Good Evening Idylls! Are you guys sure its Ajax? I set the container right on top of the toilet, unopened, just like T says...and nothing! Maybe its that "watched pot" thing? Ill check it again in the morning. LOL! You guys are on a roll today! :-) Hi Babs! Sorry to hear about Chris fender bender! I can tell that you guys are anxious! Sending positive thoughts that all goes well with the dissertation. I can imagine the stress, anxiety, pride, and relief all rolled up into one big emotion! I would be a bundle of nerves too! Yea, thats pretty admirable, isnt it...following his dream! Good for him! And youre a wonderful partner and support and Im sure Chris knows that and I hope he tells you that a lot too! :-) Congratulations! Sue got a kick out of your Mother post. Hmm my moms favorite curse to me was "I hope you have a dozen kids and I hope they are all *exactly* like you!" Hmm...whatever did she mean? Oh well, the curse didnt work here, I only had one and he was as good a kid as a mom could hope for, thank goodness! Marie I love the color of the camassia in your gorgeous pic! My camassia is a periwinkle blue, but I sure would like to add some of that pretty purple one to the mix. You guys had me puzzled with problems with Camassia. I really didnt think it was that fussy of a plant, so I wanted to find out what its horticulture needs were (maybe I should of looked that up before planting mine?...LOL). Anyway, says they like to be moist before flowering and on the drier side after flowering. I dont know how that works with my planting. Mine are planted in my river bed a/k/a drainage ditch. But the drainage ditch is really only wet some of the time and average most of the time and there is no predicting when that area will be wet or dry. So, I still dont know why Camassia might be hard to grow and/or why they seem to be growing fine where I have them planted. Marian what a wonderful environment you grew up in. Idaho is *gorgeous*! Thanks for sharing the link....thats a beautiful site with lots of great pictures. I *bet* that marsh is stunning! If you havent seen all the pics on that site you should go back and check it out. Im sure you especially would appreciate it. Im so sorry Nolon is having trouble. Thats a horribly uncomfortable feeling, I can well imagine. I hope he can find some relief, without the worrisome side effects. Sorry to hear youre not feeling well either. Hope you get that bug out of your system soon. Deanne, I worded it wrong...I *did* know that you repeated the pansy planting again this year. What I was *trying* to say is that it is as lovely this year, as it was last! That really is probably one of my all time favorite partnerships. In fact I was thinking that JM and Pansy pic would make a *stunning* cover for a book on Japanese Maples....with, of course, credit to you...and a little pay would be nice too! Hint hint to anyone out there listening! :-) Beautiful picture! The Purple Ruffles basil is not a big grower..maybe...1&1/2 feet (more likely a foot). Its not the most vigorous grower in the world, but I really like it. I love the color and the sheen is what really makes it special. Wish it were just a tad more robust. Thanks again for the *beautiful* fuchsias and surprise coleus Deanne! Everything is gorgeous. You are quite the propagator. What kind of soil do you use? I like the fact that it is light, but still holds together well. Also want to tell you thank you for sharing your container tips with all of us. Great to hear about your experiences and very generous of you to share all that great information with us. No wonder your plants look so fabulously happy! Who wouldnt be with a caretaker like you?!? :-) I have printed your instructions out...now all I have to do is remember to follow them! :-) My Love Lies Bleeding seeds never germinated! :-( I am bummed about that! Wanted to plant them in the tubs out front again with the elephant ears. Speaking of which, was it Honey, Deanne, or Norma who grew Black Magic Elephant Ears last year? Im sure it was one of you who posted a pic last year? Anyway, I bought them this year and really like them. Something has me puzzled though...all the leaves that were on the plant when I bought it are truly black, but I am noticing that new leaves that are forming are green instead. Ive been cutting them out for fear the plant will revert to green again, but then started thinking maybe its possible that they dont turn black until they mature? Although, the smaller leaves that had already formed on the plant when I bought it were black. Im confused. Anyway, whoever knows about this plant, do you know if the leaves should be black from start to finish or if it is normal for some of them to start out green? Ive been thinking about Brenda too...hope alls well on the farm! :-) Hi Brenda if youre out there...come stop and chat for awhile! V you have to tell us shade deficient people the name of the plants in your pic. I think I recognize the leaves of the trout lily? But, what is the pretty white flowering plant? Or, is that all one type of plant? I love woodland plants - wish I had better conditions for them. Ill have to try that Walgreens site. Thanks for letting us know about it. Oh well, gotta go! Hope you all have a wonderful evening. I probably wont be able to be back until Sunday or Monday, but hope you all have a wonderful week-end. Warm thoughts and good wishes to Taryn...keeping you, your family & friends in my thoughts and prayers! Ei

