hi gals had to let you all know i recieved a very nice box from shelbyraymom today by ups :))) inside I found a very nice tropical canna plant, A mini rose :)) to add to my collection , an unknown grass but I will find out from my gardening buddie yung mi , also was purple fountain grass , a wondering jew plant, anyone tell me do I bring that one in also for the winter in z 5 ?? best of all some bamboo I can't think of the name right now but I know you all know the type I mean love have wanted to get it just put it off thanks a bunch :)) tammy Tammy also sent a welcome windchime have it hanging on my back porch a hand towel with sunflowers on it so cute , a nice pack of jobes fertilizer spikes for my plants , and then she topped off the box with 10dutch Irise bulbs, 6 anemons , & 6 freesias , tammy you did a wounderfull job sending the plants all arrived is very good shape it is cool today so going out to get them planted before the rain :))) what a great bunch of galls thank you all . sue

Hi all! It's been much too long since I have popped in. I want to thank Suzanne (gardeningmomof3) for the cutest new addition to my gardens! This little bunny has found a home for now right beside some telestar picotee dianthus in bloom. :))) Thank you sooooo much, Suzanne!!! She is just adorable! Hope everyone is keeping cool and safe this summer. The high humidity and extreme temps have certainly been a challenge here. There has been a bit of relief here in the last few days and we are in desperate need of rain. The crops are beginning to show early signs of heat stress. Watering the gardens has become an almost daily chore after work. :( And I just finished a month's worth of meds for a tick bite that was suspected as a lyme disease carrier. For me, I had the telltale "bull's eye" look around the bite area. This isn't always a sure sign of lyme disease infection as DH was bitten a number of years ago while on vacation in Arkansas and had no such sign. But we both had flu-like symptoms and for me I had a dull headache and loss of stamina as well. I hope everyone is using proper precautions to protect yourself and family with a bug spray product with DEET when out and about! I will try to post a few pics of my garden blooms later. happy gardening and stay cool! Dee

Oh I feel so old.... But suddenly, the invorgating flow of youthful curiosity arose in my veins and burst forth til I actually clamped my jaw shut from its agape position and opened the huge box awaiting my arrival home today. Sue! I can only assume you are getting your birthday boxes out really early and what you crammed in there is just astounding! Did you buy out the whole store? There is a blooming BLOOMING bromeliad in my living room, like it just came off the shelf, yet it travelled halfway cross the country. So pretty. A gorgeous clump of Dracena in a deep reddish green. I have some plain green that I am always welcoming back each spring because I use the leaves in vases for tall greenery: red/green will be equally welcome and go great with my red dahlias. A new hosta for my new shade bed: "gold Standard" green with a strip of gold. Perfect. A host of tulips and crocus- my Spring garden will have reminders of your kindness! A bulb planter to plant them all! You think of everything. There was a dahlia with roots and a bud. A BUD travelled cross country. It is labelled "yellow Floodlight" but I wonder and will watch eagerly to see if it's 'Kelvin Floodlight' next Spring, or maybe this year, but we are so cooling off entering into Fall that I don't know if the bud can develop enough to show its stuff. I am thrilled to add to my collection, Sue! If it's Kelven Floodlight, that will be a bonus as I lost my only tuber of it this spring. In addition there is a lovely maroon and yellow hollyhock, the healthiest I've seen in ages as ours always get rust. I will try to find a spot where these won't. Love the blooms on those. There is a wonderful woven/tin basket with cute little stars cut out of the tin, a set of pot feet in blue and white which will go well with a little white, blue and yellow ceramic pot I have and a mini address book to keep me organized. Last but not least a small pot of mums, yellow and lavender, my favorites in bloom and a jar of "Almost Raspberry Jam" LOL! It looks delicious and we'll try it on almost toast very soon. Sue you are a gem among women and generous to a fault. I am awestuck by how well you packed everything into that box. I celebrate my birthday early and tip my birthday hat to you!

I'm so sorry, I'm running a little behind today for July's discussion. I just opened threads with questions! https://www.goodreads.com/topic/list_group/615019-kt-book-club