i would like to trade you 5-10 items from my have lists for a mix of 5-10 trades of your choc mint ,beebalm, and privet bush, i will throw in a rooted cutting of a William Baffin climbing rose bush as a *bonus* please check my list and e-mail me,thanks,Sheila

You're all wonderful, ten times over! Melissa, boxwoods are a no (they're all over the place here). I did plant some 'Soft Touch' Ilex Compacta, desperately hoping my neutral pH won't kill them. I think they'll be like 3x3 balls of tiny leaves if they survive. The others you mention (rosemary & lavender) get so big here - not enough room, but definitely good suggestions. "1) the garden won't break; and 2) the gardener will have periods where gardening just doesn't have any appeal, but enthusiasm will return the first warm and sunny day." Excellent words! I planted some things today. Two double salmon hibiscus 'Jane Cowel' along the white fence near Anna Olivier & Perle d'Or even though they will get HUGE (hack, hack), a strawflower, two Marguerites - rose and yellow, some glad bulbs. None of which will add to the winter garden. :(( I fed the front and got about have of it composted. Just putting the dark compost down makes everything look better. Budeyes are swelling all over the place. Thank you, Gean my friend, you're always so positive - except for the hurricane part. lol That's such a big no-no here. Our insurance rates go up if you even whisper it - or the company drops you. :(( But you're so encouraging. Ingrid, I like reading your lists of excellent plants. I dearly wanted two 'Sky Pencil' Japanese Hollies, but I can't get my pH low enough in a million years. If these Soft Touches work, I'll be getting more of them. They're not unlike box except a deeper green & denser. You know, when I had my rosemary, it never bloomed, and I had it for a year and a half before it died. One day you'll have to gently ask your plants if they like 60% humidity and torrential downpours a couple of times a week. If they say yes, let me know! holleygarden, do you have Hermosa? Run go check it out if you do. Mine are loaded with buds, just starting to show dark pink/red. I have buds scattered around on other roses. It was a wonderful day - maybe 70. Cool enough to have long sleeves on and pants. A neighbor came to visit my next-door neighbor while I was out there. She told me I have a beautiful garden. I thanked her very much, but why do I want to argue with her? It occurs to me that others don't think it's as bad as I do - even the sticks, probably. And I guess they know what time of year it is. Thank you everyone. I feel much better for all your kind words. Sherry

Here's some cheating The rose family- which includes roses of course, and also allows me to include apache plume and cliffrose. The mint family- includes russian sage, salvia, lavender, agastache, thyme : ) Penstemons Needled evergreens ornamental grasses Oops even cheating, still went over five succulents I think what is clear is that I can't make a list of five.

I hardily agree with the sentiments above. The Painted Buntings, the hummer, what a sight. The cat bird pair, the mocking bird pairs, the cardinal pairs, the Carolina Wren pair, the Brown Thrasher pair, the Red-bellied Woodpecker with brood, teaching suet etiquette and the many Goldfinches that are nesting nearby just makes the late afternoon a joy. The antics, the territorial singing contests in a.m. and p.m., the occasional stranger danger calls and squirrel tail-wagging when the resident black racer is out hunting lizards. The other day I was watching the mockingbird male jump across the back yard. I though he was after a bug, (grasshopper) but it turned out he had flushed the black racer out of his hiding place and he chased and pecked him from the garden to my back door. Luckily for the snake he found a clay pot to hide under. Safe to hunt another day. The cedar waxwings are here, every evening before dark about two hundred of them perch in the Sycamore tree and chatter like their at the water cooler spreading the day's gossip. An interesting group and quite beautiful if you have a pair of good binoculars. Sadly I am just now placing a few new plants to try to provide for them. By next year I should be able to have enough fruit to interest them into hanging about more. Thanks for the reminder that I'm not the only one that enjoys birds, as you said much better that TV.