You are right about the wild onions vs. wild garlic. Weird that the chives are opposite that, though. The onions and garlic we eat are different as well. Isn't that weird?

Now that we have the important stuff out of the way (I'm still going to call the ones I see in the yard "wild onions", though - HAHA)

There used to be a rule on planting a mixed container - a spiller, a thriller, and a chiller(?) Wrong, instead of a chiller, it is a filler. The two things I try to avoid is planting big plants with small (unless the bigger plant can be pruned to allow light to the smaller plants around it) and watering needs (a cactus and an impatiens is not good). Colors are up to the customer - go for any colors you like.

I've not heard that before, i.e. a hippo plant. I've always called them polka dot plants or Hypoestes. Another common name I must start using! I guess I usually overlook "hippo plants" while shopping.

I hope my new Etsy plants put some size on this summer. I put the tiny ones into 3" pots and put them under "the dome". HA!

The dog park I just went to is okay in this weather, but summer might be a different matter unless I got there early morning or late evening. Dogs, anyway!

I found the open weave plant interesting but it is an aquatic and I am not going to start a fish tank for any plant (yet).

That has to be one of the uglier plants I've seen. It didn't look real until I found the name and looked it up. It looks like an evil forest denizen. Ceropegia armandii

I like variegated leaves. Sometimes I prefer yellow over white (such as Hostas), but the variegated peace lily is one I would probably buy.

Do you remember where you got your trillium from (the big one with mottled leaves and purple blooms)?

I thought that might be a burning bush seedling. Time will tell unless you yank it out.

The moss poles could be somewhat messy and I doubt I could convince my wife that we need some more plants in the house - especially upstairs where there has never been one. She put her foot down on that.

Don't you wish that spring plants would stay longer such as daffodils and blooming shrubs and trees. My Yoshino cherry trees are losing their petals already. Wisteria is blooming everywhere and dogwoods will be in full bloom next week. It goes by so fast. Redbuds will probably be done by next week too.

This morning we left the house at 7:20 to get to an auto shop by 8:30. I'm glad I told my wife we needed to give ourselves a little extra time since I stopped at Chick-Fil-A to grab a chicken biscuit (I was the only one at the counter so I got my order pretty quick), then to Sam's to gas up. The auto shop is 30 miles away and is where our daughter had her truck towed to last week when it quit running. My wife loaned her car to her (sounds weird? I thought of daughter again or her, her car). The plans were to meet her at this auto shop to get her car back. We got there 30 seconds after she turned in (we had to do a U-turn since we were coming from the opposite direction).

After that, I left to go drop off the recyclables, then shopping. I stopped at Pike's (the Atlanta chain nursery store) and bought five plants there - two episcias, a scindapsus, philodendron 'Silver Sword', and a tiny leaf calathea. Then at Home Depot, I got two watering wands, a watering nozzle, a hose extension (6'), and some Roundup concentrate. I then proceeded to Lowe's and didn't find anything that said "buy me". I passed on several hydrangeas in full bloom at all 3 stores. I might go back to HD and get the dark leaf one tomorrow or next week (if there are any left).

I certainly had an experience yesterday. We went to Target to get my prescription and a few things. We went to HD after that so I could get another Jiffy pellet tray for the begonia leaves I pinched off two of my mother's begonias. I let the accessories on so my wife could turn down/up the window and listen to the radio. When I came out and tried starting the SUV, it clicked, clicked, and blinked the interior lights. Hmm, let it sit for a few minutes with everything off and it did the same thing. What to do now? Call AAA since we pay for it. My wife had it on her phone and sent a message to the service. She had to put in some details and within 30 minutes a guy swung into a parking spot at a diagonal. I thought he would have to get in front of me (I reserved the spot in front with a pallet cart). He got out and asked if we were the ones who requested a jump and I told him I was. He had me release the hood and hooked up his carry-all battery jumper and I started my car on the first try. He recommended going to Auto Zone (free installation, don't they all do that?) We did, and within 10 minutes we had a new battery and could drive with peace of mind. Next month, the SUV will be five years old. Whew!

Home Depot visit yesterday to our local store.

Notice the red blooms and darker leaves?

