Oh - in that case I think you were probably eating artichokes in Paris, not lily shoots. I did not realise this was not a picture of the actual vegetable. Was it served cold in a vinaigrette? Here is a link that might be useful: Artichoke vinaigrette

I came to terms with this years ago -- I stopped trying to do everything and now just do what I can when I can do it, and I try my best not to bite off more than I can chew (although admittedly it still happens sometimes). Someone wisely told me years ago that the most important tool in the toolbox is the checkbook - and I agree with that wholeheartedly. I work full time and am in grad school - those are more important than my garden and take precedence. If I have to pay to have something done that needs to be done, so be it (I am working as is my husband, and I do realize I am fortunate in this, work is most definitely a blessing). At this point in my life I refuse to spend my precious free time fretting over things that are waiting for me to do. Of course there are seasonal chores, but if they don't get done, so what? What's the worst that's going to happen if I don't clean up the garden in the fall? So I'll have to clean up in the spring. Big deal. My annuals didn't get planted until June. So what. They got in the ground late, but they're fine. So what if you lose some of your seedlings? You can sow more. It took me years to cultivate this attitude, and IT IS FREEING. Now when I work outside it's normally because I *want* to and I enjoy it, not because I *have* to and end up dreading it instead. This post was edited by mxk3 on Sun, Jun 29, 14 at 13:26

I love some of the willow branch art I've seen, you can make all kinds of living art or designer living fences. I also like these insect hotels. Here is a link that might be useful: http://search.aol.com/aol/imageDetails?s_it=imageDetails&q=art+insect+houses&img=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inspirationgreen.com%2Fassets%2Fimages%2FBlog-Building%2FInsect%2520Hotels%2Fwildlife-trust-insect-hotel.jpg&v_t=nscpsearch&host=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inspirationgreen.com%2Finsect-habitats.html&width=181&height=128&thumbUrl=http%3A%2F%2Ft3.gstatic.com%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcQFwhyC4GpP9Wi09rOymkzeKpA4lSPG7ZXHLY5nkoCAREfeffIdBECZQPzB%3Awww.inspirationgreen.com%2Fassets%2Fimages%2FBlog-Building%2FInsect%252520Hotels%2Fwildlife-trust-insect-hotel.jpg&b=image%3Fq%3Da%3DimageResultsBack%26v_t%3Dnscpsearch%26oreq%3D8531deb65e514e138804eeb83d60cf4d&imgHeight=511&imgWidth=720&imgTitle=insects+and+amphibians.&imgSize=214578&hostName=www.inspirationgreen.com

I had read the comments from the Tea Bag ladies, but will go back to one of the first questions I asked about 'Francis Dubreuil', when this thread first began to drift from its original topic: Was the original 'Francis Dubreuil' a "true Tea", or was he a "Hybrid Tea"? Or was he that other thing, a "Tea hybrid"? The earliest descriptions of FD say his color was a dark red with pink or cerise or amaranth highlights. My assumption is that 'FD' was darker than other red Teas, but would not have looked terribly out of place hanging out with other reds such as 'Gen Gallieni', 'M. Tillier', 'Souv. de David d'Angers', 'Mlle Christine de Nouë', ''Corallina', 'Safrano a Fleurs Rouges', 'Princesse de Sagan', 'Bardou Job' and- of course- 'Souv de Therese Levet'. Here's a 1901 review from a German rose reviewer about Francis: "Francis Dubreuil (Dubreuil 1895) is not only one of the most excellent red Tea roses but also one of the best Tea roses of all. The flower is in fact only of medium size, and sometimes even small, but keeps extremely well. It lasts In bud form for a very long time, and is then at its most beautiful. The growth is vigorous and the crown is well branched. What I like most about this rose, is its capacity to produce solitary flowers on long, upright stems, I do not like roses in flower umbels (in clusters). Its floriferousness (flowering period) is very long, it lasts right up to the frosts." That mention of "solitary flowers on long, upright stems" makes me think we might find some HP ancestry in Francis' background, no? And it accords well with other early mentions of FD having "diffuse growth"... Here's an early discrepancy, though; the review above says 'FD' "lasts in bud form for a very long time, and is then at its most beautiful". Contrast that with an earlier British review- Francis "is described as full flower of a fine form, opening very readily, perhaps too much so"... So if Francis was dark red and had diffuse growth, he seems to be quacking like an early HT, and not a "pure Tea"? Was he classified as a Tea because of his fragrance? According to Guillot, 'FD' is descended from 'Souv de David d'Angers' (described as "deliciously fragrant" in 1864) who is in turn descended from 'Caroline', the Tea that may be synonymous with 'Bermuda Spice'. Some early reviews of 'FD' say he is fragrant, most say nothing, and at least one reviewer says "not fragrant". This assortment of varying opinions shouldn't be surprising, given humans' different capacities for smell, and given the way odors can vary according to temperature, time of day, etc. The scent of Tea roses seems to be especially elusive, and elicits a confusion of descriptions, so I'm inclined to believe that the original Francis probably had a Tea scent and was fragrant to some people and not to others. However, I think it's also possible that if there were an early confusion with at least one grower offering a different rose as 'Francis D', the differences in opinion about form and fragrance could stem from an early switcheroo. Just because there was a later mix-up with 'Barcelona' doesn't mean there wasn't also an earlier mix-up somewheres down the line. And if there were an earlier misidentification, this early imposter might be the rose that was later sent from Sangerhausen to Oz in 1981? Another question I have relates to size. The Tea rose grown by Mr Knight just outside of Sydney was a large rose bush. The roses grown in the U.S. and Oz as FD today both seem to be more compact and HT-like (although the Aussie plant that hails from Sangerhausen seems to have a earlier HT look than 'Barcelona' does?) I'm trying to get things straight in my own head, so if I'm off-course in my suppositions, please get me back on track. Virginia