Yard - my initial question presupposed that, since I don't remember reading anything in English sources about dire effects on trees etc., there must be some reason for that in terms of something different there than here (e.g. pests of some sort or other unidentified conditions...) It was probably misleading of me to use the word garden when I was interested in the bigger picture also - although I did also wonder about it in gardens too... (Bahia and Ink's input helped answer that question, as well as a recent post on GW that included comments from an English gardener on controlling ivy in the garden - she does much the same things as I do to control the ivy coming from my neighbours...) It just occurred to me to check the RHS web site re ivy. Interesting... While this doesn't explain why the ivy would be more damaging in areas of North America, it's interesting to see the English perspective on it: "Just how harmful is ivy? Here are some facts that will help you decide; - Ivy growing on trees is often thought to be a serious problem, endangering the health of even very large trees. However, its presence on the trunk is not damaging and where it grows into the crowns this is usually only because the trees are already in decline or are diseased and slowly dying - If the branch canopy becomes thin and allows sufficient light to enter, the ivy will develop into its arboreal form. Fraxinus (ash), a naturally thin, open-crowned tree may suffer heavy infestation, and for this reason ivy on ash trees is often controlled - When trees grown for their stem or bark, such as birch and some acers, keep the stems or trunks free from ivy - On other trees, ivy can be allowed to grow on the trunk, although one problem with very old or damaged trees is that the ivy may hide cavities which, in time, could gradually enlarge and possibly affect stability - Ivy is not a parasite; the short, root-like growths which form along climbing stems are for support only. Its own root system below ground supplies it with water and nutrients and is unlikely to be strongly competitive with the trees on which it is growing - Ivy has much wildlife value. As ground cover in woodland, ivy greatly lessens the effect of frost, enabling birds and woodland creatures to forage in leaf litter during bitter spells. Growing on trees, it provides hiding, roosting, hibernating and nesting places for various animals, birds and insects (including butterflies), particularly during the winter months and in areas where there are few other evergreens. Note: If you are concerned about an old or diseased tree, always seek professional advice from an arboriculturist or tree surgeon." Their recommendation on how to control it when it is an unwanted groundcover and you don't want to use chemicals: "Dig up all stems and woody roots. This may be difficult on heavy soils or where vegetation is very dense. Where the site is not needed for planting, an alternative control method is to clear away all top growth before laying weed-control fabric and a 10-15cm (4-6in) deep layer of bark mulch. Leave in place for at least two growing seasons." I would bet that a big part of the problem here is likely due to the greater presence of evergreen conifers here that are not evolved to live with evergreen vines. I'm not sure about the PNW, but most forest vines here are deciduous, so are likely less stressful on the trees when they climb on an evergreen conifer. And I wonder if the local bird populations have developed a strong preference for this 'exotic' food source... :-) Note that the RHS info only seems to be talking about deciduous trees and makes reference to ivy having value particularly in the absence of evergreen trees. So I think the the difference in the type of trees in forests between here and there is very much likely to be a key factor in how ivy performs in the environment here relative to there.

I think I've mentioned before that the house I currently live in is shared with a spirit. His name is Todd, he was the teenage son of the previous owners and died at the hands of a drunk driver. This is the only house Todd ever lived in, so it just seems natural that he remained here. Todd has a wicked sense of humor, as we found out shortly upon moving in. He likes to turn things on and not let us turn them off. First it was the lights. DS was only 4 when we moved in here and would complain that he couldn't turn off the lights. At first, I thought he really couldn't turn them off, but soon found out that although he flipped the switch, the lights would just come back on. And sometimes they'd go off and on over and over again. Then it was the TV. We'd turn it off, and it would come right back on. When he refused to let me turn off the vacuum cleaner, I called the electrician. Although the XDH was a great electrician, I just knew there was some hidden problem and a "real" electrician would find it. Nope, there was nothing, the wiring was perfect and he had no problem turning things off. Then we started hearing noises in the attic. I thought for sure we had squirrels or birds up there, so I sent the XDH up for an inspection. Nope, no squirrels, no birds. But whatever was up there was running the length of the attic, making enough noise sometimes that the dogs would pace the length of the hall, following the noise, the hair standing up on the back of their necks, growling. One day I came home from work to find one of my dogs sitting in the front lawn. I was shocked, couldn't figure out how he got out, all the doors were closed and all the animals were inside when I left for work. When I entered the house, the cats were both there, all the doors were shut, but my other dog was gone. I searched the neighborhood for her, couldn't find her. Later that evening, my neighbor came over and told me that she was sitting in her dining room when she saw my cat in her backyard. She picked up the cat and came over to return here when she noticed the door to my driveway was wide open. We never use that door since it opens into my laundry room, and then into my kitchen through another set of doors. She had her husband come over and go through the house, thinking that we had been burglarized, but he didn't see anything out of place. So they put the cat back in and shut the door. I told her one dog was missing, and then started telling her about the strange things that were happening, hoping she'd be able to tell me if the previous owners ever had any problems. Her husband just looked at her and said "sounds like Todd never left, he always had the house lit up and everything on...remember?" Then they told me about Todd. Well, I had a little talk with Todd. Told him that I would gladly share this house with him since it was "home" to both of us, and that I liked a good joke as much as the next person, but he was not to do anything to harm anyone, and if my electric bill soared sky high, he was going to be in BIG trouble! I guess I had enough lectures when I was a teen that I knew how to dish out a good one, his pranks lessened after that. Todd still pulls a good prank every once in a while, like making loud rock music pour out of the stereo during a hurricane when all the electricity is out, or driving DS nuts by turning the lamp off and on repeatedly when he's watching a good show. And some days he'll drive the dogs nuts by open and slamming shut the cupboard doors. His best one was putting a bunch of easter basket grass above the drop down steps to the attic...when DS open it up, all the grass tumbled down on his head! I had tears rolling down my face at that one! I guess he's like any teen and just needs some attention sometimes. What's really neat is that the first spring we spent in this house, the dogwood tree in the front yard bloomed. That dogwood tree was planted by Todd's soccer team as a memorial to him, and it had never bloomed. Todd's parents wanted to remove the tree and take it with them, it was hard for them to say good-bye, but decided to leave it as long as I would let them hang a bird feeder on it. Well, when that tree bloomed, it was magnificent. I called them to tell them and they rushed right over, took numerous pictures, and stood in the yard crying. They took it as a sign from Todd that it was ok to say good-bye. In the 9 years I've lived here, that tree has only bloomed twice, and both times his parents have come to see it. Maryanne

Yes,it is possible to self pollinate daylilies.The seeds will not be true to the parent.They will be a mixture of the genetics of the parent.The only way to get more of a particular plant is to divide it,or it may grow what are called proliferations(tiny plants) from a bract on the bloom scape. If you dig one up and put it in a greenhouse,it may or may not bloom due to the stress of digging it up.There are 3 foliage types. Evergreen(hence the name),semievergreen,and dormant.Dormants take a rest and cooling off period,and many will not survive if not allowed to rest(they will try to rest anyway).You have to discover your seedlings' foliage habits to know if they need a dormant period. Each seed in the pod has a different genetic combination just as each child in a family does.They can look similar(as in"I'll bet you're one of Henry Brown's kids")or completely different,depending on how the dominant and recessive genetic traits come together.A lot like people. Hope this helps you out. Betsy

Thanks for all your hard work Karen! Can't wait to read it in its entirety. Jodi-