Ditto pretty much everything Ken said--I fertilize nothing and water little else aside from a very few things like astilbe & hydrangea and then only during severe dry periods. Both appear to thrive on neglect even when they don't look their best. If I do fertilize, I use organic seaweed extract or fish emulsion. If things are planted in healthy soil with the proper light & amounts of water they need, it's been my experience they seldom need any assistance from the gardener other than to enjoy them. Salvia hasn't been a strong grower for me but given the fact so many other perennials have thrived, I decided it was my soil and not my own skill that was at fault. That old saying--if it ain't broke, don't fix it--applies to gardening as well as other subjects. Keep in mind also that perennials are living organisms that will have good years and bad years based on multiple factors--rainfall, temperatures, changing shade patterns, etc. Last year my Lenten roses/Hellebores produced a mere handful of blooms. This year I lost count of the number of flowers on each plant. As with many things, take the good in some years but expect the not-so-good in others.

Wow Jeanne! I love these pictures of your tree...its Magnificent with the blue lights and all the Lovely Angels. I mentioned in another post to you how I enjoy seeing Mr & Mrs Claus....as a Holiday Tradition here! Love their 'Group of Friends' too. TFS jane

'White' goods! Isn't there something called a "white sale" in January where they push selling things like bedding supplies, towels, curtains, etc. It's a big annual sale to get people shopping again after the holiday season.

Oh, Christmas Tree is one of my favorites, too.... My mother sang it in German (she was of German descent from Northern Ontario, Canada, and didn't speak English until she went to school), and that's how I always remember it - auf Deutsch. When I was in 5th grade our small class was a human Christmas Tree for the school Christmas program and we sang O Tannebaum. Being the smallest girl in the class, I was the angel on the top of the bleachers that formed the "tree", and the kids all held pine boughs. I was so tiny I needed a wooden box to stand on to be seen, and the teacher was so afraid I would fall off. I was so proud because I already knew all the words to the song (LOL)! Deutsch Tannenbaum TEXT: Ernst Anschütz, 1824 MELODIE: Volksweise (traditional) O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine Blätter! Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit, Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit. O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine Blätter! O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Du kannst mir sehr gefallen! Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut! O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Du kannst mir sehr gefallen! O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Dein Kleid will mich was lehren: Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit Gibt Trost und Kraft zu jeder Zeit. O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Das soll dein Kleid mich lehren.