I have a whole bed of them on the north side of my shop. The pretty much stay there. There is a pathway between their bed and the rest. True, They do not get much moisture so seeding is rare. I like it when it does . I move them to where I want them. FREE plants. They are drought tolerant (This is Central Texas hill top shade) but perform better on wet years. They died in thew Great Drought of 2011 but came back from seed like most of my unwatered garden. I like how they proliferate in the wild on large areas of the stream banks. Beautiful in mass when they have seed in the shafted light of oak trees.. I wonder if the drought ,heat and cold hardiness is a variable quality in the regional populations. I got my seed from the population need by from a stream that goes dry for years sometimes. If I was establishing a population in Burlington Vermont, I would get my seed from afar north as possible. I never buy prairie grasses from Prairie Moon Nursery in Minnesota, even though they are tempting. It might as well be a different country. To cold, too wet and that have dirt feet thick. (@Caroline O) As a landscape designer, you are probably not growing from seed unless you are doing or having someone do contract growing for you.

I must admit- I came home with more than I had planned to..... But less than what I came with! I still have many hours of home-work looking up information and germination requirements... I thought I was doing well with the two portable file containers I bought to store seeds in this year- one for swapping and one for sowing- but It is a bit of a mess still- shuffeling through all the "d's" for the right digitalis or datura or what ever- and I keep seeing a picture from a post where the gardener had purchased one of those plastic roll-away multi drawer systems. A drawer for sowing, with homemade dividers, all alpha filed- the bit larger drawer for swapping- and the big bottom drawer for seed cleaning, packaging, labeling tools, bubble mailers, postage and germinating info....... All in a single unit that can be easily tucked away when not in use- and organized and tidy when in use! Oh to be so organized!! I swear- every time I pull out the seeds- it is like an explosion throughout the whole area and then some! I do wonder what others do with the seed storage/swapping systems...... I have found a good software sysem for computer filing for seeds and things garden related and what have you- It is called NoteBook from Circus Ponies- It does work well for me- and maybe you too! Julie

Everyone has to start somewhere..and people make mistakes identifying species at every level of birding! Besides, those Starlings can mimic anything..even passing cars. I had my own dilemma yesterday-couldn't decide what plover I'd photographed..kept hoping it was a rare Wilson's Plover, but finally decided it was just a Semipalmated. It's beak and legs were covered with mud, but seems to be a bit of red on the base of the beak. 9-6-09, Minor Clark Fish Hatchery, juvenile Semipalmated Plover using "vibrating foot" to find food From Black Terns I posted the pic on Twitter yesterday asking for an ID confirmation, but got nothing so far, so consulted the National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Birds of North America, which uses actual photographs instead of paintings. I always feel embarrassed when someone does point out the true ID of something because it suddenly becomes so obvious that I can't believe I missed it..like those pesky molting Black Terns a couple of weeks ago-had to post the photo on Twitter to find out what they were From Black Terns

All of the pictures are just wonderful....you know my cable went out and this is just what the doctor ordered. We had a momma bear and her 2 cubs a couple of months ago so I think you have given me the inspiration to go out tomorrow and put my feeders back up for my birds as I am in Florida and I am sure the birds are here or on their way:) Thank you again for the awesome pictures. Dusty