If you have not yet visited Tranquil Lake Nursery, you owe it to yourself as a reward for all your hard work gardening this year. In Rehoboth Ma., just outside of Providence R.I., 1 hr. from Boston. I attended their annual July open house and heard these presentations- that are being repeated the next 2 Saturdays. Terrifically helpful talks. And the display gardens there are just simply the best in any New England public garden or nursery. They also sell alot of unusual perennials and woodies(and in great condition). Here's the notice of their upcoming programs: Greetings The many garden at Tranquil Lake Nursery in Rehoboth are always beautiful in the late summer and fall and the latest blooming varieties of our daylilies will blossom until frost. The nursery is offered three Garden Talks on Saturdays in September at 11:00 a.m. Bring a lawn chair. We will move indoors in case of rain. Our Fall Garden Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 3. The workshops and festival are free and open to the public. Spread the word. Saturday, September 12 Daylilies for the Late Season Garden and Their Companions (Garden Talk) 11 a.m Philip Boucher, horticulturist and co-owner of Tranquil Lake Nursery will show off some of his favorite "Daylilies for the Late Season " from the collection of 3,600 or more daylily varieties in the fields at Tranquil lake Nursery. Learn what characteristics to look for, how to use daylilies in the garden and then ramble through the fields to see the September blooming beauties up close. He will also recommend a diverse selection of perennials for the late season garden and will suggest plant combinations that will complement these plants through the garden season. Early fall is an excellent time to plant perennials for beauty this year and continued appeal in years to come. Saturday, September 19 Plant Combinations for the Late Season Garden and Early Spring (Garden Talk) 11 a.m. Take a look at some plant combinations that will accent the late season and add color and interest to the early spring with horticulturist and garden designer, Warren Leach. Early fall is an excellent time to plant and establish plants for the spring garden. Explore planting combinations of spring bulbs, perennials, and shrubs that will add color to your garden next spring while also offering interest in the late season. Try some of our suggestions for perennial and spring bulb combinations or put together some new combinations of your own Saturday, September 26 Plants for Late Fall and Winter Interest (Garden Talk) 11 a.m. Garden color and interest need not fade with the first fall frost and frost and may even persist through winter snows. Enhance this often overlooked garden season by adding perennials, grasses, shrubs and small trees that will add color, texture and structure in your borders throughout the fall and into the winter. Warren Leach, garden designer and co-owner of Tranquil Lake Nursery will highlight a variety of uncommon and lesser known late season beauties that will spice up your borders adding late-season blooms, fall foliage effect, colorful twigs and attractive fruit to brighten the fall and winter landscape. He will also offer design suggestions for combining these plants into your borders and protecting them for the winter ahead. Saturday, October 3 Fall Gardening Festival (Full day of garden talks and demonstrations) 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Spend an educational and fun filled day at Tranquil Lake Nursery in Rehoboth, Massachusetts on Saturday, October 3rd from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Learn new techniques that will help you to hone your gardening skills and improve the look and care of your own garden. We have invited a variety of speakers and exhibitors to share their knowledge and tools of the trade with you through workshops, hands-on activities, garden talks and demonstrations. Learn how and when to divide perennials, prune shrubs, propagate tender perennials, harvest and dry herbs and put the garden to bed for the winter. Experience the fine art of stone wall construction, add a water feature, or make hypertufas and more. There will also be workshops on perennials and shrubs for fall and winter interest, planting for spring color and spring bulbs. Plan to spend the whole day and learn how to improve the look of your garden this autumn, while you also get ready for the winter ahead and the spring to follow. You will also have the opportunity to wander among the gardens at Tranquil Lake Nursery, where you will see a diverse variety of perennials, grasses, shrubs and vines with late season interest. The gardens include a number of perennial borders, mixed perennial and shrub gardens, an ornamental vegetable garden, a thyme bench, container herb garden, an entry garden, an ornamental grass garden, a pond-side water garden, a bog garden, a dry-scree garden and more. The nursery also has more than 10 acres of daylilies and Siberian and Japanese Iris in the field. Some of the late blooming daylilies will still be in bloom at the end of September. Tranquil Lake Nursery offers a diverse selection of perennials, herbs, shrubs, grasses and tender perennials. Bring a picnic lunch; we'll provide the drinks. For more information, directions or a schedule, call the nursery visit our Web Site at www.tranquil-lake.com Warren Leach and Philip Boucher tranquil-lake@earthlink.net

Boxofrox your photos are so lovely ! I love all of them and think it's so sweet you generously share your blooms with everyone !! Your hydrangeas are spectacular . I have been keeping my eye out for a glowing embers since I saw your photos . Jim , if u catch this , I used to live in pa and the year of 9/11 I was a camp counselor at a camp in shanks ville ! The property was so close to the wreckage , we had to not use certain trails because there were government workers collecting various " artifacts " from the plane , and could be seen there. We didn't want to scare the children . It was quite surreal .

Good morning. Y'all hold onto your hats - my sister who has cancer has an unexpected visitor this weekend. Her ex-husband! To refresh everyone's memory, he is the cad who left her when their three sons were 9, 10 and 11 years old - for the young babysitter. He's been through several more since then, and all have left him. When their middle son was paralyzed in a diving accident in high school, he showed up enough to get sympathy, then left town again. I despise him for what he did and didn't do for her and their boys and should really let it go, but just the mention of his name makes me crazy. So this should be very interesting. He is in for a terrible shock when he sees her, but he deserves at least a shock or two. I'm sorry, I should not be bitter, but he's the kind of man (and I use that term loosely) that loved to put my sister down in front of others, even her own sisters. Like why don't you wear clothes like so and so, and you could stand to wear a little makeup, etc. But, the good thing he is going to see her, maybe he'll offer to help out with the situation. Maybe he's turning over a new leaf. The sad thing is his own sons don't respect him, because he's never been a father figure, so this will be quite the visit for them, too. Stay tuned. On a much lighter subject, I love House, Dancing with the Stars, Ugly Betty. The last episode with Cuddy about to adopt the baby preparing to adopt the baby broke my heart. Was not prepared for the ending! Wow. Such good characters in that show - I've always loved Wilson! Re: Ugly Betty - I know it would change the whole show's meaning, but I wish they would allow her to be pretty at least one episode. BJ, thanks for sharing the history of Baby V. I can almost picture him by your description, what a beautiful baby. When are the new parents coming? Peggy, I'm so excited for you - it's like you are re-born. What a beautiful Christmas you are going to have - lights and all! It's going to rain here today. I like a cloudy, rainy day every once in a while - kind of peaceful. At least, it will keep me out of the dirt! QOD: No company, no travel, just hanging out and watching football games - college and NFL with my husband. I've got a couple of Blockbuster movies that I'm ashamed to say I've had since August (it's like Netflix, so no late fees, thank goodness) - The Kite Runner, The Bucket List, and I don't even remember the other - I think it's Smart People with Dennis Quaid. Might be a good movie marathon weekend. I definitely want to do Christmas cards. Just tell me what to do. I've always enjoyed sending them out, but it seems like each year, less people send them. So, this will be fun to share with my new friends! Hope everyone's weekend is a great one! Jan

Happy birthday, Daisy !!!!! size>I hope you have a wonderful year!!!