Excellent ones = BEYOND THE SKY (Morss 08) and GASPING FOR BREATH (Niswonger 09). Neither has huge numbers of pods on it, but that's because I decided to leave them alone after a certain number, eg, GASPING has nine pods. I could very easily have kept using it until I exhausted the plant. BTW I just love BEYOND THE SKY. One of my very favorite daylilies. Registered as an evergreen, but it has always performed admirably here. And with flawless flowers every time. Another very good pod setter has been BLUES IN THE NIGHT, a Bud Bennett dip from 2010. Like the other two I mentioned, it has a decent number of pods, but not a huge number, but that was on purpose. Also GREYWOODS GIDDY UP GIRL. What a beautiful flower! It's registered as a ML, but it started early and has kept chugging along. In fact, this thread reminded me to go check on it and, while I was out there, I stuck some pollen on one of the blooms. Also good although most are bee pods = BROWN WITCH. Would have been good every single time, and with any pollen I think = WAITING ON A CALL (Yost 03). Except that I purposefully avoided it this year. I have boatloads of seeds from last year that I never bothered to plant. I think every thing I used took. WOAC is very vigorous and, like every Yost daylily I grow, has great plant habit. But the flower would no longer be considered au courant. "Haven't had much luck with her since she blooms so late" Dani, it's very clearly past peak here, so choices with specific cultivars are obviously limited. But I still have lots of blooms to go. Partly it seems to be an extended bloom season, also MLs and lates, but I also have quite a bit of rebloom. Or did things bloom later, not earlier??? WHEN BEARS FLY, a midseason, has three scapes flowering merrily away. MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST has two scapes full of buds, but that one's a ML. I have VAMPIRE BAT, and I was just delighted when it put up an instant rebloom scape. It's in flower today in fact. SPARKLING CHAMPAGNE, another midseason daylily, is full of scapes still with a fair number of buds still to do. What's up with that one I wonder? Ditto RASPBERRY SUEDE. Anyway, I am obviously on the verge of hijacking this thread, if not past it! ROCK SOLID was a very good pod setter. Whether it'd be a great one I've no idea - like most things here, it got pollen haphazardly and because I happened to be standing near a bloom with pollen in my hand. (I'm clearly no hybridizer!) But it's still in bloom. Supposed to be a rebloomer, so I guess that's what it's doing. Also quite good is SELF DETERMINATION, a ML.

Interesting reading, all of this. I think as long as people approaching middle age and beyond look for a diet regimen that can essentially reverse the aging process--- more energy, fewer to no health problems--- preventing any new illnesses and reversing the lifetime effects of what they've eaten up to that point, there will be studies, books, and food products to satisfy the market. Today's wonder diet or food is usually tomorrow's carcinogen. But alternative (this free, that free) and organic---- if a universal standard is ever adopted--- markets are the fastest sectors of the food industry, so at the least all this specialization is growing the economy :-) Don't you wonder, though, if this will be the next human rights issue.....if the affluent are sure that certain foodstuffs are dangerous long term to human health, how can we allow the poor to consume them with no protections?

On the kimono side (left of fireplace) I would put the tall vase to the left of the kimono, the low table and planter (that are currently next to the chair on the right) over to the left side, to the right of the large vase. Move the small chest over to the right side of the fireplace, as a side table for the chair. I didn't mind both chairs, but it feels a little airier with just the one. The vase on the fireplace is the right idea with the greenery, but needs to be taller and fuller. Consider adding some stems of bamboo for extra height. Take the little pieces off the mantel - they are lost up there, I think. Instead, move the red vase that is on the hearth up there, and also the blue plate that is on the coffee table, put on a plate stand to show off the color, and bring that color blue up to the mantel. The brown pot that is on the left side now on the floor might also work on the mantel or the hearth - hard to really see the detail. At some point down the line, I am wondering if you might consider re-matting the framed art piece? Right now it reads mauve. I am thinking that you could pull a stronger color out of the art that would be a nice compliment to the kimono and vase on the other side. Just love your home!

Things are coming along. I think you have to choose between the scrolly lamp and the candlestick trio, as one side needs something more weighty. Personally, I would keep the candlesticks (as they could be used in many ways) and find a lamp with more weight. The little wall hutch looks very nice, and the whole space is feeling warm and welcoming. If you have a Hobby Lobby in your area, check for their weekly sales on frames, etc. If you can get a standard size frame (a simple black one would work), one size up from the current art piece, you can have a mat cut for almost nothing, in your choice of the instock matting colors. I certainly understand the waiting for funds thing, but just wanted to give you a heads-up on a relatively inexpensive alternative. The frame you have now seems very nice -consider having a piece of mirror cut for it and using it either horizontally or vertically. As for a name for the pheasant, what was your granny's name? Perhaps you can adapt that in some way?