A picture! LOL. Right now it looks like a redneck dogs breakfast. Just picture long willow sticks everywhere, string, old plastic sheets blowing, tinfoil, the row covers, and now the big owl standing guard over it all. DH tried to do his part by hiding and making hooting sounds, LOL, what a goof! Plus it''s just finished raining, with wind, so it's a twisted wet mess under some wet row cover. Good thing it's not really visible from the road. I like the idea of those scare balloons - seems like I've seen them in my travels somewhere so I'll have to keep my eyes open for them. As I was picking yet another pail of raspberries today I was wondering why the birds don't do me a favour and eat them instead of the wheat. Thanks for the links on the flight netting, Tabardca. Yes, Betty, the sparrows just latch on to a stem and peck away - the beards on the wheat doesn't deter them at all, and when they're done with the stalk there isn't a kernel left, it's just stripped. I'm not sure if a radio would work. I wonder what kind of music sparrows would find appalling? Going with the current theme out there I think I'd have to play Gretchen Wilson's Redneck Woman over and over and over again, LOL.

There are quite a few flowers that never attract bees - zinnias, for example or marigolds. I've never seen them on lilacs or mountain laurel. Or hostas. Or....? Most double flowers don't attract bees because they don't have pollen. Bees don't visit lobelias, fuchsias, penstemon - the plants that hummingbirds love because of their tubular flowers. I used to be extremely allergic to bees, hornets and wasps and went through a long series of shots before becoming fairly tolerant of them. But I gardened all through that and never got stung in the flower garden - it was working in the vegetable garden with nothing flowering where I usually got zapped. When bees are working on flowers they are generally too busy to notice people. Each fall I go picking raspberries that are crowded with bees but they are so full of raspberry pollen, nectar and juice that they can't be bothered with people. And it isn't the bees that visit flowers that cause the problem - it's those damn hornets and yellow-jackets and they don't visit flowers.

Landscaping will do a lot to improve the curb appeal. The beds by the front door aren't very deep, but you could do some beautiful accents in front of the garage windows and to the right of the home. I feel like the windows could use some trim or modern style shutters. Nice all brick home. Landscaping is the key.

When I lived in the Chicago area (Zone 5b) the last official frost date was Memorial Day. We all pushed the limit and planted things earlier (mostly with success). We did have snow one year in mid May when I lived there. So it is a coin toss. Your Orange Marmalade are smart hostas. Enjoy the anticipation and how terrific they look when they arrive on their own time. Cold temps on some hostas make the first few leaves look distorted...so unless you are going to carefully watch the temps and cover and remove, and cover and remove repeatedly if necessary to protect them, don't. Plus your yard will look like a grave yard with those cones. Better to have bare ground. Your call. Or, as Bkay suggests above, dig them up and put in a different variety. Well, you DID say that any ideas are welcome! ;-) -Babka