may_flowers and sprtphntc - I seldom buy either. I have been buying and looking at a few things lately. Both my mother and my MIL downsized this year and I got a few small pottery pieces from each of them. I wanted to display them but none of them really went together and so I was looking for other pieces to set them off so I was prowling consignment stores and antique stores. So much of it was pretty but not suitable, but when a piece "spoke" to me and I thought "yes, you will set off and add to my enjoyment of my great-grandmothers water pitcher", that's when I bought something. palimpset - exactly. I agree with you. I too prowl real estate listings (used to frighten my DH) but I don't want a new house. Appreciating things does not mean having to own them. mudhouse - oh I really like that imagery of "stocking the visual library in our minds". I'm going to use that line on my DH the next time a situation arises. Then watch him try to figure what I'm saying - he won't get it, poor guy. romy718 - Perhaps like your daughter, I just want to convey my joy in seeing something that I think is, for me, pretty. I don't expect the person that I'm with to agree with me because I do know that we all have different tastes and different definitions as to what is visually pleasing. I guess I just want them to see my joy in seeing something that I find to be pretty and I want to share that - not to buy but just to stop, take a minute and enjoy looking.. Oh, and to be clear that doesn't actually happen all that often. And kevinmark - you're right ,not every gorgeous accessory is meant to buy. I suspect that if one did that the joy of owning pretty things that one found joy in would somehow be diminished over time. For me anyway.

sjn I love the local market too. The produce is always fresh and good. The stallholders do not have it easy, but they are always cheerful and generous. They generally put in some extra, after weighing and paying. The flower man always gives me an extra bunch of flowers. A big bunch of pink chrysanths this week. I had to look up rambutan. I had never heard of it. I bought a persimmon, which I had never tried before. Very yummy. The pink rose behind the tulips, is Annie Laurie McDowell. bart I think we are opposites. I love the heat, more than my poor roses do. Mind you, I am spoilt. the beach is nearby and if it gets too hot, I can go for a swim. On Saturday, I did buy a few spring plants from one of the local garden centres. Daisy

I change up a large painting in my living room, from Spring/Summer to Fall/Winter, My mother inherited an original oil painting, from a friend of hers who was a very talented artist. I in turn, inherited it from her. It's a painting of the artist's log cabin and surrounding property in Vermont. He painted it in the late afternoon in Winter. The sky is crimson and full of clouds of varying shades. The cabin is covered in snow and violet smoke is coming from the chimney. The trees and field are also snow covered, so this painting captures the beauty and essence of Winter. I also have an oil painting of a beautiful scene in Summer. It is of a terra cotta terrace overlooking the Mediterranean, with large pots of vividly colored flowers, and Wisteria hanging from the arched roof. A hilly coastline, which is dotted with white houses with tile roofs is in the distance. It's very colorful and makes me feel like I'm in a little villa in Greece, whenever I look at it. As I only have room to display one in my living room, I display the Summer painting every April and change it to the Winter one every October. I hang the 'off season' painting in my bedroom, so it can still be enjoyed!

Go to your local nursery and see what they have, since your new to gardening ask them, I say local nursery because they should have more knowledge than the folks at any big box store like a Walmart, personally I'd start with some annual's in small pots, your could then group them in a tray, that way when you water you won't get the cart all muddy, I would hold off re-potting them right away also since your a newbie, I murdered lots of plants as a beginner because I destroyed the roots. Google images of plants on carts here's what I just found, it's a start to give you an idea..When you scroll down the page you'll see your cart lol.. https://www.google.com/search?q=carts+with+plants&client=firefox-b-1-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwih85Xj_KTiAhUjn-AKHd43Cz0Q_AUIDygC&biw=1093&bih=478#imgrc=sdS98BYfdEBveM:  Have fun and keep us posted :>)