Hi everyone, karinl, the groundcover is zoysia, also known as Korean bunch grass or Korean grass. I have the old-fashioned mounding variety. It is like bermuda grass in habit, but MUUUUUCH slower-growing. It goes dormant in the winter in cold climates and it creeps through stolons. The main problem is that it is very expensive. I bought a flat yesterday: fifteen bucks! It has lower water needs than a regular grass and you never need to mow. Here are a few photos from last week: This grass makes everything look lush, even in Southern California. You can see how it has crept over the rocks on the right there, and I have to chop it out of the beds once every two years. Littlefatcat, it's so funny that you would post photos of the spirea! I just did a search on chartreuse plants and saved a photo of that plant to check out. I have not been able to grow hydrangeas because of their high water requirements, but that is one gorgeous plant. Have you considered a lorapetalum for your center island? I don't know how much sun they can take, but they have purple foliage and are easy to shape naturally by taking out whole branches. There's also a redbud called "forest pansy" that might work... finally, the dwarf breath of heaven might not grow as big in your yard as it gets in mine. For small chartreuse foliage, I love acorus. I grow it in full sun and in full shade. Yin, thanks for the tip! I will look it up. I agree with you. I don't like shrubs that have been shaped into little balls, the natural look is so much prettier. I am hoping my breath of heaven recovers from my hack job at the bottom. I wonder where landscapedesignchina went? Renee

Deanne...you are such a sweetheart...Thank you! I really do love spring *and* tulips...maybe I should move to Holland...LOL! You cracked me up about the goldfish...I didn't even notice that, but it really is rather clever...isn't it? LOL! Wish I could take credit for it. Maybe I should build on that idea though and add some other orange flowers to the bed! :-) I didn't see the hummingbird aviary...I'm going to have to ask Anita about that. We did see lots of hummingbirds though, both at the DBG and at Anita's house too. Was it you or was it Babs who had that great photo op of a hummingbird last year? I tried to take their pics, but in all my photos they were either too far away to notice, moved to fast, or the pics came out blurry. I am definitely *not* a photographer, but I really do enjoy having the camera, it has made gardening so much easier for me. Yes Michelle, I am fascinated with nature in Arizona it is *so* different than here. Still, while I think it is very beautiful, I don't think I could live there. I'm too fond of the four seasons (well, maybe not so crazy about winter) and what would I do without tulips!?! Paul has talked about moving there though, but the only thing that would even make me consider it is the fact that Anita is there. Thanks Marian...you are so sweet and so kind and encouraging. I wish you could meet Anita, I know you would like her right off. Ei

Greetings! Just came back from a weekend near Cole Springs, Utah. This land is between the Shivitts Indian Res and the Arizona bordering Beaver Dam Mtns. Hot and dry out. Lots of tall dry grass everywhere. Lightning has ravaged some of the areas with fire. The extra rain this year has made everything sprout. Beautiful hillsides of wild sunflowers, prickly pear cactus, cholla cactus, lizards, roadrunners, quail. Extreme solitude. A little spooky in some of the burned out areas, though. Didn't dare build a campfire. Too much tall grass. Foxtails (gress seeds) ravaged my socks and shoes. Still picking them out of my shoes. Here are some pictures of the area and blooms. cheers, jerry http://usera.imagecave.com/mochajo/

Eileen, if you have a tub thing like you shampoo a dog in or something similar size, set them both down in it with water for a few hours and let them absorb it. In fact, you can do that on the weekends when you are home and cleaning, put them in some water or even in your tub with water in it, and after you are cleaning put them back on their hangers, and they will appreciate a cool respite with water. I don't know if you have a fertilizing schedule but I do mine on Sundays half-strength Peters fertilizer and when I do that, I put them in that tub of water to soak up what they may. I have more big pots than hanging pots and I have to water all of them once or twice per day depending on the temperature and rainy conditions. Remember that you can fertilize hanging pots more often because they lose so much fertilizer in the watering process which dilutes the effect.