I got a surprise last year when picking apples from a tree my grandfather planted at least 40 years ago. I didn't bother to spray it or anything, as it needs a few years of pruning to bring it back. The few apples I got that were edible were yummy from one side of the tree, yet the apples from the other side were definitely not "eat off the tree" apples. When I took a closer look I realized that the bark on one side was completely different from the other side. Apparently my grandfather was practicing this method a generation ago. The other apple tree on the property was similar but the trunks had not inculcated and one of the two died due to neglect. I will try to send a picture, but it's really nothing spectacular. If you plant them close enough I guess they become one trunk. If I end up cutting it down I will definitely be able to see if these were once two trees(or more). There is crab apple near my house that looks like one tree, but last year I noticed that the blooms were quite different on each main branch. I doubt that this is a multi-graft crab apple. I am now assuming that the closer you plant them the better so they simply inculcate.

Nope, I don't use fakes. With all due respect to the artificial flower industry they don't seem right to me because I can't smell them. I'm not talking about the scent of flowers, though I do like sensing that, too; I'm talking about the smell of a living thing that real greens and flowers give off as they respire. It's just a dissonance for me to see gorgeous (and they certainly can be) flowers and greenery and not smell the odor of living plants. One sense perceives flowers and another of my senses perceives something quite different. It's jarring to me, like unexpectedly hearing the recorded voice of a deceased loved-one. I was trained as a horticulturist and in the past have owned commercial greenhouses and flower farms, so maybe I'm just spoiled. But I don't think it costs a lot of money to have a few blossoms in your house all the time. Sure, if you want big, hotel lobby-sized arrangements you're definitely going to have to shell out some serious cash. But few people have occasions or houses that need such grandiose displays anyway. Even in the depths of winter a couple of blossoms in a tiny vase on your desk and nightstand will cheer you every day and cost only a few bucks at a time. If you change the water and recut the stems every other day or so, even cheap WalMart blossoms will last surprisingly well. Though if you're not going for the mixed bouquet look, and instead heading for a smaller bijou-type arrangement, you might find a few stems from a good-quality florist give you a better value as they will have been properly handled and conditioned. But if you like the look of faux flower arrangements and plants and they don't creep you out like they do me, then I see no problem with them in your house. Molly~

I don't particularly care for the mess when the flowers fall off, then stick to the leaves and dry there. . . cleaning them off can be a chore but generally I don't mind because I get to touch the hostas. I very much like the bud stage - there are some exquisite flower buds, whether it be the shape, colour or arrangement...the radially arranged ones are beautiful, but so are the spaced-out ones. You just have to look at Donna's hosta blooms thread to see what I mean. The goose-head buds are almost whimsical looking. The tiny bell-shaped ones like on Rainforest Sunrise or English Sunrise makes you stop and stare. The mauve buds on Revolution are so bright against the dark green and white.....I'll stop there. Maybe this will explain how I feel about the flowers...especially fragrant ones! Note: typo in Fingertip...should read 'Fingerprint'. The most important function of the flowers is to attract pollinators. We would not survive without them.

I am one of those more laid-back people when it comes to my lawn. Heck, I even hesitate to officially call it a "lawn" lol. I've got clover, and several kinds of mosses, and bluets, and that wild strawberry or whatever it is, and all kinds of weed grasses. Most of them have died out, but for years I had violets and violas in the lawn, and didn't mind it. I had actually planted some viola Rebecca in my garden, as well as some white violas a fellow gardener gave me, and they both spread here and there to the lawn, as well as the common purple violet. I actually enjoyed them. And if I didn't want them in a spot I would just rip them out. Same in the garden areas - if they're in the way of something I want to plant, out they come. Otherwise, they stay as filler and living mulch/groundcover. There is actually a house near me whose front "lawn" in the spring is really just an entire expanse of white and purple, and I'm actually jealous. It's gorgeous! And when the violets/violas are done blooming, when you drive by you can't tell it's not just grass. My yard is shady and I will never have a "perfect" lawn, and honestly don't know if I want one. I love the various things growing in it, most of which you only see if you are actually walking through it. We even mow around the bluets and buttercups till they finish blooming. From a distance, the neighbors don't know it's not grass, so they're happy lol. So I love the violas and enjoy them. It's a personal thing, I think, so give it a shot and see what you think. :) Dee