I feel as if I'm making a confession to you all. I always loved gardens but my folks never had much money or knew anything about plants so we had the ugliest, deadest yard on the block. I always hated that. My Dads mom had a beautiful garden and my moms mom grew a few rose bushes and a big loquat tree and my moms dad grew strawberries and tomatoes. My folks bought a house with clay soil and made a half hearted attempt at planting some unsuitable shrubs then promptly gave up. Everything died but the couple of pines and the Italian cypresses. My dad's folks garden was the magic place and I adored it. I always loved the prettiest yards on the street and I would stop and look at all the different plants on the way home from school. In particular I was in love with a Japanese couple's dicondra lawn surrounded by maples and bamboo and clipped things. They were out there almost every night working on it together. I can still remember them on their hands and knees pulling little weeds from the dicondra and talking to each other in Japanese. The azaleas were so beautiful and there must have been so many other treasures that I can't recall now. In my mind it was the best a garden could ever get. So then the years went by and I got a copy of the Sunset Western Garden Book in high school and I read that book over and over and learned the latin names and began to really look at plants in a new way. I got an understanding of plants and what they like and that different plants want different things and that it isn't just magic that some people have and some don't. I started making an herb garden out in the no mans land of the front yard. Then I started growing annual flowers from seeds and working them in all the while waging war with bermuda grass that threatened to ruin all my progress. I planted seeds mostly because I was spending all my money to go to college but sometimes I splurged and bought fuschias and any other flowers that hummingbirds liked. I soon had a big fuschia collection going in the back under dads big pine tree that managed to survive the early years. I hated my job in the women's clothes section of a department store so I found another one at a local nursery run by a Japanese couple and their son. This couple was so good to me and the hours I spent sitting by Sumi learning about flowers and just being in her gentle presence changed the way I looked at the world and about flowers. She had a great wisdom and kindness. I don't think I'll ever know such a graceful and gentle person like that ever again. Sumi's brother Ken was there too and he was a wonderful man with a gentle way and great sense of humor. I wish I could go back and tell them how much I appreciate all the kindness they gave to me. I loved them and I loved the nursery and every plant in the place. I just wanted it all to grow well and for everyone who got a plant to be happy. I listened to all the growers and customers and I read everything I could read. Then came my friend Robert who knew everything about plants and loved roses. After a trip to his garden I wanted to grow roses. I thought I didn't know much after meeting Robert, but he was also very kind and wise and didn't mind my inexperience. He was also a great enabler and got me started buying roses from RoY&T. That catalog was like candy to us and we talked about it on lunch and while we were planting up flower baskets for holidays. When bare root rose season came around, Robert was always so happy. We loved getting into the big boxes of bareroots when they would arrive. After a while, I thought my humble herb patch was nothing special and started expanding. I left them all to go to the University and then I got a job at Disneyland Entertainment that ate my life. I spent many many hours during and after hours in the park and got to watch all the plantings and talk to the people in charge of landscape for the parks and the hotel complex. All that time, my garden saw me through tough times and I faithfully got up to water it before dawn when I had to go to work early or get to school and study. All along the way I met people who loved plants and I took cuttings and collected seeds to grow in my own garden. My grandma stood by me all the way, encouraging me. I loved Lord of the Rings too and Narnia. I remember when my sister and I were young and went camping in Colorado. We walked out into a meadow and I said " If I see the tents of Narnia, I'm just going to keep going" and she agreed with me that we wouldn't go back. I try to put a bit of fairyland in the yard for kids that come by and for myself to remind me of the old days.

My SIL has a house there (it was her mother's) and the tenant is moving out. She has one horse there that has to be looked after and she may move some others up there - they need someone reliable (so many horse care deals go sour with the animals being neglected). I prefer country life to city life, there will be plenty of room for a garden, there are already several fruit trees there (for grafting on), room for my dogs and I can probably even see the stars at night.... My current job, while it pays well, is stressful and I am at the end of what I can do with it. I will take a large cut in pay most likely but it's either stay in LA and double my rent (and it's a crap shoot whether I can find a place for my dogs) or live in a better place and make less money (at first). I expect it will be a struggle financially at first like when I first came back to the US after living in Europe for 9 years but eventually I will meet people, get to know the area and an opportunity will open up for a better paying job. My son has wanted to leave LA for some time now. He can go to college up there, there are several of them. I could stay here and "see what happens" but why turn my back on opportunity? I may be walking away from a good paying job, proximity to my family and friends and possibly relocation costs but I'm walking towards a more beautiful, healthier and safer surroundings. The stress of what will become of me is taking it's toll, I need to solve this to provide not only for my critters and son but for my own peace of mind.

I'm off to the office- we open for half day on Saturdays, so I will be posting the list around noon for the runner-ups! Any last minute suggestions will be considered. I am having a hard time getting it down to 10 selections, and my hubby just added his own suggestions last night! When I post the list, I'm asking you to choose the top three you like, 1-2-3, , and email me your choices. And yes, you can vote for your own suggestion if they make the list!! LOL!! So, if you get a chance, check back after noon today, and vote! Thanks for all the help with choosing a name for this seedling!! Brenda

I'm on Chambers Lane,on the right, just before the bridge. Most folks know the yard as I have an open Deck type fence with Climbing Roses on it ,we have about 45-50 Roses.We usually plant the outside area of the Fence with Dahlias and Poppies.We have 6 Asian Pear trees and 4 Apple trees. My hobby is Tomatoes and have 23 this year,I start from seed and have,with one exception,never planted the same variety twice. The Mrs likes Black Potatoes and Oriental onions. We also plant a Bean that has since been named after my wife. It's called Insuks Wang Kong,you can read about it on the GardenWeb/Beans,Peas & other Legumes Forum