Interesting article and an interesting thread over on Perennials. Watching my nieces and nephews play their Gameboys for hours on end and then walk around Uncle Bills farm, bored, because thereÂs "nothing to do" (which they did NOT say, when they were younger), I believe that Âextensive gardening is down. In general, the up and coming generations have been conditioned to accept as normal and necessary Instant Gratification in all things. Thank the Internet, Nintendo, cell phones, Blackberries and their kin, cable TV, same day Fed Ex, microwave dinners, laptops and a myriad of other devices and services that have made such expectations a virtual requirement in the business world, and now, the personal world. I am guilty of it myself. As a later Boomer, born in the year of Sputnik (that one stumps my nephews every time), I use most of those devices in my business. IÂve noticed that, while I work at maintaining my gardens, I do try to buy larger plants that will bloom sooner to feed the Instant Gratification beast within me. And, while my local Fed Ex and UPS guys could probably navigate to my place blindfolded, I still like to go to the local nurseries as much for the ability to walk out with what I want in my greedy little hands as for the whole visual/olfactory experience. There are a couple of other cultural trends that also play into these numbers, one that encourages them and one that might distort them. First, I believe that new housing in general has changed. Many first homes these days are condos or community-based, where landscaping is either non-existent or handled by a service under a management fee. So, individual purchases in these communities are down, since it not only is not encouraged, but can even be Âillegal to plant perennials. Many retiring baby boomers are moving to adult communities that have similar rules. And, even if gardening is allowed, with Arizona and Nevada being among the fastest growing states, you wonÂt see many Monarda in such gardens. Related to that is another trend I am seeing with respect to Ânext level up homes. I grew up in suburban New Jersey with the New York City skyline visible out my bedroom window. The entire area is classic post-WWII development zone. The lots are typical suburban ones on the order of 50 x 125 feet, some a little larger, some a little smaller. My parents bought a little cape that was just like all the others on the street, ala Pete Seeger. When my sister and I came along, they expanded up and added a second floor, as did most of the neighbors as THEIR kids came along. There was plenty of space on the lot for a swing set, an above-ground pool, a small vegetable garden, lots of border flower beds, a place to grill and entertain, etc. Now, when I go to visit my parents I see these houses, literally, being torn down and new, gigantic structures being built in their places. These new homes look like brick fortresses and take up as much of the lot as possible. WhatÂs left outside is a small deck for the grill and hot tub, and a small patch of grass that is shaded by the house. ÂGardening is limited to a couple of rows of Thuja Green Giant to shield the house from its neighbors and a Japanese red maple on the lawn. These places clearly proclaim that indoor living is more important that outdoor living. Even new developments seem to focus on big houses on little lots. The fact is that land is so expensive in these places that people (or developers) want the most bang for their buck and put up the largest houses that they can. So, homeowners are limited to a few pots of annuals around the deck. No wonder perennial orders are down. Second, are perennial orders really down? Do the data take into account the large numbers of purchase made over the Internet? And I donÂt mean from nurseries, whose sales would end up in the data. I mean from small-scale growers, who are most definitely not in the data loop. I buy significant numbers of plants on Ebay from people, who specialize in a few things and would probably fall under the old ÂMom and Pop designation. Multiply me by a few hundred thousand people and the numbers add up. Perennial sales COULD be close to historical averages, but the real numbers just arenÂt being reported. Finally, with respect to slowing down as one ages; yes, I guess it is a fact of life. BUT, I firmly believe that proper exercise and conditioning can stave off the rocking-chair-on-the-porch days for a good many years. I am trying to not just maintain but improve a 60-acre property by myself. The lawn care and weeding and planting and fence laying and chicken feeding and beekeeping all take their toll. But, I refuse to let a few aches slow me down. I DO notice that it takes me longer to do some things, but so be it. For example, yesterday I decided to spread some salted sand on my drive. Well, the tarp that I keep over the sand pile is no longer waterproof (humans are not the only things that age) and some of the sand was frozen solid. I couldnÂt break it up with the tractor, because the bucket is stored away, and I have the snow blower on the front with the sand spreader on the rear. So, I took a sledge hammer to it. It amazed me how tired my arms and hands became after only 20 or 30 swings of the sledge. This would not have been the case a few years ago, and probably not even this past summer. But, several months of no yard work and sitting in front of a computer for hours (like now) have made me a bit soft. So, it took me longer to break up the sand. So what? The experience is not going to make me give up loading and spreading sand. IÂll be back in form by June. And, in the interim IÂm adding some forearm exercises to my morning routine. Now, a serious injury would force major changes. But, lifting with the legs, moving small loads, etc. are the ways I try to avoid such pitfalls. I still need to carry 50 lb. bags of feed out to the barn, but I just walk a little slower and am more careful, when I swing the bag onto my shoulder. And, IÂm not trying to brag about what I do. Go over to the Farmlife forum and read about what THOSE people, who have real farms, do on a daily basis. At all ages. It is most humbling. I guess my point to all of this is that, yes, people may (or may not) be buying fewer perennials, but that may (or may not) be because there is less interest in gardening. New house design might be forcing a move to container/annual/small plot gardening. Sales might be underreported. Baby boomers might be slowing down, but that doesnÂt necessarily translate into reduced activity, just smarter activity, as many have posted. And, if sales really are down, so what? As others have pointed out, almost everything is cyclic. Look at the interest these days in cooking at home. Quite a change from the TV dinner era of the 60Âs and 70Âs and the take out/eat out era of the 80Âs and 90Âs. ThereÂs a reason the Food Network is so popular. Sure, some of their viewers are couch potato/cooks that watch, drool and then go open a Lean Cuisine. But, many others are taking an active interest in cooking real meals. The most popular shows may be ones that show meals that are fast/easy to prepare, but at least people are getting in front of a cook top and a mixer, again. Eventually, that person, who successfully made a 30-Minute Meal that their family and/or friends complimented, will tackle a standing rib roast. The same thing will happen with gardening. Contrary to some comments in the Times article, I see nothing wrong with nurseries offering Âpackages to get people started. Heck, there is so much information out there, thanks to The Internet, that figuring it all out can be quite daunting. A little help for a newbie is a good thing. Putting plants in the ground, nurturing and caring for them, even if pre-selected plants, is still gardening. Eventually, those people, who started small, will tackle their own gardening version of a standing rib roast (perhaps, a lasagna bed?) I truly believe that humans have a genetic desire to get their hands in the dirt and the dirt under their nails. There is something very basic about it that plays to the core of Who We Are. And, as creatures that have a concept of ÂbeautyÂ, gardening provides an even greater return, one that recurs with every bloom. Well, enough philosophy; I have to go out and take care of the chickens. narcnh

