I love them all. I never had trouble growing nasturtiums by direct sowing. In fact, I think I used to read that they resented transplanting, but ws'ing is a little different when you plant them with the soil intact around the roots. But as soon as they started blooming nicely, the bottoms of the leaves would get covered with aphids, and they'd die. I had this white powder stuff I got and poofed on them (hard to get at the undersides), but it didn't work well, and I didn't like breathing that stuff or getting it on me plus I was working and didn't have time to trouble shoot like I can a little more now. Of course I wouldn't have known the hose trick which might have worked. Maybe conditions have changed. One year I had aphids early on the rose buds but not so bad the last two years, so maybe I've got a different balance going now. Or maybe not. Thanks for sharing your nice photos.

You know Kristy I'm not sure Santa thought Barry was good enough to get a little something.LOL (just teasing) But I'm not sure Barry has a chimney. Santa may have to find another way to deliver something to him. No Barry we were not able to get you one of those girls that work at Hooters. We tried but the were all taken. Shoot, I'm not even sure he knows what a Hooters girl is. LOL They may only be in TEXAS. I think if Santa does have something for Barry he may just toss it out of his sleigh as he's flying over on Christmas Eve. Gee, Barry I do hope you get some little something. It's not alot of fun looking in from the outside. The fireplace is so warm and the hot chocolate with marshmellows, and homemade chocolate chip cookies is so yummy.Not to mention all the brugs and seeds that are being shared. Linda, I would dearly love a couple of those pink daffs. I do have a field next door to me of plain old fashion daffs. I have dug up about a truck load and planted them around everything. The neighbor has a field full of them and he doesn't want or like them. So he said I could have all I want. Now doesn't that just figure, someone that has them doesn't want them. He probably has about a 5 acre field of them. The past two years I've gone and dug a bunch up and shared them with other people. You would be surprised how many of them things you can get in a flat rate box. They are buried pretty deep and it's alot of work for an older woman. (grin) But I would dig you some if you wanted me to Linda. Merry Christmas everyone, Love Marian

That is great avedon. reblooms is wonderful and that bloomk on siloan double classic is beautiful.i have 2 more rebloom scapes on CONDILLA, but dont see any no where else.The temp dropped down to 64 here last night, felt great after these 100 plus days. jean

It is crazy. We were so wet, and flooding, and with fungal and bacterial diseases breaking out on every shrub, tree, weed and grass. Now the green has gone brown and dry. This happened a few years back. I think it was in the summer of 2008. We'd had all that rain (and flooding, sound familiar?) in 2007 and the 2008 started out pretty decently. We seemed green and wet and it was nice enough, and then it was like we hit a brick wall and suddenly were hot and dry. This month reminds me very much of that year, and from what I remember of 2008, we ended up miserably hot, dry and back in drought with tons of wildfires through April 2009. I really don't want for this year to end up like that year did. I did water the garden today. I left the gate open and the chickens were all over the place. They like the damp mulch, and they weren't really bothering anything. Since I've been letting them into the garden for a few hours a day, the grasshoppers are disappearing. If they start pecking tomatoes (which they haven't done at all yet), then I'll have to keep the gate closed and ban the poultry from the garden.