Hey, thanks! I do love reading blogs. Strange how I find them and don't know the person and never will but become a lurker to their life. Hey, people are interesting, what can I say? My brilliant chess-savant cousin has the scariest ditto-head blog around but I can't post it 'cos he tracks that and busted me once before: "Was your Indian grandfather a carpenter?" "How did you know THAT?!" ;0) If you're reading this, Matt, I love you you crazy dude! Facebook has some crazy hilarious Oxford group blogs - and Uni reject blogs! - that are irreverent and thigh-slapping. Unfortunately, Facebook's setup means you can only see your own network's blogs, and that is very limiting. Oh, well, that's what cut-and-paste and e-mail are for ;]

cAROL, I had lots of reservations about monkshood until I saw a plant in bloom last summer. They're stunning and unusual if you can get past the fact they're poisonous. Foxglove is also poisonous but no one seems to worry about growing those. I think the monkshood needs shade too.

Yellow Leaf Short Leaf Monk Trouble in Paradise! This was a plant similar to one I mentioned in another post. This plant lost it's crown or growing point so it is regenerating itself by producing an offset. Even by producing an offset there is no guarantee it will exactly replicate the plant. This is especially true of variegated plants. Someday this should be a very nice plant again tho I am holding thumbs as they say in South Africa. Fingers Crossed! Here is a link that might be useful: FlowerfarmandGardens Blog

http://s1184.photobucket.com/albums/z331/lorna621/Trees/squirrel%20and%20chip%20monks/?action=view&current=DSC_0021Sept52011.jpg