Well, the party line answer is clearly both, and obviously for me too, there is enjoyment of the process and the results. I think that must be true for any gardener who is involved in the making of their own garden space and who isn't getting paid for doing it. But I find that as I get older and farther down the garden path, I would like to enjoy the results more, and I find that the process itself can sometimes be tedious, expensive, require too much patience, and overwhelming. So I am going to be brutally honest here -- while I enjoy the work of gardening to some extent, if I could hire more people to do more things for me and just enjoy the results myself, I would do it. The problem is that, for the most part, if you are a real plant geek like I am (and a whole lot of others who responded above), you can't really hire people to arrange plants for you in the way you want them. So there is a certain amount that you have to be involved with yourself. Being involved again in the creation of a new garden, and having left a mature one, I have to say that so far, I enjoyed the mature one more. The last few years I spent there I did work a lot in the garden still, of course, but the proportion of time spent just enjoying the garden was greater. That doesn't mean that I was sitting when I enjoyed it. It doesn't mean that I didn't pull a weed or two when I walked with a glass of wine in the evening. But after 20 years working on that space, the garden felt "finished" to a great extent. That doesn't mean that there would never be anything new. But the garden had a certain cohesiveness that is certainly lacking in my new garden. It also had as much seasonal interest as I could pack into 2/3 acre in my rotten climate. So, weather permitting, the garden always had moments of great beauty and enjoyment for me. But then again, I know that one of the reasons the garden meant so much to me is that I had spent 20 years making it. I had watched the trees, shrubs, perennials that I had planted get moved from one place to anohter (NAY he says, "I MOVED them from one place to another"...) until they finally found a place that they (and I) liked. Still garden making takes patience, and it is hard in the early stages not to want more results, with less work at garden making. I think that's one reason why, relatively speaking, I did not take many pictures of the new garden this year -- in the last year I was at my old place I took over a thousand, this year less than 100. A reflection that the garden was more about process than results, so far. One of the greatest times of garden enjoyment I ever remember in my old garden was after a big garden tour. The weeds were all pulled, the plants all relatively pristine (it was mid-June), the crowds were gone, my family and the dog were gone, the walks and drives all neat and clean, no cars or other distractions to be seen. Then I walked through and enjoyed my own garden, for a couple of hours, nobody but me and the hummingbirds and butterflies. One of the best times of garden enjoyment I ever had, along with very early foggy mornings and late summer evenings. Give me more of those, and less back-breaking work, any day....

Thank you, Penny, Oubliette, jenny and Roberta! I am ever more hopeful for an entire summer of hummers next season! -Thank you all for sharing your experiences and for your encouragement and support. : ) Oubliette, I have yet to hear the voice of a hummingbird -well, in the feather, that is (have heard recordings though), but I did once catch wind of the hum of this one's wings! -a unique sound, that! It's good to know that they have a voice -I look forward to listening in! You don't say, jenny! -way up on the 18th floor?!!! -I had no idea the heights these wee wildlings would go to! I really must share this with a friend of mine who's balcony is 15 lower than that -Wow, I would have never guessed! Thank you for sharing. I know I'll likely never see the numbers that California Frank is graced with (just saw his photo album - Wow! -hummingbird heaven!), but one, two or even a few jewels setting claim on my small urban garden will fit just right. Keep a humm in your heart! ~Shadyswing

I recorded Smash but have not had time to watch it yet. I had recorded The Voice after the game but for some reason it missed the first contestant that apparently Blake snatched, so I have no idea who his first person is and no idea why it did not record the beginning of the show. I had thought possibly I might miss some of the end if the game stuff went over time but that part was fine it was the very beginning that got cut off, strange. The judges are very nice to them and do try to explain why and what they need to work on and encourage them to continue and come back. I just do not care for how Christina keeps speaking when it is another judges turn especially she does that to Adam bad. Last year he got a bit teed off at her a few times.They should be able to have their alloted time to try to sway the contestant!

Thank you for the link Oldmangroot, I will read through it and see if there is any other tips I can pick up. Gary, I have read conflicting reports on the winter dormancy. Some say they need thecold and some say it is more about the shortening of days. According to some, as long as temps get below 50F and the plants go through a natural shortening of days, they will go dormant. I imagine some of this has to do with the variety, of which I will be at a loss as the packaging the plants came in just said Venus Fly Trap with no mention ofa Latin name or variety. I admit that I am a little disappointed to hear that they want true full sun or as close as I can give them. I was hoping to keep them in the lanai where the kids could watch them and my yard isn't exactly moist enough (not even close) to provide the other conditions they like. I will try moving them to the western ledge of the lanai where they will get full, but slightly filtered, sun from about 12:30-1:00 until Sunset during Summer. During winter months they will get a bit more shade from an oak south of me and maybe this will help with dormancy. If they end up looking like they want even more sun, then I will find another spot. Thank you both for your input.