Thank you everyone. I'm so glad you enjoyed my garden. it brings me great joy and peace. Ingrid, the upper level garden was planted in 2007 and looked amazingly full the next year. The lower level was this year's project. The portion against the white fence was planted in 2008. Kristin, that's Rozanne spilling over the rock wall. Great geranium. It blooms all summer long. Just give it plenty of space because she likes to spread. The tall yellow blooms are eremurus or foxtail lilies. They get bigger every year and the voles leave them alone. Debn, yes, you saw peonies. I love them and have quite a few in my mixed beds. Seattlesuze, we're just outside St. Helens. We can see the tip of Mt. Hood from our deck on clear days and Mt. St. Helens from down the road a bit. Our climate is closer to that of Longview than Portland. I hope others will add their garden shots. I enjoy seeing what others have created.

Oh sheesh, I think what we rescued last night were Mom & Dad, not the babies. This afternoon the babies are still cheeping at the top of their lungs in there. I guess I will have to keep an eye out for anyone else needing help. Mom & Dad must have got on the wrong side of the damper by accident. I can hear when they fly in and out so I will make sure to listen that they're ok and still coming back to their babies today. Hope everyone's ok! :0 Laurie, yes they are lucky I noticed them, I was just going to bed and DH noticed that the cat was going nuts in front of the fireplace, LOL. Maggie found them for us.

To Jimhardy, As everyone else has already said..."WOW". It is now summer 2011, and I was wondering how well your yard looks now? I too am from Iowa (Des Moines) and in the past have had some small banana plants in a pot and started growing elephant ears in the ground.. This year(or next) I am thinking of planting the bananas in the ground and digging up in the fall. Do you just cut off the leaves and store them? Are they better to cut the leaves off to preserve their energy?...if still in a pot? and should I store them in the basement and not water them? They are only about 3ft. tall, but I hate to lose them. and as I can see from your past pictures, you dig up the whole plant and store it, do you water them at all? Thanks Jim

Amish Paste: Bloody Butcher with Rutgers on right: Back Rutgers lost 2nd true leaves and growing tip when hit by a ball, but suckers are starting to form. Bloody Butcher has buds forming. Early Girl with Polish Dwarf in front: Supersweet 100: Stupice: Sungold with Black Cherry in front: Sungolds suffered a lot of leaf damage when I was caught off guard by an early evening temperature drop Friday night. Yellow Pear: