Carlos, I am amazed at how many iris you have growing on a city lot. It must be a very large lot. You have many on those lists to add to your Schreiner's collection. I also see that you have a large number of Walter Moores iris. I am also a collection of Moores iris and also have a good collection of the older Schreiner's iris. I plan in the near future to get all my Schreiner's and Moores' iris into their own areas. Now they are growing in various iris areas. I have a collection of the Dykes Metal winners. At least I have something growing under all the names. I am not sure anyone knows the true ID of some of the older Dykes winners. I have several different older Dykes iris growing under the same name. I have 20 acres of which 14 could be used to grow iris if I need the space. I have several iris areas that may cover about 2 acres all together. I have several mass planting of older iris(Quaker Lady, New Snow, Wabash, Shah Jehan, Cardinal, Indian Chief). I started with iris 5 years ago and am just now getting enough material to arrange it into different gardens. Lee Mincy

VALENTINE'S PLANT LIST GAME CONTEST WINNERS!!! well guys, we had three entries, from Jess, Vina, and Sue. Sue wins by sheer volume and patience with 624 names!!!!! Jess won most creative-- i loved your explanations. Vina came in with 215 names, still quite respectable, so you're getting a prize too LOL. those of you who are getting to know me know that i am scatterbrained, so please send me your address even if i already should have it. the lists are both really long, so here's some highlights. if anyone wants the epic plants o' love lists, let me know and i'll email them to you! these are the first 50 from Sue's list: African Daisy �" Change of Heart 2 African Daisy �" Change of Heart 3 African Violet �" Country Romance 4 African Violet �" Emerald Love 5 African Violet �" High School Sweetheart 6 African Violet �" Love in Bloom 7 African Violet �" Makin Romance 8 African Violet �" Sheer Romance 9 African Violet �" Yesterday's Love 10 African Violet �" Yesterday's Valentine 11 Amaryllis �" First Love 12 Amaryllis �" Romance 13 Angel's Trumpet �" Sweetheart 14 Asiatic Lily �" Endless Love 15 Asiatic Lily �" Forever Susan 16 Beet �" Red Heart 17 Bell Pepper �" Bell Chocolate 18 Bell Pepper �" Chocolate Beauty 19 Bell Pepper �" Miniature Chocolate Pepper 20 Bell Pepper �" Sweet Chocolate 21 Bishop's Mitre �" Sweetheart 22 Bleeding Heart �" Buring Hearts 23 Bleeding Heart �" Candy Hearts 24 Bleeding Heart �" Gold Heart 25 Bleeding Heart �" King Of Hearts 26 Border Bearded Iris �" Romantic Interlude 27 Broccoli �" Heart 28 Calla Lily �" Captain Romance 29 Canna Lily �" Beloved 30 Canna Lily �" Cupid 31 Canna Lily �" Romance 32 Canna Lily �" Valentine 33 Cantaloupe �" Spring Love 34 Cantaloupe �" Summer Love 35 Cape Primrose �" Victorian Valentine 36 Carnation �" True Love 37 Chinese Radish �" Rose Heart 38 Chocolate Lily 39 Chocolate Mint �" Peppermint Chocolate 40 Chocolate Vine 41 Christmas Rose �" Valentine Green 42 Climbing Rose �" Chocolate Sundae 43 Climbing Rose �" Valentine's Day 44 Coleus �" Chocolate Drop 45 Coleus Painted Nettle �" Dark Heart 46 Columbine �" Chocolate Soldier 47 Common Sugarbush �" Valentine 48 Coneflower �" Secret Romance 49 Coral Bells �" Chocolate Ruffles 50 Crepe Myrtle �" White Chocolate these are from Vina's: 51.Iris: Candy Dancer 52.Iris: Chocolate Swirl 53.Iris: Little Dream 54.Iris: Aphrodisiac 55.Iris: Black Diamond 56.Iris: Butterscotch Bronze 57.Iris: Chain O' Gold 58.Iris: Chocoleto' 59.Iris: Dream Time 60.Iris: Fairy Rose 61.Iris: Jewel Tone 62.Iris: Love Story 63.Iris: My Girl 64.Iris: Pink Plume 65.Iris: Play With Fire 66.Iris: Rose Caprice 67.Iris: Silk Romance 68.Iris: Sweet Musette 69.Iris: Thai Silk 70.Iris: Tuxedo 71.Iris: Wish Upon A Star 72.Iris: Ever So Lovely 73.Iris: Passion and Purity 74.Iris: Crinkled Gem 75.Iris: Cutie 76.Iris: Bye Bye Love 77.Iris: Orange Passion 78.Iris: Windsor Rose 79.Iris: Cherub's Smile 80.Iris: No Other Love 81.Iris: Blushing Kiss 82.Iris: Goodnight Kiss 83.Iris: Sambuca Rose 