Beautiful flowers & beautiful pictures. I had nasturtium a long time ago & thought that it was delicious in salads and made a lovely-looking salad to take to covered dish affairs. Congratulations on your success, Sara!

They're all nice. I especially like the little soapwort because I found some growing on city property, picked a few, made a little boquet and photographed it. The milkweed is stunning! I tried verb. b., but it didn't germinate for me. I didn't know how to collect seeds from the soapwort or if I could xplant them. Somebody on the web id'ed them for me. I love to go trekking around to see what's growing among the weeds in neglected places. I have found some real treasures (to me) I wish I could have saved. One was a lovely shrub. I made jam from some wild grapes, I didn't like it but my friend did. Ah then I found this lovely bindweed. Luckily someone warned me. I think I had one stringer this year climbing my gypsophilia. I unwound it and yanked it out.

Hello, It is more like one out of 400 than one out of four. I have been planting seeds for going on five years now. All the seeds are winter sown, and the plants are in the ground from day one. This is the only one that survived its very first winter. I hear the first winter for seedlings is the worst as hardiness increases with age. All others did not make it. 2009 will be year five. I am going to try to make many cuttings this year cause it really needs to find a new spot. I never intended the tree to be in the front flower bed this long, but I have not gotten around to finding a permanent spot. It grows 1.5 ft per year, and has been growing progressively faster in the last two. I think it will find a home at the town library this year. I have a few Metasequoias that need new homes too, but I think I can find another place on the property for them. Too many trees these days.

Thanks for the messages and words of encouragement everyone! I think my goal this winter is to get everyone through without any casualties...but we haven't entered our darkest and coldest days yet...the worst may yet be coming. Kevin - yeah, I'd probably end up eating bread and water just so I'd have the budget to upkeep the plants. It's like a scene from the little shop of horrors. Carol - where in Ontario are you? are you experiencing the ridiculously warm weather too? We were lucky here to get a few sunny days last week but it's back to gray this week. MB, I have an ang leonis which has been doing nothing for two years - any ideas on how to get the little sucker growing? Mehitabel - I agree 100%...nothing feels better then some blooms on a cold gray day :)