I got mine today too, and just in time! I'm leaving at some strange hour of morning on tuesday, and this is the last day they could have arrived that I would've had a chance to do something with them :) I wasn't expecting them, I was so surprised! in a looong stretch of inconvenient days, they arrived on the ONE convenient day possible. I love it when that happens, it's usually the opposite. lol. they're extremely wilted and I don't blame them, LOL. the more hardwood part seems pretty firm but the thick green stems are a little rubbery. the growing tip on the coral pink appears to have just given up, but the ecuador has some decent sized leaves and they seem to be perking back up again :) so, someone needs to tell me when I get back who to send the moneys to! :) omg, and I think I still owe theresa money for the lotus tubers! if I owe anyone money please let me know. lol. things have been so crazy lately! thanks again, lindas and gloria and everyone on here that made this possible. you guys are absolute dolls. Ria

Thank you again everyone for the kind words. :) Where am I going to put all of these ? That certainly is the $64,000.00 question !!! I counted yesterday: 31 different types in pots 3 of those pots are Andrew 33 pots total 3 different types in the ground 3 Elegans (stationary, not moving them) 2 Wide Brim 1 Tiny Tears 5 NOID in ground 3 clump #1 3 clump #2 1 ½ clump #3 1 mature mini no ID 1 mature mini no ID TONS of Elegans seedlings we dug up out of the front bed and put in the back. That is all the hosta on the property. So I have about 31 places to find for all the new additions. This does not include the 40+ I have still “to order” on my wishlist. As of today 7/29/12 I have only one bed clear. Initially I feel like I want to panic . . . but the flip side (for me at least) is I am not necessarily in any hurry to get them in the ground. I would almost prefer to let them get a few years in pots where I can coddle them and take my time finding just the right spot. So, in theory I believe I have enough room for them all (plus more) but it may be a good long time before they get placed in a permanent position. When I started this project I knew it would be a long hard road to beautification. My goal is to work with as much already existing in the ground as feasibly possible. I will be ripping out a lot of established shrubs and moving existing perennials, but more so to rearrange and start over. There is an existing design that was originally landscaped into the yard, so I will be working with that and adjusting lines and height as needed. But for the most part I am settled into a very long project with no real agenda. I will of course keep you all updated as to any progress that is made. This year though is rather uneventful since I am still in the process of amending and clearing out the first bed so that I can be ready for a spring planting. Here are some glamour shots of “The Jungle”. This first one is a pic of me in the process of clearing out the first bed. These were all taken in early June. And here is basically the jist of what it looked like before I mowed it all to the ground . . . The next grouping are of the section of yard that leads up to the side porch. This I don't think ever had anything planted in it. There is a bed separating the two sections of the front yard so you can't get to this part without going around the house and coming off the side porch. The Hosta in the picture are of seedling Elegans and one of my MIL NOID. It is still too young and neglected to pitch here for proper ID. So all in all I def have enough space to keep me plenty busy for a very long time. Plus we are having an arborist come out in the winter and trim a few trees that desperately need it as well as remove a few that are too close to the house. So there will still be a nice canopy but I will have a lot more light coming through starting in 2013 and that is also something I am going to keep my eye on for plant placement. Thanks as always for looking and reading, Ludi

Can anyone say BLOOM ENVY! Beautiful flower! I, too, have several weeks to go....

defrost, when we have a cold period they just hunker down in the mud at the bottom of the wetland and it gets quiet again until the weather warms up. Their metabolism is slow in the cold and they can absorb some oxygen via their skin from the water, so they are fine. Yesterday's warmth here brought them out full force, and even though it is better than 1/8 of a mile from the house to the wetland, they were still loud. What I always wonder about is why the wet spot by the house only has wood frogs, while the wet spot down the road gets peepers, but no wood frogs. There must be some environmental difference that makes the two spots differently attractive to the two species.