I liked him.......but I remember John Carradine in film roles, and he was a superb character actor. It must be difficult following a legend like his father. I wonder about what goes through the minds of all the offspring of famous people when they choose the same path, because many of them are class acts in their own right, and suspect they have to prove it to people they are not sucking off their relative's glory days. As for the rush to share morbid news, why is it that people feel the desperate need to do it? I find this particularly prevalent in the elderly. I correspond with a close friend of my mother's, and love her dearly, but each letter she sends to me has gruesome recollections of sensational and heinous news stories she reads in the paper or hears on the tube. One she sent me two months ago haunts me yet. I think they are so upset by it, they need a shoulder to help bear it, but it's not healthy or fair to burden a friend or loved one. If it bothers them so much, then they should just put the paper down or turn the tube off.

What a beautiful story, Josh! Is it weird that I wanted to cry through every stage-especially the end?! I live in MN and knew of a massive decorative succulent arrangement outside of a restaurant down the block. This is the hardest time of year for plant lovers like me. It just takes One freeze for many plant species to be destroyed, and there are so many establishments that use tropical and warm climate plants as outdoor decoration, especially those with outdoor seating. It amazes me that people pay for established Hibiscus trees-just to allow them to be killed after the first freeze. My last employer had 3 decorative aluminum garbage cans lining the storefront, and their plant service would come every season with lawn bags and toss out fruit laden pepper plants, hibiscus and many other beauties what were still flourishing. The ladies employed for the job were wonderful, but they couldn't rescue every plant that had been paid for to become trash at the end of every season. I Am proud to say that there are 4 hibiscus trees still thriving at various coworker's homes due to my rescue efforts. When Fall starts to approach I find myself in literal heartbreak pain when I see particularly beautiful or exotic plants that I know are doomed in just a few weeks, but it's illegal to uproot the entire thing in the name of Mother Nature, so instead I will discreetly take a pinching home and continue its existence in that way instead. But back to this recent rescue; This barrel planter was about 3 ft tall by 5 ft across, and the variety of succulents growing were just gorgeous and bursting with life!! It was so incredible that I had convinced myself that it Must be on casters because it was located right at the door, and they Must be pulling it inside now that it was getting cold. Not so. The night before last (November 8) I was walking past at about 2 am and braced myself to look inside. Thankfully most of the plants looked to have been yanked out, and there were only 2 left. I couldn't identify one of them due to its state, but the other just so happened to be the mother of the gorgeous yellow succulent I pinched at the beginning of June. I realized after swooning over its crippled state that I could actually see the root ball. It all happened so fast-and it was so cold- about 20 degrees, but next thing I knew my hands were going numb as I was walking swiftly down the street grasping the remnants of a once massive mostly frozen plant! Long story winding down, I have followed your instructions and trimmed her back as much as she requires. What I have found interesting is that the one branch that has kept its petals in tact is a piece that was starting to shrivel toward the stalk. Do you know why that would be? This particular succulent smells like blanched green beans when trimmed! Anyway, I have her tucked safely under the head of my claw foot tub where it is consistently warm and dim. I'm waiting for the soil to dry from her root ball so that I can gently shake the dirt away and allow for her to fully dry out. I treated her like a frostbite victim and in the process saturated the root ball. I have several cuttings that I think may survive in hospice care as well in my terrarium. I'm hoping that my initial rescue mistakes will be fully forgiven, and after seeing your album of success I have great hope for her. Thank you very much for sharing with us, and thank you to everyone for reading my story!

Thank you all for the advice......my baby got sick from the *#@$% hartz drops.....she wasnt eating and was very lethargic....hubby had to take her to the vet as I am trapped in school all day today.....NEVER EVER use hartz products is all I have to say.....she had to have an antibiotic because the drops were apparently causing her to have cramps....anyway thank you all for all the advice....hopefully the cold weather tonight will help us get rid of the fleas.....DH had already brought the Sevin he showed it to the vet who said it was okay to use.....I too don't like to use chemicals in my yard but I had to get rid of the fleas.....I won't use them to save a plant but to save my dog I'll use every chemical if I have to....Sevin is suppossed to break down harmlessly too.....there have been many studies done on it and apparently as long as we are not near water for it to run off into we are okay.....it can kill crabs and other shellfish......hubby put in on the ground and the vet said that as soon as it is dry it is safe for my baby to go out ....I probably still won't let her play outside for a few more days though.....if that doesnt work I have hear of borax before.....don't you have to leave it though....I remember seeing white lines in my grandmothers house growing up....

Jill, You might want to consider donating the property to a local garden club with the aggreement that they keep up the garden. As painful as it may be, realize that this was your mother's garden, not yours. Your mother has moved on, and perhaps the garden is not meant to remain behind. Her death is forcing you to let go of her, it may be time to let go of this too. The impulse to want to hang on to something of which your mother thought so highly is a natural reaction, it seems to allow you to hang on to her a little longer. In the end you'll need to make it your garden (and smaller, more manageable?) or let it go.