A chest cold is bronchitis, but we grew up calling them "chest colds." Acute bronchitis doesn't require antibiotics, since it's viral. Joanie, I dread colds now! About ten years ago I had the common cold, and lost my hearing for a month! I'm kind of laughing because since I last wrote my nose is really bothering me. So it went to the chest first, then to my nose. lol. I used to hardly get colds at all until I had grandchildren. If they get sick, granny gets what they have. Do you all know that I have never seen DH blow his nose or have a cold? We've been married since I was 20. Now that's a good immune system!

I'm late to this discussion and I don't post too often, but what you described in your original post is how I was feeling for the longest time. From what you said, I'd say the nurse was very likely right. I had my first hip replaced on 2009 (at 54) and the other one this year (6 months ago). Here's what I was experiencing - does any of it sound familiar to you? * Pain in my thighs, especially towards the end of the day. The muscles were so sore and I could feel them twitching. * Sleeping was difficult, since I could not find a comfortable position. I even bought a new mattress, since I thought that was the problem. * There was occasional pain in my groin, best described as a knife twisted in there. :( * I lurched when I walked, and for someone who used to gracefully manage modern gymnastics, that was embarrassing. I had a physio consult and the physiotherapist told me what is so very logical, but what had not occurred to me, that a lot of the pain was due to muscles tired of trying to hold my body in a position where the pain was less. I've linked to the booklet I was given. There are some good exercises in there to do. And as for aches and pains in general. Yup, I have them. The worst is the arthritis in the base of my thumbs. Really aggravating! Rub A535 and Ben Gay are my best friends. :) Here is a link that might be useful: Exercises are on pages 7-12

'Tain't just numbers/quantity ... ... but also *quality* that counts! Some oldsters, suffering serious restrictions of life, especially if it involves serious and unremitting pain, or lack of mental capacity, etc. ... ... ... have indicated that they'd prefer to move through into another dimension of life. But most aren't of any mindset to hasten the day by their own hand. ole joyful ... thankful to be enjoying minimal restrictions in life