Outdoor dreams??? Well, let's start with the 200,000 dollar + dream backyard/oasis. In ground pool, diving rock, grotto, lazy river, hot tub, etc with the beautifully landscaped yard surrounding it with raised gardens, accent lighting and the gardener/pool boy to maintain it all. More realistic (not NECESSARILY requiring a huge lottery win) would be replacing the chain link fence with a privacy fence for the backyard (8,000-10,0000) and finish having the driveway poured. Our current driveway is mostly gravel with only a small portion of it concrete. We sit on a corner lot and our property is higher than the roads. Our driveway curves from one road to the other, I.e. very long, and expensive to pour. Since our driveway is uphill from all directions, during the winter there are times we can't get up our driveway. Once we reach the concrete, we have the traction to reach the house. The issue is literally timing and gunning the engine at the entrance to the driveway at just the right moment in order to make it from the road to the concrete. I'm hoping that in the next year or two that we can at least finish the concrete to the road on the garage side entrance so we don't have to leave our vehicles in the snow drift on the road and hike to the house. Did I mention that my new stove and fridge are coming on Friday? I will post a picture when they arrive. I'm so excited to finally have new appliances (a first for me) AND they are what I wanted and picked out!!

Yes, I have feeders for hummingbirds here, Tom, and will hang some for them in Hattiesburg. I'm so sorry about your porterweed! Mine never make it to 10' because I either dig them up in early winter and keep them in a pot inside, or they die in the ground. I don't think they can take even a light freeze. My most productive plant for both hummers and butterflies is the butterfly bush 'Orange Septre' - hummers don't like the regular B. davidii types of butterfly bush, but they LOVE this one. I rooted one to plant in Hattiesburg. Once I get moved in I'm going to have to have surgery on my retina - no peace or rest for the weary! Sherry

Not great lighting for pics, but a couple spruces are doing their thing: Picea pungens 'Procumbens' It used to be very stiffly horizontal, but the left side started upturning last year or so. Usually even more intense blue. Picea abies 'Pendula' Picea glauca 'Rainbow's End' Picea pungens 'Thume'

Thank you, for looking and commenting. Sam, we very rarely have snow here and when any is forecast, the bread and milk "magically" disappear from the shelves; I suppose they make milk sandwiches. It gets very hot very early here. We have to enjoy our very brief springs because they are so short and summer is so long. Here, as a result of the temps, all glads are hardy. I have some that have been planted for fifteen years and still come up faithfully. But we can't grow a lot of beauties. Kate, the snowballs are much more white and open on the other side, but I wanted to get a bit od the azaleas in the photo too. I hope the winds are over-forecast and your bushes are unharmed. Heather, I love the look of Monshod buy am afraid to try it because of how poisonous it is. Purple is always a favorite of mine. (Of course, I have foxgloves and they are not a bit harmless) . I am still weeding as much as I can but a good part of the back is still untouched. Even worse, I have to continue weeding where I already have done the weeding; I have some unused mulch but not nearly enough to do most of the beds....I should be able to finsh the rest of the front with a bit left if I am lucky. kay