I hope you don't mind a few more observations... First off, I was going by the numbering at the top (16 of 44, for instance) and didn't see the numbering at the bottom until now, so several of you labels are off. Sorry. The numbers I've used below are your labels. :) 2 could be strawberry or mock strawberry, or maybe something else 4 is a weed 5, 34, 36 and 41 could be Echinacea or Rudbeckia, or something else 7 might be a milkweed, snip a bit of leaf and see if has milky sap 15 could be Jupiter's Beard, Centranthus ruber, it will have salmon pink flowers very soon if it is 17 could be Valerian or Peony, or something else 18 is extremely cool and I would love to know what it is, I hope someone will recognize it! 19 could be Moonbeam Coreopsis 20 might be Hydrangea 23 is a grass that has volunteered in the middle of your lily of the valley 24 looks like Goldenrod, Solidago, to me 25 is a weed 26 and 35 might be Veronica 27 and 28 might be weedy honeysuckle, Lonicera 38 could be a Centaurea montana seedling 40 could be Rudbeckia (a different kind than the others), Plantain (a weed), or something else 42 the plant in front is a Hosta, the ones behind could be Dame's Rocket 45 could be Dame's Rocket

i will be the second or third person to tell you it NOT A WATER issue... but continue to ignore such if it makes you happy ... you arent doing harm with your idea.. but it isnt going to solve the problem .... my bet is .... and i see you are rooting more plants in the same pot.. that you have significantly OLD MEDIA.. that is used up.. and not allowing proper MOVEMENT OF WATER THRU THE WHOLE ... its still a water issue.. but not the one you are fixated on ... get those babes their own pots.. and repot the big one ... and if it dies.. you still have it.. because those cutting are the same plant.. exactly ... and move them closer to a window.. as there may not be sufficient light in what looks like the middle of the room ... there is a houseplant forum if you wish to delve further into the proper culture of houseplants ... all this is that your mom would have done if she was any kind of houseplant gardener .... the best idea.. would be to pot up the little ones fist.. and in a month or so.. when they are all fat and happy.. and your have your failsafe.. you can give it a go on the big one ... and what they said on the lowest leaves falling off... they do that annually.. no plant holds it oldest leaves forever ... and just to be sure.. potting media is NOT dirt from the yard ... good luck ken

Babalu, Bird Talk magazine regularly had articles on this subject, and according to them, the first inch or so (on a big avocado) is an excellent food source for parrots. BUT, they always cautioned that as you get close to the seed, it was toxic, and the seed itself is, too. So...I was always afraid that I would cut too much off and get the toxic bits, and I never gave it to them. Gary, toucans are very different from parrots, and it is possible the toxins don't bother them. They are full bore fruit & veggie eaters, from what I have read, and parrots have a wider variety of needs. Mine ate a pelleted diet, with supplements of fruit, vegetables, meat (they love chicken & cracking open a chicken bone to get the marrow), pasta, red beans and rice, and more. They got seeds as a treat only, as they tend to overeat on them otherwise, and become fat. My big parrots were all worth four figures, too, and I tried very hard to keep up with all available information on dietary and social needs. NOT saying avocados are bad for your friend's toucans. Just that they may react differently than parrots do. Or maybe he's just careful about what parts he gives them? But honestly, the list is endless when it comes to plants and things that are toxic to one animal or another. I mean, we can eat chocolate all day long, and only pay the price of gaining weight. Chocolate can kill dogs. So it isn't easy keeping up with what's safe for your animals and what's not. You just have to do your best. Marcia

Moccasinlanding thank you for the warm welcome. A tribute to the Queen is indeed merited. I would definitely have to agree with you. Like I said in my original post I knew once I saw these three that they were special. There are a few other cultivars of hosta in the garden as well but nothing like these Elegans. (speaking of which I shall have to put Steve to the challenge again identifying the other mystery hosta in this jungle of mine). Ken won't ID if you don't link pics directly � lazy bum :p j/k Let me clarify though, so as to maybe better offer me advice. We live about 11 miles north of Philadelphia in the burbs. This garden is old and overgrown. There are a whole slew of perennials (mostly ferns and hellebore) from the original landscaping design. But like I said there is nothing to look at except overgrown bushes and self-chocking iris. So when I broke ground and started clearing out the first perennial bed about a month ago I hit clay. Real bad nasty compiled clay that I would rather throw on a wheel and spin into a lovely container than garden with. So my goal as I go through these perennial beds is to amend the soil. Slowly in the process moving all the established perennials to rejuvenate them with proper spacing and a more cohesive design (I'm going for woodland floor since the sycamores are dominating all the light in the yard). With my Elegans I was not intending to move them from their current locations but rather dig them up, amend the soil underneath, and then replace them divided and refreshed. I have read and seen when a mature plant gets to big it starts to suffer and I don't know how long total beyond 8 years these have been in the ground. Am I in the wrong to touch them in any way ? I feel like they would only benefit from a soil amending. I would not dig them up every year, but rather amend around them in the years to follow. Should I leave them be and wait until I see more signs showing me it is time to divide ? Thanks as always ^^ You guys are great. Ludi