I haven't started much yet. I have a bunch of geraniums. Most started from cuttings, but some started from seed. They take a long time to mature from seed. I have some begonias that I saved the tubers from last year. They are just starting to leaf. My Impatiens I intend to start tomorrow. I grow tempo Impatiens. They put on a great show and are the earliest to flower. I prefer them to the doubles. Anything else will be started in the greenhouse next month. I plan out my beds in a half hearted way when I'm contemplating my flower choices. I keep a book with genuses and their varieties that I have ordered and make notes in it about them during the summer. Over the years I have discovered which plants like which conditions in my yard. I mainly order the ones that have performed well in the past but I'm always open to new ones and include some of them in my order. Some of these I would grow again--others not. I always say I'm going to cut back but I always grow too much. I have a neighbor who is a gardener and we swap plants. I usually grow Petunias. For grandiflora I like the Storm variety; The blossoms don't droop in the rain. I grow the Grandiflora glorious mix double petunias amd the milliflora Picobella. The last are small plants with small petunia flowers that work very well for edging a bed. I don't grow the trailing petunias because I don't have many hanging planters or a place to put them.

What a beautiful picture Julia. Hope you have a great holiday season, too.Mine is off to a bad start already. One of my daughters sent me to the eye Doctor to have my eyes checked and fitted for new glasses for Christmas, I have been wearing these I have for at least 10 yrs, and have got to where I cant read the paper with them, so she was going to get me some new ones for Christmas. Well, the eye doctor wouldn't prescribe new glasses. Said I have Cataracts on both eyes,and right one being the worse,and wanted to schedule me to go have them removed right away, I told him not so fast dr,I never rush into anything without thinking it over awhile. He asked me 3 times if I have had a stroke and 3 times I told him no I have not..I guess because I was walking with a cane. don't know, but he sure was fixed on the stroke idea.he has sure scared me to death with this surgery idea. and especially when he says they don't put you to sleep for it,as it only takes about 15 minutes.My daughter was in there listening to him and said later he acts mighty queer to her, like he might be on some thing. I have no idea, but, I want to ask questions about any surgery on my eyes before anything is done.he did tell me I could go blind if its not done,and that scares me even more,as all I think about now is spring and seeing my daylily blooms again and being on the forum to see every one elses, too. Have a very merry Christmas Julia and a happy new year. Jean

Pollinating your flowers to control what you get is exacting and finicky work but it can be done. You can collect the pollen of your preferred flower(use a soft paintbrush) and as new buds open use that to pollinate the flowers . You then have to but little baggies over the pollinated flowers (remove petals for this) and wait for them to make seed. I like the old fashioned single columbine that I have here and prefer the dark blue. I despise the oversized more modern form and the super doubles dont do well in rain. I used to take the time to grow and sow the purple.

Merry Christmas to all. Julia, too have spent my fall vigorously working to recover from the time off. It is still not finished, but I will try to post a couple of photos to show the mess that the back was in. and here is a more recent photo: still not finished but much of it is done...spring will be another work and I am getting very much along in years too. I have cut down and hauled over over a hundred little saplings. mostly oak or Mimosa but a maple or two and one magnolia tree. (courtesy of the birds.) The stumps are all painted with Remedy so they will not return. In Alabama, and I am sure it happens in other southern states as well, weeds, grass, trees, etc will grow very thickly if not managed constantly. My husband can no longer do any yard work other than grass cutting where the land is clear, so I had better stay well this year. Anyway, this is what I have been doing in November and early December. kay