84.Iris: Cocoa Pink 85.Iris: Kissed By The Sun 86.Iris: Young Heart 87.Daylily: A Kiss For Kathy 88.Daylily: A La Mode 89.Daylily: A Midsummer Night's Dream 90.Daylily: Abigale My Love 91.Daylily: All Of My Love To You 92.Daylily: Always My Love 93.Daylily: Angel Kissed 94.Daylily: Be My Love 95.Daylily: Candy From Heaven 96.Daylily: Candy Heart 97.Daylily: Candy Kisses 98.Daylily: Candy Gram 99.Daylily: Candy Lovers 100.Daylily: Your Embrace and here's jess' list in it's entirety 'cause it's cute :) Cupid- Cupid's dart Cute pet names for your Valentine: teddy bear sunflower Honeycrisp apple Tenderette snap bean Don Juan climbing rose- I think he was a romancer. sugar baby watermelon honeysuckle sugarpearls apricot Sweet Stuff sweet pepper Big boy tomato Better Boy tomato Beefsteak Tomato- I could go on... candy: strawberry candy daylily Chocolate: Chocolate bell pepper Chocolate striped tomato Chocolate cosmos Hearts: Hearts of gold Hosta bleeding hearts (poor lonely people!) chocolate mint chocolate scented geranium Love: Love in a puff lovage- an herb Star struck dahlia Kiss: Kiss me over the garden gate baby kisses rose tulips- you need two lips to kiss! Sensual/sexy named plants: sensual sundance daylily Lakeside black satin hosta Betty Boop rose- a sex symbol of sorts... peter pepper (not a pepper to show your mother in law!) Lion's tail flower ( from a distance look like a spikey ball of tubular orange flowers, up close it resembles something else more closely than a lion's tail...) While we're on the subject; Canna, if you don't get this reference look up the painting Red Canna by Georgia O'Keefe. Early and Often sweet corn- I am not kidding, that is a real name of a real variety of sweet corn After Valentine's day: Fenugreek (an herb to increase new mother's milk supply) baby's breath baby's toes bleeding hearts (not all love was meant to be...) fern leaf bleading hearts (not all love was meant to be even in the shade) Misc. related to valentine's forget me not- message of many roses carnations baby's breath gardenias Calirohoe- little wine cups- I can't imagine Valentine's day without a little cup of wine Stilleto hosta- Valentine's attire Black pearl ornamental pepper- gems are always a welcome Valentine's gift Fairy tale eggplant- at least that is what my marriage seems like :) Black magic rose Double Delight rose Fantasy perila Pandora's box hosta or daylily (love can sometimes be one of these!) All things we grow in Love- consider it the Valentine's Day everyday list- Blondkompchen tomato- translates little blonde girl- This is where my husband says he gets all my presents "It wasn't me, it was the little blonde girl!" Arbicola (sp) house plant- this is the plant I was buying when I first saw and fell in love with my husband (All at a greenhouse where he would get me a job after never knowing my name, speaking to me, or even checking my application. He would be my boss in less than two weeks, and my life long soul mate in less than that.) The Joker Sunflower- The flower I planted 5 days after I gave birth to our first child, a vibrant boy who at 4 loves to make people laugh and loves to laugh Giant Marconi peppers- where we found our 6 month old when he slid out of his stroller parked in the garden while we picked. He had crawled under the massive plants and picked himself the biggest reddest pepper on the vine. Having no teeth, he was content gumming the pepper into a red ooze that ran all down his chin. At three he still loves these peppers and I will plant them forever just for him. 4 o'clocks- my tribute and memorial to my mother Scarlet Christmas Cactus- the last standing of dozens of my mother's personal collection of houseplants. In the first 6 months after her passing I killed (me, with the greenest of thumbs usually)every single one but it. Three years now it has held on and just finished blooming this year. "Goldie" the golden pothos- This was the first plant my husband ever owned. He lived in NV, and has reverently cared for it and carried it everywhere he has lived since. It is over 15 years old now.

