These porches are so beautiful. But how do you keep them so nice and clean? It seems like I get mine cleaned off and two or so hours later copious amounts of something else appears. The wind just seems to bring every leaf, bit of dog fur, bird feathers, nesting material, dead flowers (which seem to attract spiders) and dust my direction. If I were to screen the porch that would reduce it to just the dust-I hope. Do you (or your maid) sweep and mop these areas every day?

=) made it back to this thread to be able to post more now that I have some time to study. This is definitely is not studying, but it is my own social media interaction with friends so I need to take few minutes and then resume. Sylvia I really like your pictures, Moonstone is my number one hybrid tea. There is something lovely about a delicate white rose with that pink edge. It also makes a wonderful cut rose. I like your stone fence, do you have any plans for climbing roses? They would look amazing. Daisy and Desmond are just adorable =) Oldrosarian your picture of Cinderella left me amazed and drooling over it. What an impressive gorgeous globular rose. I then saw your shot with all the brown blooms and was a bit disappointed. Is this what happens to that rose every time it rains or something made it happen this one time? I recently planted 4 pomponellas and I think they may also turn this ugly brown as they fade requiring diligent deadheading. I am a complete crazy lady for the globular blooms tho and your rose is just spectacular. Thank you for sharing. Thank you Ingrid you entire yard is just magnificent. I don't know how you got that giant rock, but it adds another layer or charm and it fits in very well in the landscape. I love everything t you have done and it just seems to flow very well showing that you have a fantastic eye for design besides being a great gardener. Pippa I think you have made a huge change and I like the way you started doing. Everything looks organized and well planned. I have to admit to being very impulsive in the garden scene and just planting lots of stuff every where then neglecting to weed it. Your garden looks neat and clean, with good textures and great attention to detail. Which roses do you have planted in that large bed? HalloBlondie those pictures certainly count! Huge difference in a yard with such impressive winter cover. Everything looks so alive now and beautiful. Vapor your ballerina on that balustrade looks like out of a Spanish castle magazine. I love the soft girly look of that rose and feel like it looks wonderful paired with anything. Is that lamb's ear showing up in your picture? I don't have any, but have seen it at lowes and always wondered if it would be a good companion plant.

Marilyn_c — I’m not sure what isinglass is, I’ve heard people call different things isinglass, so I’m gonna look that up now. I would need to see closer pictures of your find, but it looks like slag glass to me. I’ve read that pink/red (if it’s slag glass) is rare. Circa 1850-1870 (just an amateur guess from a dark picture). I love the period and style! Great find!! If you ever have the opportunity to take that lamp to antiques roadshow, they may give you some interesting news. Someday I’ll take my grandmother’s lamp to an antiques dealer and see who knows what about it. She didn’t know how old it was or who made it.

Peren.all, so much to love about ornamental grasses isn't there! Of all the panicums, which are your favorite for coloring up? Yeah, 'Oehme' is a charmer! Nice to obtain a seedling without the very sharp edges. Back on the farm, as I walked the stands of muskingumensis along the creek, I quickly learned not to run my hands through the "blades!" My miscanthus 'Little Miss' has been growing backwards likely due to being a bit shaded out, she must be moved tomorrow, nice early coloring on this one, wish it would bulk up though! 'Malapartus', oddly enough, even with the longest and hottest of summers, only ever was it poking out the plumes when frost would arrive, just not meant to be I guess! Forever_a_newbie. I really should give Purple Fountain grass a try and do as you intend and dig up in the autumn, that foliage color is awesome, especially backed with the bit of yellow!