Hola, mi amigas. Como esta? Estoy muy, muy bien. Our vacation was fabulous. After we scrambled to get everything done here as much as possible, we REEEAAAALLLY needed it. Our hotel, reminiscent of a Mayan temple, was absolutely gorgeous. We had a Jr. Suite which had an L-shaped patio surround overlooking the lagoon. I should have upgraded to one w/a Jacuzzi b/c its a 2-person type on the balcony. Next time, for sure. We thot about parasailing, visiting Mayan ruins, swimming with the Dolphins, etc. Aside from a little shopping, instead we lazed by the pool, on a floatie in the pool, sat under a cabana w/Cabanas, Pina Coladas, Beachcombers, and any other tropical drink we could try, and had lunch brot to us. Heaven! Our server was a really neat gal. She practiced her English on us, and I practiced what little Spanish I know, with her. This is an upscale hotel and thus, there werent but a handful of kids (little) there. So it was quiet and peaceful. There was a convention of Italian people there during our visit. You could tell them by their incredible shoes, purses and clothing. And oh my, the Speedos! Twas interesting. We cant wait to go back. I didnt enhance any of the photos. The water is truly that color. Hmm, maybe I should recheck our Lotto ticket. Click on the link below to see our pix. Cindy, a belated Happy Birthday to you!!! And hugs to you during this difficult time. Brenda, you really NEEEEEEED a Tree Peony. The blooms are easily 10" across and just spectacular. Best of all, they dont need to be staked as the herbaceous kind do. Wow, Deanne. 54yrs.! Amazing. Congratulations. Were pikers at 30 compared to you guys. Then again, this is the second time around for us. Mary, how scary about Davids mishap. I was always calm during the crisis but fell apart when someone else could take over or afterward. What great kids you have David worried about scaring you and Annie being such a love to clean up the kitchen. Im sure youre proud of them both. So what anesthetic did YOU use when you got home? Im sorry to hear youre still dealing with the remnants of the cold. I still have a bit of a runny nose and cough, although its getting less and less every day. If you had what I did, its one heck of a bug. Eden, I loved that pic of Bella reading. Shes so very cute. Ill bet shes bursting with personality, too. On Mothers Day, my DGN noticed my DS and DSILs painted toenails. So she immediately sat down, took off her socks and shoes and tried to color hers with a marker (that only works on special paper). So when I was commandeered for sitting duties later that week, and it was too cold to plant annuals, we painted fingers and toes. She was sooo good. We took 2 Dora books and read them while the jet-dry polish dried. Im amazed how much these little ones know. My DS bot her a couple of brimmed caps to shade her face. When my DS put it on, Jessica said, "No Gammy, it goes this way" and immediately put the hat on backward! Then of course, she had to add the glasses for effect. Heres the cool kid: Chelone, when I read about your co-worker needing a day-off just before the mem day crunch, I had to shake my head, too. Seems many younger workers have different ideas about things. At DHs co., its quite common for the younger folks to call in and tell their boss that they wont be in b/c: "they went to a concert last nite and are too tired;" or they partied hardy and are just too tired. I cant imagine! Deanne, fabu containers as always! What an inspiration you are. Hi Sue. Glad to hear youre progressing. Michelle, so sorry to hear youre dealing with possible RA. Hope the docs find the cause and some meds to help the pain. Thats all my pee-pickin brain can remember offhand and I have to get outside before it rains. Also, I have to get some annuals, pot up some Dahlias, get plants and make up some containers (!!!), move tons of stuff I just plopped in the ground before we left, move my Brugs out on the deck and on and on and on. Thinking of all and waving HI!" Later, taters Honey

Sorry I know this is old but still a lot of valuable information. I was researching butterfly bushes. I've tried a couple of the newer sterile varieties and they've been disappointing as far as attracting butterflies. I'm not sure they're worth the space. So I started wondering if the older varieties might be hard to find now. It would be a shame if they get lost over time like some plants do. I plan to watch for a couple next spring. Many years ago I had a few of the old varieties that reseed. Kind of a pain but at least they attracted butterflies. My mistake was planting them in a mixed perennial bed where the seeds had a great place to sprout. I think I could control one much easier if I plant it by itself where I can mow up to and around it. If I remember right, the seeds didn't travel far (for me anyway). They mostly just rain down. I've never seen a butterfly bush growing along a roadside here in Missouri so I'm going to try again. Hoping I can find a Black Knight (op called it Dark Knight) or Attraction. Zinnias are great for attracting butterflies if you get the right ones but I'm having trouble with disease (alternaria blight I think). On a side note - I looked at the UK study that said Lilliput zinnias were the best but the study seemed a bit lame to me. They only tested four varieties and they were mostly counting little butterflies like skippers. I think that's why some people are saying they're not that great.

