And I might add fairly indestructible. My two small plants were on the edge of a backflow from a small lake. This year we have had so much rain that they were under more than two feet of water right about the time they should have been popping up. They survived and are now showing the tops, over the still high water level.It will be interesting to see what all comes back on the edge of the lake after being under water for so long. Gives me something to look for!

Those look like my kinds of stores Luvs!! I bet you had so much fun browsing thru there. Next time I'm hiding out in your suitcase!! ha ~Anj

hey mboston...I am familiar with Lakeland. My folks lived in Eustis/Tavares for 22 years and my aunt lived in Lockhart. My biking friend has a son in Sarasota and my BIL lives in New Port Richie ! We used to take I4 over to the Tampa area all the time when I took the kids to Busch Gardens. When we rode our bikes from St Augustine to San Diego I was really amazed at the bike paths and wide shoulders on so many roads in FL. It was surely a pleasure to ride there. I will check out Lakeland for sure when we go down to FL in February to camp. Thank you for letting me know . Our town of Auburn AL is also a Bicycle Friendly City we are bronze too...unfortunately we are the ONLY town in the whole state...we rank 47 out of 50 states. FL is 21 out of 50. Go FL !!

I wish we had a scheduled "trash" pickup day like that to get rid of large items. The city will only pick up appliances at the curb only if you call and arrange it. I often put large things at the curb and it isn't long before they are picked up by someone. Every night before garbage day people go up and down the streets in pickup trucks looking for metal and any other perceived "useable" items. LOL I cleaned out my basement and one guy came and took everything including old broom handles. Walking down my street a few years ago I came across a box that had all kinds of items in it. The woman had died and her family threw out some of her knick-knacks they didn't want. I picked up some "blue mountain pottery" figurine pieces which I sold for a good price at my yard sale and a few pieces I kept. My best friend's grandfather put his old unwanted fireplace andirons at the curb of his house more than 50 years ago and my brother David picked them up and brought them home where they have been used the fireplace in this house ever since. I love them and would never get rid of them. When my friend and her parents moved in with their grandfather the only thing I remember their fireplace being used for was for holding their toys box. LOL I wonder if old grandpa closed off his fireplace because a new baby was coming into the house and tossed out the andirons because he wouldn't need them. I see good stuff at the curb on my walks or after yard sales and I wished I knew how to refurbish or refinish. My sister was good at finding things and making them work in her house. Now that I think of it the old shutters that used to be on my house to frame the front door came from someone's garbage and I remember going out with my sister at night and taking them from someone's trash. She sanded and painted them black and they were good as new - something we would never have been able to afford back then. Anne