 hours of the last day before the rain arrived. The heat is already here and I am pretty sure my fruitset has stopped, although I'll keep thumping blossoms, shaking cages, etc. to encourage it, especially on the occasional cool night/early morning that we might have. We're going to be in the upper 90s this week with nights in the mid to upper 70s, and a heat index in the 105-110 range. Not only is it going to be too hot for fruitset, it is too hot for me! Yesterday I worked outside about 30 minutes, then came in to cool off for 30 minutes in a fairly continuous cycle. Our heat index was 109. I still "can" work outside in the heat, and I do, but I sure don't enjoy it. I hope this early hot June weather is not a sign that it is going to be an extremely hot summer, but I am afraid it may be. I know it is summer. I know summer is supposed to be hot and dry. Still, every year I hope for a "milder than average" summer, and every year I am disappointed. Hoping that today you get rain.....it simply cannot refuse to rain forever. I think we will get a break here in Marietta on Friday, with a high of 91, so if the night cools off in a corresponding manner, I might get some fruitset that day. Of course, it is more likely that the forecast will change and that Friday will be as hot as every other day this week. Dawn

There are Hypericums and Hypericums.... That's a generic name, and there are lots of different things in it. The picture does look like the 'Hypericum' species I'm familiar with as a florist. That's an import, but there's no reason it couldn't have traveled in from a large greenhouse grower along with the Spirea. Google 'hypericum berries'. Comes in lots of color variants. It's invasive in very wet areas in Australia, but probably not a problem in OH. I suspect it won't like the winters much. [Grew up in Lorain County.] And glad you were kidding about eating the berries.... [grins] The 'St Johns Wort' Hypericum is a different critter. Google 'Hypericum perforatum'. Sort of like the difference between 'Solanum' species like tomatoes/potatoes, and 'Solanum' species like various kinds of nightshades.

BeverlyFLADeziner, in the photo on the bottom, are the sashes painted wood or are they a powder coated metal (ie--same material as exterior). I'm not sure what to search for to find more of this look, or what to ask for at a window store. Can an old wood sash window be replaced by this type of updated window, or is the window casement thinner, and possibly would not fit into the original opening?

If that is a straight species Larix and not a dwarf cultivar, it wants to be huge. You can keep it in a pot for a while but you're going to need a bigger pot! Put it in the largest pot that you can manage, use very well-draining medium (I usually use cactus soil) and if it's more than a year or so you are likely going to have to root-prune it.