Here it is

I liked this cyclamen, too.

I guess the 3 color AV pots are everywhere. I just bought a similar one in TN at a smaller nursery (Chuck Johnson)

Epiphyllums cut and rooted as well. I would like to see the color blooms before buying though.

Yesterday I was picking up sticks (fallen and the ones I cut) to take to the back. Did a little weeding with my new weeding knife and saw a small snake move in front of me. Can you see it among the leaves? HAHA! Hint: it is a few inches in front of the Japanese Maple trunk.

I zoomed in and cropped out the section where the snake was. About as big around as a wooden pencil but probably 18 to 20 inches long.

Painted ferns are emerging. So is the wild lettuce and I am declaring war on them this year. Spray, pull out, whatever. I made a mistake by letting them flower and go to seed the last two years. Same thing for purple perilla. I hope to reduced their numbers significantly in the immediate backyard.

The dappled willow

My Mary Jane or Java Glorybower plant (Clerodendrum speciosissimum) in bloom in the basement.

some of my begonia cuttings from Feb 18th are growing fast now.

I love this little cane that is growing in a very small space.

one of the canes in this space is starting to bloom

This is funny - this is the 3 color AV pot I bought this past weekend at Chuck Johnson.

I might have to get 1 or 3 of these Abelia plants at Home Depot. The color just knocks my socks off.

Here is the name. I have two variegated Abelia plants already, but this is bright.

Hydrangeas at this HD today (another location and bigger)

I'm not all that keen on Cryptomeria, but my wife likes them so we have a few on the west side of the house. If these are truly dwarf, then it may be worth looking into.

Hydrangeas at Lowe's

I almost picked up this one, but put it back.

The plants I got at Pike's today.

my nephew’s here from Nashville Tennessee..the family’s getting together this weekend..I’ll write in a few days..👍

Have Fun!

we had a great time..I was tired from the weekend and went to bed early last night..now I’m up way too early..

the plant world is mind boggling..endless variety..plant names are crazy..confusing to say the least!..so far every stem on my weed clumps that I’ve clipped is round and hollow..I’ve called them “wild onion” for almost 20 years..don’t think I’m going to change either Ha!..

I’ve heard the expression “thriller, filler, spiller” too..and don’t always follow that..not sure I’ve ever had a hippo plant..if I did it was a long time ago..

I don’t handle full sun well now..my childhood is over!..I love and demand shade..without my niece’s canopy I would’ve left the beach Lol..

my husband would have a fit if I said “I’m getting a fish tank and aquatic plants”..I’ve reached my limit of plant responsibilities..

I think the novelty of Ceropegia armandii would wear off for me..

I like both plain and variegated leaves..I actually have a variegated peace lily..I don’t remember the name..if I had the patience to look it’s on this post..not as dramatic as the one in your photo but the leaves are variegated..

the trillium was here..I have more small ones than large..

my mystery burgundy plant is a burning bush..in fact I found another one..I pulled the second one out..

I think it’s a smart decision not to bring a moss pole upstairs..

spring blooms are wonderful..would be fantastic if they were longer lasting..

the battery in my old Honda was new..bought it in March 2023..sold the car in October..it died the morning of my husband’s shoulder surgery..after his surgery he hooked up the battery charger with one arm!..then we started it and went straight to the Honda dealership..the new Passport turned over 1000 miles this weekend..we bought it Nov 3..almost 5 months to hit 1000..we sure don’t go far!..

I had a dark leaved hydrangea once..it didn’t do well of course..I trashed it..

that snake does blend in..I might’ve screamed..

the yellow abelia is striking..

no full sun and I think? too cold here..so no cryptomeria for me..

the Pike’s plants are pretty..

text in another comment..photos here..some blooms..I think every plant in the yard has broken dormancy..

glory of the snow..

striped squill..

‘Lancifolia‘ hosta..

burning bush..worm castings to the left look gross..didn’t feel like retaking the photo Lol..

zoomed from the kitchen window..prettier in person..

new plants are still in the garage..still too chilly at night..

Isn't it nice being retired so you can stay up late or go to bed whenever you want to? It might interrupt your daily routine, but I'm so glad I don't have to go to work.