mmqchdygg, no problem on the questions. Keep asking all you want. This was a new thing for me last year. My gardening ability was very crimped last year do to emergency spinal surgery and I couldn't do much gardening. I had to improvise, get lots of help and just dump seedlings where ever they could fit or whatever containers where handy to put things in. I ran out of room on the fence after I had about 40- 50 different varieties of MG seedlings planted. Since I wanted to keep varieties separate, I couldn't plant more than what I did around the fenced in back area. I had read on line about the Japanese growing lots of morning glory vines in pots so figured, if the pros could do it, so could I. I didn't find the vines got too long and figure it was because they where stunted in growth from being in pots. the first thing I did was put the cheapest brand of coffee filters in the bottom of the pot and moisten it to cover all the drainage holes. This holds the soil in, lets the water drain out and prevents the roots from getting into the ground. then in went miracle grow potting mix and depending on the size of the pot and the number of seedlings of the variety I was planting, the seedling/s. Once in the pot, I covered the top of the soil with a thin layer of the cheapest bagged bark mulch I could buy. This helps to keep weeds out and some moisture in the pot. Then I put a plastic tomato pole in the center of the pot to start the vine going up it. I rigged some wire coathangers that I got from a local cleaner, (they gave them to me free) together and tied them with some twine and stuck them into the soil with the pole in the center. As the vine grew I kept twisting it around the coathangers and the pole. And, when they got a little to long for my likeing, I held my breath, and clipped them back. All that did was branch the vine into 2 more vines and more buds. They didn't bloom quite as profusely as the ones on the fence, but was more than happy with them. 2 of the MG I put in a 12 inch pot, with 4 seedlings and put them in a plant stand beside the front railing and trailed the vines up the railing. A couple of others went into a couple of hanging pots and I hung them from an arbor that I bought at Brooks Pharmacy a couple of years ago. Had to assemble it ourselves and put it in the ground (a real pain) but it has held up well for 2 winters. Brooks pharmacy has them on sale this week for more than I paid a few years ago, $19.99, but I bought mine in August and they where marked way down. It's 8 feet tall. those did really well too, I just kept wrapping vines around themselves and if they got longer than I wanted them too, I just pruned them back. There are some nurseries around me that sell vining plants in large pots to keep them in. They use some kind of metal trellis type thing to keep them vining. I can't remember the name of them but when I saw them they where all out last year. I plan to get at least 10 of them this year and will let you know what they call them. What I've found over the past 4 years of WS is that just about any annual and perennial can be grown in a pot. All it does is not allow the plant to grow as large as it would in the ground and it won't bloom as fully as it would in the ground. So many of my plants went into pots and bunched together last summer to make it easier for others to water for me, and everyone was really impressed with they way they grew and the fact that the pots could be moved all over the place to brighten up various spots in the yard. I'm planning to do the same thing this year. I had a coleus in a 12 inch pot that grew to 4 feet!!!!. I got it at my plant swap and it was only about 4 inches tall in June 3rd. It kept getting moved to a bigger pot till it got it's final home in the 12 inch one. My tomatoes where all in pots and did great too. I even had perennial malva's in pots and just put them in the ground in the fall. (I could garden in Sept., I know, the timing was not the best but hey, this year I'm fine and can't weight to get in the dirt). By the way, not that I'm a big Walmart fan but when it comes to my gardens, every place to shop is fair game. They have the best prices on plastic pots for outside use. Got my first ones there 4 years ago and you would think they are brand new. All the pots come with a saucer, which I don't use outside 8 inch $.88 10 inch $1.98 12 inch $2.98 17 inch $4.99 holds 16-17 qts of soil. use these for my tomatoes. They come in terra cotta color as well as dark green and a grey color that looks like stone. BE brave and put those MG in pots and have fun. The link below is from a website about growing mg in pots. I've linked to that specific part of the site, but do check out the whole site, really great and facinating info from a real Japanese pro on morning glory and growing. Ask if you have any more questions and when I get the name of the stake things from the nursery will let you know what they are called. You could check with some local ones around you as well. Fran Here is a link that might be useful: Japanese methods of growing morning glory in pots

Hello Bryan! Trish too! Sounds like you two are doing well. I've been absent from the forum for awhile due to several reasons. I really wrecked my back last fall(ruptured my L5, S1 disk) and went through pyshical therapy for 4 months in order to be able to work this year. I have avoided surgery for the time being and so far, this planting season hasn't been too awfully painful. I've added some new woodies to my "already too large for one person to manage" field. I put in 100 Avalanche lilacs, 50 Ruby spice summersweet, 50 Arnold red honeysuckle, 50 Guincho purple elder, 100 Saugeana Chinese lilac, 50 Calicapra beautyberry, 20 Exochorda pearlsbush, 50 Fothergilla mount airy, 50 French pussy willow, 50 Charles Joly lilac, 50 Pres Grevy lilac, 50 chinese lilac sunday, 50 Asessippi Lilac, and 20 Seven-son flower. That field has now grown to 9 acres of woodies. I started it 5 years ago and I'll finally be able to harvest my snowball viburnum, cranberry viburnum, blue muffin viburnum, pee-gee hydrangea. I will also be able to harvest some lilacs; Sensation, Beauty of moscow, Wedgewood blue, Monge purple, Mount baker, and Pocahontas. Some of my baptisia crosses will flower for the first time this year as well, so I will finally see what the hybrids look like. The annuals are prety much the same as most with Suns, Zins and glads making up the bulk of the main event flowers. I should have about a 1/2 acre of butterfly milkeed this year. That orange always looks great with the purple hoary vervain and suns. I also have the rest of my natives to compliment the boquets. Due to my back injury, we didn't do nearly as many wreaths last year, hopefully this year I can stay injury free. Trish, We might be taking a late summer trip to Michigan. Where are you located and would you mind visitors? Nice to read all the info and see what people are up to again. It gets me amped up to get er' done! Take care, Steve