When organic tomatoes (organic or not we still have a problem getting true "vine ripened" tomatoes here) cost $3+ a lb, basil is $13 a lb, and the supersweet peppers im growing are $3 a pint...i'll grow if i can. If i can save money for 2-3 months and put up tomatoes for the fall/winter for cooking/stews/chili, my garden is working for me. Here in the south (mid NC) okra is almost acts like a weed in july/august. Give it some soil to support itself in and some water, watch it go. Its so hard to find fresh okra around here even at the farmer's markets. After 2-3 days picked okra is just not the same. Its not as day/night as sweet corn, but its a lot easier to work with fresh okra. The bugs are loving the okra (night attacks, suspect beatles) but as long as it keeps them away from my peppers they can have at it. I'm yet to see a population of pests that can take down an okra's natural growth habit in this area this time of year. The "dulcetta-like" sweet peppers i raised from seeds and they are almost flawless. Bugs don't want it and that's fine by me. I'm more worried about wildlife discovering how sweet they are when they start to ripen. I've been lurking around for years off/on. Just wanted to show off what's going on for some of us "apartment gardeners" who have to make do where we can.

Thanks much guys! -LL, that is a blue(ish) "Glory of the Snow", Chionodoxa forbesii. I looked it up and it is hardy in zone 4, maybe 3. They would look fantastic in your fairy garden area!! How are your daffs doing? -Hey Spogarden! I think I am good on both of those, but thanks so much for asking! You may already know this, but the big Plant Expo at the Spokane Community College is on the 14th. Didn't know I had QUITE so many primroses until I started taking all of these pics! Got some of the double ones on a sale rack for a buck each a few years ago. Then when the stores put the no longer blooming plants on the sale rack I tend to snap up a few! Thanks for looking ;-) CMK

No, I don't usually fertilize my hostas...none fertilized this year...occassionally a few were given a little Osmocote or 10-10-10 in years past, but mainly just deep, rich topsoil with plenty of compost. Some have had turkey manure worked in. High in phosphrous which promotes root growth. WARNING: Do not use too much of it! The hostas planted in rows are for three reasons: overflow stock which is commonly given to friends, stock which I haven't planted in my flowerbeds yet, and seedlings from my amateur hybridizing efforts. Yeh Ken, the Color Revolt's are en route right now and should be arriving there shortly! Really, just thought I'd try growing hostas in buckets because I never have before. So far, so good. As far as the Venus dogwoods, I've read 4" flowers, 5", 6", 7" etc. I suppose they stretch it a little. I just got mine and this is the first spring, with maybe about 3 1/2" to 4" flowers. Nice color and shape. So I'm satisfied, even if the flowers don't get much bigger. Thanks for all the compliments...No, I don't have it all figured out myself. Like everything else, gardening is a continual learning process. :)

Pat - the similarity isn't surprising... Bright Lights is a tokudama, and the original tokudama is a solid blue with those good tokudama characteristics. I've actually got a large blue plant labeled "Sport of 'Bright Lights'" in a prominent spot and it gets nice remarks. Love Pat is also a blue tokudama... a selection that I have found pretty similar to other blue tokudamas - meaning attractive - and sloooowwww... and thanks, Margo, for confirming my hope that that first one is Atlantis. I am a huge fan of Abba Dabba Do, so when I got a shot at some wholesale Atlantis this year I picked them up - and promptly sold all but one I kept for myself. I am anxious to see these grow up!