Ditas, My Lady Limelight was planted in 2006, when she was a 3 gallon gal. She was a healthy gal then too: At that point, she was barely 3 feet tall or less. I have not moved her at all, but rather, I converted the lawn area around her into a flower bed. And today, she is standing about 6 feet tall: You see that her blooms are very upright and conical. This year, we have had a very cool and overcast summer, so the blooms so far are still deliciously limey in color! Also, you will notice that she has a lot of blooms at the top and then some rather smaller and less mature ones lower down. That was because earlier in the season, the very disrespectful Bambi attacked our lady!!! How dare they!? She is still recovering from that, but doing quite well in the process. In fact, she has been recovering at a much better rate than her friend Pinky Winky, who was also attacked by those darn Bambi. Comparing to the QF next to her, Lady Limelight is a year older, but MUCH taller. This time last year, LL was also this height already. So it really only took her 2-3 years to get to this mature height. I think that LL is more rounded and uniform in shape, and the blooms are much more conical. Also, LL is denser as a shrub than QF. Of all of my hydrangeas, Lady Limelight is definitely one of my favorites. The only thing I still have not figured out about her is HOW to make her blooms larger. I did some extreme pruning early in spring this year. Well, she grew right back to her mature size and the blooms are not any larger than last year!!! Oh well...

I'm late chiming in here, but must say I agree with all the other comments. Love the container and the centerpiece you made, and your dishes, napkin rings, placemats, etc. all look so festive. Love the dish propped behind the tray in your outside picture too. Most of all, I have to say that you've been holding out on us with your painting talents! I love the sunflower glasses you painted! They look great. And you did soooo many of them! Wow! I have to say that the sunsets in the desert are gorgeous. I've been lucky enough to get to enjoy a few of them during our travels. So glad you don't take them for granted and still pause to enjoy them--nature's beauty. Luvs

Look at the progress. We finally were plastered yesterday and acid washed today. See the beautiful limestone coping is also installed. Just a few need grout but we start filling the pool tomorrow.

Thanks for the many positive comments. Yes, I love my little shed. :) It's 8x12 (tiny) but I think it's just right. We've already had several neighbors ask about it. Ever since I was a kid, I've dreamt of having a little playhouse of my own. This "little mansion" went way over budget but I've assured my husband that when it's time to sell the house, that wee house in back will probably be a major selling point. It even has an attic with a ladder going "upstairs" and operable windows. I like to sit up there and just meditate on life. The deadbolt is an extra-security deadbolt and the little house is connected to the alarm system in our big house. We even had a house-warming party last month to celebrate the completion of our little house!! Here's a picture of the little house my first husband and I built for my two oldest daughter (built from a kit) in the early 1980s. The girls loved it - and so did the neighborhood kids. And now I have one of my own!