Beautiful shots, Michelle -- What Fun! what a delightful, most detailed outing - I can see you put tremendous time on the arrangments and table settings - you are so clever. Your flower arrangements are amazing; I'm always in awe -- right now I just wonder how you are so inspired to combine hosta in an arrangement - I never would have thought of that. Deanne, that clem to the right looks like purpurea plena elegans doesnt it, Gardenbug? and likely Etoile Violette or could it be Polish Spirit? In any case, it's a marvelous country garden - almost as interesting as yours, Michelle -- and I have to say, that's my kind of chicken - the truly No maintenance kind, LOL. --Cindy

Yahoo! The painting of the staircase is done! In two weeks I can install the carpet treads and the whole thing will look 100% better than the crummy carpet that was there. Certainly a cleaner look! I thought often of Brenda as I donned my painting outfit; and of Liz, whose materpieces look like faux marble. My job is just plain white. Daily wipedown, and maybe a repaint in a few years. but I have had this look before in my old house and it is surpisingly attractive. Next on my list today is a bunch of phone calls, and then a big TSP scrub of my kitchen ceramic floor - a huge Julie Job. I sweep the kitchen every day and damp mop about once a week, but this big clean occurs about three times a year. I am already getting cabin fever and I have been in the house for about a week. Sidelined by a cold and by the weather. Cole is very cute, and probably used to getting his own way. When Raia is here she and Tucker have a ball and Ajax is the third man (dog) out. When Raia is gone Tucky follows me everywhere looking very remorseful; and Ajax becomes very cuddly. Kay has taken in a very abused Cane Corso Mastiff puppy, who, at less than a year of age, is already about 90 lbs. This big girl had very little training, but Raia, who is about twenty five pounds. is busy showing Zurei what to do. When Raia sits, Zuri sits. When Raia lies down on a cushion in the living room, Zuri follows suit. They both have crates of their own too, and when Raia says "It's bedtime" Zuri crates herself as well. Kay is an exemplary dog owner, and walks the two of them for an hour in the evening after work, and takes them to the dog park on her off days. Zuri is a big (!) hit at the dog park, as she is quite timid as a result of her background. I am sorry that Randy's father is not well. This time of year is so dreary that I think many elderly people suffer from a version SDD and slip downhill a little. I hope he improves and is with you for a while longer. I better move on if that floor is going to get done! As the saying goes "It's not going to wash itself".. Wish it would! Take all, Cheers, Julie

Tiger lilies are a great color, but mine do not bloom until July 20, and I am in hot Southern California. Zinnias will not yet be in bloom, nor will my first thought, Lion's Tail (leonotis leonurus). Dang. I looked through my garden photos for that week and this is what I recommend: ASIATIC BULB LILIES. Lots of them. They are in full bloom from the beginning to the end of June, and they come in the colors you want: burnt orange, dark red, bright red, yellow, creamy white, and all kinds of blends. Check out Van Engelen or John Scheepers- it's time to order them pronto. YARROW. Get a few big one gallon plants of Moonshine (or is it Moonbeam? Moonglow?) and you will have a huge show for the wedding. It's bright yellow. NASTURTIUMS. Come in all of your colors and are at their peak in June. Very cheap- plant the seeds any time between now and January for June bloom. These are Apricot Trifle and Creamsicle, with Bronze Star Rose, orange annual cosmos from seed, and feverfew from seed. Then there are a few other cheap plants that you may be able to find in the colors you want that bloom in June: Icelandic Poppies- buy six packs now until December for June bloom. Pansies- there's a burnt orange/gold viola that looks fabulous en masse and these should be planted from pony packs sometime soon, between now and December. And then there are more pricey items that you may want to purchase at the time of the wedding to make sure they are in full bloom: Irises: Cajun Rhythm is a burnt orange I grow. Blooms in June. Daylilies: Many many varieties in your colors, and the mid- and late-blooming varieties would be just on time. Roses: Plenty of choices in red and yellow, a few in the burnt orange range including Pat Austin. If you want white as well, the choices expand a whole lot. Have a wonderful time planning and planting for the wedding! Renee

Herbalbetty, do you have pics of your garden? It sounds wonderful. I grow herbs for decoration, food, and medicine. I buy at least 6 every spring as many don't winter over here. I especially like variegated and purple foliage plants. Oregano, purple sage, rosemary, marjoram, most thymes, Dusty Miller are only grown as annuals. Even lemon balm is not winter hardy here. I plant many at the edge of the patio so they are easy to get to and enjoy. In my main perennial garden I also have lavender, chives, flax, lovage, Johnny-Jump-Ups, feverfew, rue, mallow, horseradish, lamb's ears, Lady's Mantle, as well as red/pink/yellow yarrow that return, some self-seed. Some are only decorative in my garden altho historically have been used medicinally. We removed 3 stones in our patio and planted creeping thyme which returns. I didn't plant it this year but had a welcome parsley volunteer in a part of my garden where parsley has never been. I've seeded various herbs over the years. One year I even seeded rosemary, which can be difficult, and had lots of little plants by the end of the summer. They don't overwinter outdoors and are not easy to keep as houseplants I've found. We have red clover growing wild and I may plant more as a ground cover in my new garden. One year I had 10 different kinds of mint and kept them all in large pots. We buried the pots to overwinter, left them in place and they started to escape. So all but 2 were moved next to the barn where I think the deer ate them and they disappeared. Historically gardens were grown primarily for food and medicine so herbals were part of this. The fact gardens are decorative was a secondary function, now of course frequently the primary function. I like a combination.