Picture taken on 7/25/05. Row of Bott's Strain sunflowers. Smaller, thicker sunflowers on right are Ripley's Giant Single. Tallest Botts is ~8'9" feet tall. richard Hope strain giant marrow below sunflowers. tallest botts in picture: direct seeded in first week in June. date - height 6/24 - 19" 6/27 - 27" 6/28 - 30" 6/30 - 36" 7/5 - 49.5" 7/6 - 53" 7/9 - 57.5" 7/13 - 68" 7/19 - 84" 7/26 - 105" Image link:

Thanks for your comments, everyone. Debra, Thanks for your comment on my UFO seedling. That gives me a little more confidence to hang on to it at least one more year. Rita, Siloma Cinderella is one of the few DLs that give me re-bloom in this harsh climate. But only if we get lots of rain in Aug. and Sept. (which happened last year.) This year, well, only time will tell. Tom, Thanks for your comment on my "Greenthroat" I wouldn't mind seeing a whole clump of that one in a few years! Jean & Jan, Priscilla's Dream is one of my favorites, because of the 'geometric' patterned EZ. But she's not the best increaser, and not a real high bud count. Have to be patient with that one! Kathy, Judge Roy Bean was planted last year, and bloomed a short distance off the ground, with very small petals. I wasn't impressed until this year when it shot up to a height of about 40", and a bloom size of 9"! hosenemesis, Gee, maybe I should register that one (Greenthroat) in a few years! Thanks again, all, Julie

My mom lives with me for the last 11 year's. When she has to be in the hospital for any reason I find it harder then when she's at home cause here in Texas the hospitals are so far from where I live and I get lost alot.. But you should try to rest.. I know it's easy for me to say.. My mom is going on 86 this year and also hard of hearing.. Her hearing is getting worse also.. She wears a hearing aid but I don't think it helps all that much anymore.. Hugs to you and your family..

Wells bells Amy... If you still have those couple arched mirrors from other postings and haven' filled those holes with sconces yet.. And YES! you can still build in a big ole bookshelf in that area too.. Get radical. Put up those mirrors to center on new sconces- it will require some glass cutting to do it. Find a good local cabinet/wood maker to build you a centerpiece of a bookshelf upper, with some lower bench/sitting bits. I would suggest doing it up on legs instead of flush to the floor. And keep the woodwork in mind, fit the whole thing to that, like it was always built in there. If the opposite? wall of other posts of yours still have that gorgeous framework and hanging lights... Open that up too with mirrors, perhaps a coathook/ bench space to mirror the bookcase.. but not necessarily the same mirrors- coordinate rather than match. Hanging lights to work with the sconces on the bookcase wall.