Saponaria is in full bloom now in my Z7 garden. Bloom started about 2 weeks ago & will continue for another 2-3 weeks depending on when the weather turns stupid hot/humid? It's a wonderful low-growing pink groundcover, especially nice, IMO, at the feet of roses. I've had hardy geraniums in bloom also for about 2 weeks. By having many different types you can have blooms from the end of May through fall. Some are even evergreen. Others have fragrant foliage. 'Rozanne' starts blooming a bit later (mid-June) but then continues non-stop until a hard freeze. Veronica 'Waterberry Blue' is another great groundcover & filler. It's in bloom here now & will continue through June. I always get a few blooms in early May but the plant cover itself in blue flowers for the entire month of June (Z7). Pulmonarias are great for May blooms & the silver splotched leaves expanding after bloom are equally great. Pulmonarias bloom for about 4-6 weeks from end of April through May in our gardens. For a much underused shrub...Kerria (China rose) is hard to beat. I much prefer the single form rather than the double pom-pom type. The stems are bright green & retain their color all winter (actually, the bright green is enhanced during winter). It starts blooming about 10 days after forsynthia & blooms 2-3 weeks. Then, unlike forsynthia...Kerria will bloom on/off all summer long. I like the later bloom (as compared to forsynthia) & find it an easier shrub to maintain without getting overgrown. Kerria is also a fantastic shrub for shade! I've got one planted under a limbed-up white pine & it blooms heavily. Huecheras have been in bloom a good 2 weeks now & will continue another month (at least) if I dead head the older flower stalks. Many, many wonderful foliage colors to choose from. I plant huecheras primarily for foliage but the flowers (of some) do add a nice airy display for the front of the border. A reliable rose for your area that is coming into bloom now, again in my Z7 coastal garden, is from the Canadian Explorer series...'William Baffin'. This is either a climber or a large shrub rose. Strawberry pink & cover itself in flowers mid-June with no effort on your part...no spraying required & even living 100' from the shore...I've never had black spot. Japanese beetles also leave it alone! Blooms hold 2-3 weeks. Immediately following bloom, 'William Baffin' throws its new annual canes...stand back! They grow 18-24" overnight...literally! I have this rose planted as an arching unstaked shrub & it's a traffic stopper. It grows into an 8-10' tall arching shrub if left unpruned...great easy June bloomer. By the 3rd week in June, you can have fragrant deciduous azaleas in bloom. The fragrance alone is enough, IMO, every garden should have multiple plants. Many are the result of Weston's breeding program. A few of my favorites are 'Weston's Innocense', 'Parade', 'Pennsylvania', 'Lollipop', 'Popsicle', & 'Lemon Drop'. These azaleas also turn burgandy, yellow, & orange in fall. They're hardy as a musk ox also! Part sun/part shade...moist but not wet organic soil & they'll be a star in your late spring to early summer garden. Bloom time varies from the 3rd week in June through mid-August. They grow between 3-5' tall & make wonderful foundation plants and/or great anchors in a perennial bed. Daphne 'Carol Mackie' is hardy in your zone & blooms mid to late spring with extremely fragrant white/light pink blooms. Again, fragrance alone warrants giving space to this shrub. Some report daphnes as being finicky but I've never had a problem. Again, small enough sized to be effective as a perennial bed anchor. Also, very tolerant of half shade & stills blooms well. Well, that's a few to consider. I'm the opposite of you...I need to work on late summer/early fall stuff! /tricia

Oh my gosh, ya'll!!! I was giving a friend a link to the board and thought I'd see what's going on while I was here. I cannot believe the spreadsheets are still going around! LOL There were only two of them that I was sending out, but I had bunches...plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, doors/knobs/pulls, flooring, subs, etc. All of the dollar figures from the individual catagories were kept in a "master" that had the running total so I could keep track of the actual amounts I was spending. We Ob'd and the spreadsheets were very specific to our build. I picked out everything before we broke ground and put my "wish list" items on the spreadsheets with the cost. Then I bargain shopped. Every time I got something from my list I'd fill in the info on the spreadsheets about where I got it and what I paid for it. It really helped keep me focused and on budget! They certainly wouldn't work for everyone, but feel free to tweek and make them your own! :o)

I'm not an Excel User, wish I could help you there! I use only Logitech Keyboards and have never had a number fading problem. Not sure what kind of Keyboards are in Laptops but I've never had a problem with them either. On my Desktop Computer I have a Logitech Combo the MX5500. This is a Bluetooth Combo and the best Keyboard/Mouse Combo I've ever used. I also purchased a Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard for my Android Tablet, this keyboard (even though specifically for an Android) works with my new Acer Iconia W4-820 Windows 8.1 Tablet. I've never used the Ergonomic Keyboards but Logitech also make those. I believe the 2.4GHz Wireless MK550 is the model number of their Ergonomic Keyboard/Mouse Combo. They also have the 2.4GHz Wireless K350 Keyboard and the Wireless Trackball M570 paired together as a Combo. If it were me I would spend a little more and purchase the MX800 Keyboard/Mouse. I like the feel of the Mouse that come with the combo. It has Darkfield and can be used on almost any surface (glass, mirrors, Blue Jeans, etc...).

Amy 3X5 cards are only for my recipes! I do prefer the folder! You know, college ruled etc???? And besides,,,if I drop my 3X5 box it could break, or all my little cards would end up on the floor, kind of like playing the card game 52 pickup. But drop my folder? No big deal,,,just one thing to pick up. lol BUT...........Terri the longer this thread goes I think I am going to trash my list! Ignorance might just be bliss!!! But then what do I do when someone says Rosie, got this??? got a leaf of that??? I can just get my paper notebook, open it and say yes or no! Otherwise I have to say "Wait and give me a couple days to go through baggies and kcups! aaagggghhhh NOT trashing the Wish List. But the "paper" spread sheet. It takes longer to look up every name on the sheet and enter information than it would if I would just tend the darn plants! And FYI I only keep a list for the violets. But I do think my problem is not my record keeping. It is that I have too many propagations going!!!! But how can you throw away a good leaf???? And then I need to know how many I have if someone should want to trade for a variety I don't have and really, really want! OH NO have me committed NOW!!!!! I am getting a huge headache!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop the madness!!!!! Rosie