Wild onions (or garlic) is easier to remember than Allium canadense or A. vineale. I will still go with wild onions each and every time and cuss it the same.

I don't go for the thriller, filler, and spiller either. It looks good, but I like to plant what is visually exciting.

That's a shame you don't handle sun well. I don't want to get sunburn, but I still enjoy the sun on my back when I am bending over and on my face for a few minutes. When it gets hot and humid, I will wait until late afternoon or seek the shade to do my thing.

I have a half barrel (made to look like a whiskey barrel) that I keep a pink water lily in. It is too small as the plant keeps growing like a weed. I need to clean it out this year and get rid of a lot of excess growth. I thought of goldfish in it but that requires a pump to keep oxygen in the water. At least goldfish would keep the mosquito larvae down.

I agree on the ceropegia armandii - it is too ugly to even think of buying it. It might be good at Halloween. HAHA!

So many nice variegated plants, but we have to decide what space we have left and what plants we want. Green is nice, but color is so much more vibrant than plain green (which is predominant outdoors).

Aren't you the lucky one having the big trillium on your property than buying it? I've seen a few in the woods, but I believe that a lot of folks dug up colonies of them in the past. What a shame.

Yay, glad to hear the mystery burgundy plant is finally solved. It is nice when we come to realize what a bunch of seedlings look like. I remember at our last house buying tons of impatiens year after year. One year it dawned on me that a lot of seedlings might be from the impatiens we had been buying in past years. So, I let them grow on and they were indeed impatiens. We never bought another impatiens after that. The colors did change though as some of them were orange and purple but we typically only bought pink. Genetics is a strange thing.

I will add some photos of moss poles in some rooms on Pinterest and other sites. They look good, but I doubt I will ever have them on the main floor or upstairs.

I wish that spring blooms would last for a month or more. Our azaleas are starting to bloom now and they will be around for two weeks at the most. Then another year to wait. In the past, we might get a killing frost and all the azalea blooms would be toast. A year wasted.

I don't follow your sentence about the battery in your old Honda was new..bought it in March 2023. I think you are saying that you replaced the previous battery with a new one last March and then sold the car in October? I take it that your husband's surgery was in March then?

I would say that you are a infrequent traveler - 1000 miles in five months is 200 miles a month. I put in nearly a thousand miles a month (5 years old next month and I have 48,000 miles so far). Most of my travels is from the shopping centers and dog parks with a trip to TN every month or two.

Sorry to hear about your hydrangea woes. Move south? HAHA!

It was a harmless snake and yes, it blended in nicely.

I think my other abelias do not get enough sun to bring out their variegation. My big one bloomed nicely the last two years but the tree trimmers must've taken it off our fence to do trimming. I need to get a rope around it to bring it back to the fence (one of these days).

I don't know how cold hardy cryptomerias are. It seems like if they are from Japan that they would be fairly hardy in northern regions.

I love your glory of the snow and striped squill - nice little bloomers in the early spring.

I like the daffodils, too. Mix and match works well.

It looks odd that the hellebore has no leaves. Did you already clip them?

So, you will be on the lookout for burning bush seedlings from now on? I have been on the war path to kill as many wild lettuce plants I see plus eradicating purple perilla seedlings around the immediate back yard. I will let them grow in the very back as I like the color and smell.

You should put your new flowering bulbs in a huge tub or something and bring inside the house to cheer you up every time you pass by. The smell of hyacinths can be intoxicating or noxious, depending on your view of them.

3 different lens settings on my phone, this is 1x. Pardon my junk - the hose needs to go in the trash, but I would like to recycle it. 150 feet and it sprung a leak after a few months. GRRR!

3x (these were all from the deck). I concentrated on the big Chinese viburnum that is leaning away from the purple magnolia.

10x

one of the new daffodils from Costco

Japanese maples close up

some are just starting to come out

I think this is the last one but I still have one in the front yard and one in the very back of the lot.

azaleas starting

hardy begonias emerging

I don't remember this hosta's name. Being under this Hydrangea Invincibelle Spirit II helps protect it from deer.