Hi Carol, Yes your box did arrive and let me share with Everyone what I received! The plants look great! Our temps have been really chilly, I've been afraid to send anything 'live' lately. The heuchera's my favorite, I love the foliage! Cranberry & Pear bath soak (I need a few hours to revive, LOL) Gardening gloves (always need these) Fridge pad of paper w/magnet (paper never lasts in this house, we always need it) Rain gauge (really neat, I've always wondered how much rain we get with our crazy weather) Cute picture frame (Daughter ran away with this) Package of plant markers (I always need plant labels) Jap Iris/blue (love Jap IRIS) Asiatic lily (love Lily too) This is going by my Mom's house in her landscape Heuchera with reddish leaves (another one for my Mom's house) Earring set with earrings (Daughter ran away with these too, LOL) Sweet pea body lotion set/gels (I'm hiding this) fruit delight (looks so yummy) Pink sweet pea candle (smells wonderful) Nice notebook (I need this by the computer desk) Journal, photo frame (Daugher ran off with these) Chai spice tea (Never tried spice tea, sounds really good) purple elephant (MINE, LOL) I'm putting him in my car, let's see how long I'll have him. ;) Thank you Carol for such a wonderful box! I loved everything you sent! This swap was so much fun! Better make this short, It's so late and I'm jumping in the shower to try Carol's shower jel, yummy smelling lotion! Hugs, Deb

Hi. You do have very beautiful furniture. I think that the reason you may be feeling frustrated, is that there is a lot going on in your room, and the eye does not know quite where to land. I think you need to create a strong focal point on the dining table, with one large piece (I am thinking something like a large greenery or floral arrangement--something with soft edges and at LEAST 2 feet--preferably more--in height and diameter, and a WIDE base). One large item would be better than several small "cluttery" items. It is hard to tell from just a picture of your room, but to get more balance, I think I would want to turn the tall buffet flat against the wall with the door on it, if it will fit (take the plate rack off the wall, of course). Maybe angle the picture over the corner curio into the corner, on an easle, to balance the tall buffet on the other side and add some greenery for more weight. Or you could still leave the picture on the wall (maybe scoot to the left a little) but add large greenery to the top of the curio. I think the smallest table may not need to be there, but if you decide to leave it, I would probably put the three-tier plate stand on it, with the other ceramicware that is pictured together with it, and hang something fairly large on the wall just above it. All those ceramicware colors in the picture with the stand-up plate rack would look great in your room--but group them all together. I like the silver set on the tall buffet and would leave it there, or you could arrange all the ceramicware I just mentioned on it instead, or maybe do the silver set with the plate stand to the side if it doesn't look too crowded. A small lamp, turned on, would look beautiful, to the side in front of the mirror on the buffet. It also would help the room to feel more pulled together if you brought in some stronger color throughout the room that goes with your room, like deeper wine/burgundy tones or maybe some deep green or even chocolate. If you have a medium size solid burgandy square table cloth for example, you could put that on the table, with the points hanging between the chairs, or even just scrunch a piece of solid color accent fabric under your centerpiece to add some strong color. Think of the strong accent colors you want in there, and see if there are things in your house elsewhere that would work. I would stick with mostly solid colors, because there is a lot going on in the room, and pattern would make it feel busier. I would also take the small pieces off of the top of the tall buffet--let the beautiful carvings on it show without clutter in the way. I would try to use only pieces in the room that support your color theme--I don't think that a lot of the other pieces--even though they are pretty--are helping you with that pulled together look you're probably wanting--particularly the yellow/gold pieces. I think if you focus on a large, not-too-busy, strong focal point on the table, strengthening your color theme with deeper mostly solid colors throughout the room in your accent pieces, and achieving some balance with the heavy furniture pieces, that you wil be happier with the space. Good luck!