HI,SORRY I`M SO LATE IN POSTING!MY PACKAGE FROM MICHELLE CAME ON CHRISTMAS EVE!!SHE SENT A LOVELY COTTAGE MAGAZINE,A HOME MADE BIRD FEEDER MADE FROM A ROUND PLASTIC JUG,PAINTED RED,DRILLED HOLES ON EACH SIDE FOR ACCESS TO THE BIRD FEED AND ATTACHED A CABINET KNOB BENEATH THE HOLE FOR A FOOT REST!!I LOVE IT!!!iT ALSO WAS HALF FULL OF BIRD FOOD.SHE SENT A DECK OF PLAYING CARDS WITH BIRDS ON THEM,AVON ANTIBACTERIAL GEL,A CROCHET BATH MIT AND A BEAUTIFUL HANDMADE CARD!!MICHELLE,THANK YOU SO MUCH!!I HOPE I DIDN`T LEAVE OUT ANYTHING.IT ARRIVED AS MY EXTENDED FAMILY GATHERED IN FOR OUR CHRISTMAS EVE SUPPER AND GIFT SWAP SO EVERYONE WANTED TO KNOW WHO SENT MY PRESENT,IT WAS REALLY A HIT! SHARON,YOUR BOX WILL BE MAILED TOMORROW.I TRIED TO MAIL IT TODAY BUT AFTER LEAVING IT IN THE BOX ALL DAY I FINALLY REALIZED THE MAIL WASN`T RUNNING TODAY! SHIRLEY,THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THIS SWAP!!!!!

I am glad you enjoyed the reading. It sure was a wonderful trip. I am now trying to get all the pics offf my cell phone...sigh ...no memory card...and then I will get the whole thing put together. Will keep me busy for weeks ! c

Haahahahaa! Karen this is SO funny. I'm bursting into laughter reading these posts again, and remembering writing and reading them at the time. Well done! And my favourite part about Martha Stewart dropping in with her dish towel parachute!!! WAY too funny!

Jane, Thanks for the kind words. My garden faces west and is is full sun after about 11:00 am. I have to water it about twice a week now because it has been so hot and we haven't received rain in weeks. This is the garden's first full month...so I'll have to wait and see how it does in the summer. Yes, our Mexican Petunias are in large pots to keep under control. Sherry, Thanks! I grew the shrimp plants in Williston too but they always got killed back by hard freezes and had to start over every year. I'm hoping that since I'm a whole zone warmer here with no freezes that they will do better for me. Tom123 recommended the 'Phyllis Fancy' salvia, and I agree...it is so easy to grow. The ones in the pics were dug up from my Williston yard and were just starting to show green when I transplanted them here a month ago..I was surprised that they have grown so full and are blooming already. The 'Amistad' salvia have doubled in size in just a month too. jaybirdyj, Thanks!!! I prefer to use pine needles for mulch but Joe uses the red everywhere else so I decided I needed to be consistent. It does makes them stand out as you said :) Wow! I am surprised that the cuphea grew so well for you in Illinois. Yes, the hummers do love them. I made sure to include a few host plants: milkweeds, passion vines, Dutchman's pipevine, parsley and dill. Thanks again everyone! Rhonda