Tammy: You're smart and nice. :oD Thanks for the sedums! I started them in a pot I have basil in so they get a little bigger before I set them in where the pansies need to come out. I looked up what the cleome plants my sister gave me look like, and I wanted some of those, so I'm very happy. Called my sister to thank her and discovered she couldn't find her original plants. Somebody had given her her original plants last year, and she didn't realize they were annuals, so now she's upset she gave away all the seedlings she found. But I'll just share seeds back with her, now that we know, LOL. Hey - how are those lizards settling in to their new yards? Agrowingpassion: Thursday afternoon or evening would be ideal for me, although I could do other evenings as well.

hi warhawk... the green and gold hosta society is based out of green bay...here is their schedule for this year... june 9th and 10th,,,1 member is having a personal garden walk and plant sale at her house june 16th,,,the green and gold society hosta sale is at one of the members houses... there are 3 chit chats held at different members places...so you can see 3 more yards...those are scheduled june 20,,,july 11,,,and august 1 august 7th is their roadtrip to oshkosh to visit 4 gardens, have lunch, and go shopping at 1 garden center... september 8th there is a sale at the green bay botanical gardens with lots of vendors....not just hostas... you can inquire about membership to: Karen VandenHeuvel W1842 Culbertson Road Seymour, WI 54165 dues are $8 per person or $12 for families per year ____________ there is also the "Wisconsin Hosta Society" based in Madison maybe you would like to check them out also... Dues are $8 per person or $12 for families per year also... Send inquiries to: Neil Cummings 5031 Crestview Drive Marshall, WI 53509 hope this helps....jill

Cricket, I've linked the Iowa Hosta Societies below - dues are minimal and great opportunity to see some gardens and meet some hostaholics. There is also a Society for Southeastern Minnesota - depending on where you are located. Maybe someone here from Iowa can you more information about these societies. Paul Here is a link that might be useful: Iowa Hosta Societies

Hi Caperose- Ooooh, your question brings back great memories of our trips. Your choices are overwhelming... Here are some points to ponder. Sorry, if I restate the obvious. Do you want to see formal gardens, cottage gardens, or smaller private gardens, or a mix? Do historic houses w/gardens interest you? You need to decide in order to refine your focus. Enrollment in National Trust, Royal Hort Society, etc. qualifies you for free admission to their properties. Saved us a bundle. Also check out the "Yellow Book" (charitable garden schemes) which specifies dates that private gardens can be visited. All info on net. There is a 1992 book on "rose gardens to visit in England" - probably out of print but available in your state-wide library system. Sorry, forget title and author. The number one mistake US folks make is overbooking too many places to visit and too frequent a lodging change. Too many of us return home exhausted and it doesnt need to be that way. When you evaluate travel miles, 50 country road miles there can take 2 hrs by car, not the 1 hr here. We've had a blast using public transport and an occasional day guide there (for isolated areas) and have found it very rewarding. Another idea: day coach tours run daily from the larger cities and are reasonable. Oh yeah, when I have emailed the rail and coach authorities for clarification, their responses are accurate and timely - love those people - the US transport system could learn from them, they arent perfect but they sure are helpful. Independent travel is very easy if you enjoy research and planning. We did and wow, the small as well as the formal gardens we saw - memories to last a lifetime. Garden tour companies didnt fit our taste as we like to set our own pace. Example, one private garden on an island is open a few weeks a year and we stayed 5 hrs there, some plants bloomed for the first time in 25 years! A tour company moved on after 2.5 hrs and we would have missed the many details that sunny day, including our picnic at water's edge. On the other hand, tour companies take the worry out of planning, etc so many people prefer this type of trip. Again, there is no wrong or right, you just need to know what suits you best. Make sure that you ask for the daily itinerary to check out the time per garden. Some tour companies devote more on meals/giftshop versus the gardens and that works for many people. Tour companies also tend to frequent more populated places and they can be very crowded in summer and holidays. Travel time - make sure that you dont overplan your trip and need to hurry from place to place. A distance of 50 miles there could take you 2 hrs, depending on the roads. Let's hope the exchange rate improves and don't forget Wales and Scotland, lovely gardens there too! English Grammy's Gardengull