OOPS...got behind on this thread. Peggy, I am still working on my spreadsheets and making labels in preparation to then plant, plant, plant without having to stop and make more labels. I have targeted Thanksgiving for having all bulbs, or nearly all the important bulbs planted. I'm not as concerned about the few NO ID daffs I have and the 250 or so specie tulips and muscari. I can sneak them in easily anywhere anytime before a good ground freeze. You wear me out with everything you have going so many evenings? Has all of the exercising given you more energy? Linda, Congratulations on your very first grand baby. I'm sure he caused a lot of excitement for everyone and hope he is doing great. Sorry to hear of your Mom's fall, but glad it was nothing serious. Possibly it served as a good warning to try and be very careful. She sure seems to be doing well for her age and please tell her I am looking forward to her making it to the next swap...hear? Doris, I'm sure the daffs your boss got will not to too pink. I'm going to guess that they were likely ordered from Breck's. If so, their pics are touched up and are not a good depiction of their true colors. Here is Breck's Pink Collection (not!) Here are some pics that better show their true colors Chromacolor at Daffseek Romance at Daffseek Pink Charm at Daffseek In attending some local Daffodil Shows, I did see many daffs that had a very pretty pink color to them...a true soft pink, nothing peachy about it. Another thing too, is that a daffs color changes as the bloom matures. A bloom that emerges as a yellowy peach can turn its true color of being more pink as it matures. The pic below is Salome on the left and Mrs. R. O. Backhouse on the right. The pic below was taken one day later (and some blooms were added), but you can seed how they have 'pinked up' a good bit. Neither are ones I would call one of the truer pinks though compared to what I have seen at shows. Peggy, your garden club lunch and then work sounds like a lot of fun. I hope it does well and you get us some pics next year. Sue...off to hopefully finish up pretty well on labels today.

Yes those darn SVB's were so awful I finally gave up and started growing Rumbo's instead of the regular pumpkin type squash's. Rumbo's are immune to the bug and were so nice to both cook with and decorate with I just gave up on the other type! The only thing is you can't hollow them out for a Jack o-Lantern but otherwise they are just great! They are immune because their stems are solid and the borer can't penetrate it to do any damage. Here is a link that might be useful: Rumbo Squash Info and Picture

Marlene is right - I have just been busy. Nothing new on the deck or the grounds or anything else that involves creativity! The situation with the family has only gotten worse over time. I refer to my ex-step-daughter and her husband as the "Fradoff's". FRAbutt is my accountant that embezzled almost $200,000 from my company while I was sick (as well as what my ESD stole) and maDOFF is the guy that ran the Ponzi schemes. The combination seems a perfect nick-name for them. Oscar only played on her Giant Playgound one time. Her parents do not want me to see her as there is an issue over the money that I loaned them for the roof over their head and the cars that they drive. They insist that it was a 'gift' and are wrong. Mrs. Know admits to everyone but them that she knew it was a loan but will not do anything about it as they are holding Oscar hostage to her as well - at least the threat. NEVER loan money to family or friends WITHOUT a written and signed document. But when all is said and done, I am about to send them an IRS 1099-Income form for the full amount plus interest and if it seemed like things were bad before, then wait till this poop hits the fan! They are going to have to come up with about $35-40,000 to pay the tax bill. Mrs. No is now not speaking to me and I have begun packing to move out of that environment. There is a very good probability that there is going to be a Big bonfire on the middle of my deck as I burn any belongings that I do not want to move! She has Not been supportive of me at all on this and feels between a "rock and a hard place" and I insist that she is between "right and wrong" - and on the wrong side of it. Sorry to air my dirty laundry here, but you asked! Brian

You're right! They're copying US! The difference I see in their pics is that WE are so excited to show off our latest projects we don't wait until all the plants are at their peak to take our pics and share. I liked the metal oil can birdhouse, but I tend to think it's more decorative vs. one birds would actually bed down in. Thanks for sharing the site. I like that people here show their projects "bare" because it gives us all a better idea of how to "borrow" ideas and make our own...But we all should remember to show our projects again later on in the year when they're all full of blooming things so we see both the early pics and the peak garden pics!