Michelle and Denise, this is New England and the sight of a Speedo is relatively rare and usually means wearer either, A.) really knows how to swim properly and well (I remind you, this is NE and Ian Crocker is not the norm in northern New England), B.) dives (this is NE), or C.) is from Quebec or Europe. ;) On that fateful first date I was charmed by his witty and droll sense of humor and thrilled to find his legs long, athletic, and shapely enough to have fared well in a 16th. century doublet. I was definitely hooked and have remained so for pushin' 25 yrs. now. One does not "discipline cats", PM. You don't have have since they're already the most perfect creatures on the face of the earth. Peacocks are the most fascinating birds, but they certainly have a disconcerting cry. We have a Kirby vacuum and I hate it. It's heavy and louder than I think it ought to be, it's like dragging around a compact car. But it works very, very well. My brother inherited a Mehle (sp?) when my aunt died and he really likes it. My recommendation for animal hair is a good, "beater bar" on the rug attachment and a smaller version of same for upholstery. Those are definitely two happy canines, V.. But I've never seen a wet Lab. that wasn't happy, lol! I am not particularly impressed by all the "new and improved" introductions from plant breeders. It seems to me that the more they try the more they fail and they really seems to have focussed on Echinacea recently. That sensibility, coupled with the color (not my favorites) leaves me ambivilent about the Echinacea in question. It will be interesting to see what is decided and how the introduction fares. Sounds like the chow at Deanne's was pretty good! did the kitties get any filet mignon? Cement for your birthday sounds good to me. I want to see the new additions EMPTY, so I may assess the lines... ;). But no doubt you've already crammed something into them. Not sure what the weather will bring today, humid again and foggy with a threat of a shower. Yesterday it burned off and left us with a lovely day. I weeded diligently for several hours and dug two holes to receive shrubs. Hole digging on the Compound is frequently an exercise in frustration, requiring the proper mindset to address the many buried rocks and a willingness to shift the hole to one side or the other if you can't dislodge the rock in question. I did get another Vaccinium corymbosum into the ground and took the (Cindy)loppers to the taller of the two we transplanted in the spring. I was gratified to note the extent of new growth from the bases of them and that encouraged me to trim the tops back more aggressively than I otherwise might've. I should probably get moving and eat something because we're going to try to finish off the remainder of the wood this morning. After that? maybe more weeding or maybe a cruise to the nursery to pick up the Viburnums and MAYBE we'll get them in the ground. A longshot, for sure, but it would really do my heart glad to see something like that happen. Jerri, I am routinely shocked by how little people consider the emotion well-being for animals. For the first time in years I actually saw a TV ad. to spay/neuter your pets. Evidently, New England has a pretty good record about that stuff (good enough that the shelter import puppies from other regions because they're relatively scarce), but the shelters are awash in cats. I had a surprising encounter with a rather unpleasant woman yesterday. Rex and I were returning from our walk and we walked down the field/parking lot for the church across the street. I was informed it was "church property" and asked if I walked my dog in the new garden/cemetary for cremated remains?? Of course not. I asked if there had been problems with that sort of thing and was icily told I "was the one with the problem". OK. We have a key to the church and the rectory (have for years), and in the nearly 20 yrs. we've lived here no one has ever told us we may not walk the dog over there. Yesterday, in fact, there were two famiilies picnicing with 3 happy dogs between them. Many people enjoy fishing from the rocks and bring their dogs with them. I was stunned and pointedly asked her why she was clearly so angry with me when I had done nothing wrong. She blustered some more and I've decided to discreetly inquire about this with my neighbors and good friends who are members of the congregation. We had lunch out yesterday and noted with surprise that this was probably the last shot of summer as so many kids go back to school in August now. It will be quieter this week and busy on the weekend and then it will begin to wind down for the season. I'm not ready; i always wish summer would go on longer than it does. It makes me a little bit sad, actually. I make the bed and I tuck in the sheets. Mum preferred the "cocoon wrap" and I would frequently find her contentedly swaddled in the down comforter when I'd go down in the morning. Hi Marian. TTYL.

Marie, "taboo" or not, it's a lovely story and generous of you to share it. What a nice way to remind us that time will pass regardless of what we do (or don't do) with it! Thank you.

Glorious day here in central OK. Like most of the rest of the US, we've been in a horrible heat bubble. But today was just perfect! I was able to pull some weeds, water the flower beds & brown spots in the yard with out feeling like I was going to melt. LOL According to the weather man, we're going to start moving up in temps by the weekend. So for now I will enjoy this brief respite! Rob, hope your mom is better soon!