Welcome to Charlotte. If you live in town, one of your best resources is Wing Haven Gardens & Bird Sanctuary in Myers Park. It's a three-acre garden of densely planted bird-attracting plants and trees with formal and informal garden 'rooms,'and it's open to the public. Been there 80 years. Many of us learned to garden in this region by becoming volunteers there. You can also be a member without volunteering; you get a regular newsletter and discounts on their popular symposiums. Also,there are two big plants sales there, in April & October, and members get to shop on members-only day. Take a break from packing and visit there, hours are Wednesday 10-12 and Sunday afternoons. Info is available on www.winghavengardens.com There is a Charlotte Hosta Club. Sponsors a garden tour, heavy on the hostas, every summer. For info, e-mail royal2227@aol.com

I don't think there's a better feeling than when you create something with your own hands and it turns out better than you imagined. It feels good to sit back and take it all in. I upgraded my setup yesterday. I added cross beams on the top and an additional shelf. I'm up to 3 lights now, and I doubt that will be enough. I have some peppers(under the towel) germinating on the bottom. Seedlings are under the lights, while cucumbers, tomatoes, and cantaloupes are on the top. Congrats on the successful DIY project. Hopefully your season will turn out just as good. Tim

Well, we are now finally putting things together after ripping a lot of it apart. My goodness, how much had to be torn out, I didn't think our house was THAT bad, lol. But we have finally, after 10 years solved the 'mystery water' in the basement, and the reason the ceiling was leaking at times. The darned roofer who had charged us an arm and a let DID NOT PUT WOOD up! Tar paper over rafters and then shingles. Sheesh. And this guy is supposed to be my friend too. The renovator has put the kaibosh on interior mosaics. We just don't have the time now. I can re-do the fireplace hearth myself, but we have lost time due to so many 'mysteries' needing to be solved that we really need to get stuff back together. I don't have all the materials for the kitchen mosaics either. So for now it is regular tile and if I choose so, we can mosaic later. At least I finally found the chance to grout my planter yesterday. Now I have a pair, and another pot just waiting to have it's turn! I need to find some nice pink plates for "tile"! GGG

It changes daily, PANTHER: Day Lilies are in bloom now everywhere, w/lots more to come. Even the newly-planted Canas are in buds and are ready to pop any day. I even have a new little rose bush I took off one of the bush roses - forgot it's name - Fairy, I think - it was just a twig and had a few roots, so I stuck it in the ground, sorta neglected watering it daily, and lo - today it has leafed out. Along w/it being an antique rose, and very strong, lots of rain lately helped it, I'm sure. The rose on the back fence is Red Cascade. Most of my roses came from Antique Rose Emporium - mail order - in Brenham, TX. They ship from October/April.