Thanks Claire! I've been watching them all summer on various blooms but the turtlehead gave me the opportunity to get really close with camera in hand. As fuzzy as he is, I had no urge to pet him. I just kept thinking in the back of my mind, he's busy with bee business and doesn't need me distracting him. I got stung last year too when I disturbed them (on my thumb knuckle...ouch!!!) so I give them a wide berth when they're "busy as bees." mskee - those are great shots of the hummingbird! The ones I see move so fast I wouldn't have time to turn the camera on, much less point, shoot & get anything other than a blur! I'm growing lots more lobelia cardinalis/cardinal flower via winter sowing this year since the hummers love it so much. Maybe I'll have a better chance to take photos if they stick around the cardinal flower patch I've got planned.

This thread is getting long, but I'd rather wait until the new year (2012) to start a new thread. That way I avoid problems of naming it - I can start out with 2012 #1. I hope this isn't a problem with loading for too many people. ................................................................................... Nights are getting cold now, even here on the coast, and it's time for lawn dragons to start their annual migration to a warmer clime. The transport vehicle is my new wagon meant to transport heavy stuff from the car to the house. Like big bags of bird seed. The wagon even has little red skis that interchange with the wheels for snowy, icy weather! An early Christmas present. The dragon is now sheltering on my porch, next to the bucket of gloves (also mobile features in my garden). Claire

Hunter, No problem! Its really great to start growing plants at a young age because you have your whole life to learn about them and you have plenty of years to have a really amazing garden! Im still young so I also have a lot of time to make my yard better too! I looked at my pics back from 3 years ago and I cant believe how much more I have now! Im kind of excited to see what things will look like 10 years from now in my yard (or whatever yard I have by that time!) Im glad to hear that they are prediciting a warm fall Jim! My Cannas were blooming into the second week of november and they didnt actually die down until early december (they had a bit of frost damage in the last days of November). The longer I can keep my plants growing the better! I have about 2 full months left before the plants start winding down. Last year we had almost a week of 70s and even an 80 in october though so if that could happen again this fall, I think my plants would love it! Andy, I actually picked up the spindle palm because of the swollen trunk it had. It was definitely an impulse buy because I love the look of the swollen trunk on palms. I have a bottle palm also, but its far from getting that trunk and its my slowest growing palm in height (I think my parlor palm is faster and they are suppose to be slow growers!). Thanks Jacklord! Unfortunately I've had a big grasshopper problem this year on my plants. My Plumeria leaves have been shredded. I caught 3 baby grasshoppers and I just got an adult. I felt bad about killing it though so I drove it down somewhere far from my yard! Other than that, its been a great year for the plants and everything has been growing really healthy! I should probably feed them more often though! Thanks everyone for all the nice comments and for looking! -Alex

Hi everyone. Hope you are all keeping warm. I have to admit, we haven't even really seen winter at its worse, but already I am sick and tired of snow. I am seriously considering moving somewhere where there is no snow. I can always come back to visit. All the boxes are great. Love to hear what everyone has sent and the enthusiasm of the recipient. I agree Shirley, it's like Christmas. Speaking of christmas. My tree is still alive and going strong. I put it outside in the stand, of course the water is frozen solid and under a foot or two of snow. We strung berries and oranges and nuts, pinecones slathered in peanut butter and then rolled in seed, all over the tree. The birds are going insane to say the least. I haven't wintersowed a thing. i decided this year i'll just go out and sprinkle seeds everywhere. i was getting prepared but then we got hit with the first snow and then the next one and then the cold and then more snow...so i said the heck with it. It sure is another cold one tonight. I think we are going down to about 9 degrees. guess i'll take that as opposed to minus any degree. hoping i will be able to join in february's swap. love the simplicity of it, but then i can execute on that...that's what craps me up with swapping LOL just an issue i need to get over. well, that's it for now. i have an early morning tomorrow. be well everyone, stay warm and remember....Spring is on Monday, 21 March 2011...56 days, 19 hours remain. maryanne p.s. mellen, i would love that website/link as well.