Kerria double form

The things we do to protect our plants from deer, huh?

one of my Kerria stands using super wide setting (0.5X)

Scarlet Storm double flowering quince bush.

Hellebore super wide view

retirement IS great..I doubt if I could handle a job now..

my wild onion is winning the race 😩..

my fair skin burns easily..I can stay out all day in the summer with some shade..

my biggest trillium have a hint of the red bloom color at the tip but they’re not blooming yet..

fuzzy but here’s the burning bush today..

yes you’re correct..husband’s surgery was the end of February..bought a new battery very soon after..I’m thinking very early March..then sold the car in October..the battery felt new..

infrequent traveler is absolutely true!..that’s why we decided to try owning one vehicle..

a move south sounds appealing..but living close to family is a plus..🤷‍♀️

more spring blooms..

I have ephemerals everywhere..

there’s so much debris the hellebore leaves are weighed down..you can see them in person..delayed clipping and cleanup to protect them from the cold..

the green leaved hellebores seem to have bigger leaves than the hybrids..these green ones are young..I moved tiny seedlings from the front..

yes I’ll try to pull burning bush seedlings when I see them..I think I have quite a few..

the new bulbs and potted hosta are in the garage..not warm enough to leave them out in my opinion..

amazing what zoom lenses can do..

took a photo of a Japanese maple to show you that mine are starting to grow too..

your hosta reminds me of my ‘Pineapple Upside Down Cake’ hosta..so many varieties are similar so maybe not?..

love your Kerria..

bleeding heart..

a few more..

mushrooms..I think? poisonous..

blood root..

brunnera..

I doubt I would have the stamina to handle an 8 hour job today. Being mentally awake and physically able to sit for hours on end would be a challenge.

Ah, don't give up on combating wild onions. Cover them up with something that blocks the sunlight.

Do you not know about sun block? Fair skin is a good reason that sun block was invented.

HAHA! I would say a battery that is 8 months old is fairly new.

I hope we still have many trips to travel before going to a one car family.

I understand not moving south or anywhere for that matter due to age and family in the area. Both our daughters are in GA now, so it would make it hard to move at this age. I still entertain the idea of moving to south Florida or Mexico to grow most tropical plants in the ground. I should've acted on those dreams years ago though.

I am envious of your large trilliums. Beautiful!

So, are you going to let the burning bush continue growing? That reminds me of my hundreds of nandinas sprouting over the fence. GRRR! I love the berries, but hate the seedlings. I must dig them up or spray them. The problem for me is I randomly lock both gates (we actually have 3 with the 3rd one in the very back for maintaining a culvert) and do not always carry keys with me when I am in the yard. I must either go get the keys or remember to hit the side yards when I am in the front yard. Nothing perfect, is there?

I like that low angled shot of your ephemerals and the staggered heights of your sentry logs. Cool!

I have never clipped my leaves on my hellebores or planted any of them other than the original four to six. They are spreading about the backyard and I hope to keep them out of the side and front yards.

I would move the blooming daffodils and hyacinths in to the house while they are in bloom (unless it is too heavy a scent - hyacinths can be cloying at times - a reason I never got gardenias is my wife finds their scent too powerfully sickening sweet).

Zoom lenses are wonderful. The phone doesn't have a zoom lens, just 4 different fixed lens. The zoom is just a crop of the fixed lens image.

You are not far behind us when it comes to outdoor plants. That includes Japanese maples and bleeding hearts. In fact, your crocus were blooming before mine. I think that is because I planted mine back in November.

Too many hostas to remember like any popular plant family. Worse is begonias and then orchids is #1.

Those are definitely mushrooms and I hope you never eat one you harvest yourself unless you are an expert. I hear too many horror stories about poisonous mushrooms (even experts can be wrong).

Your bloodroot looks lovely. I had some at our last house but they never colonized like yours has. Maybe they have since we moved 20 years ago.

I do like the looks of your purple hellebores with hardly any leaves. I am still not going to clip any leaves. HAHA!

Your brunnera looks nice too. Have you got any variegated ones?

Well, going to run now. Headed to the new dog park just to show my wife where it is and some of the things to look for and then on to Harbor Freight. Rufus will stay here while we do this morning run.

I worked in the backyard this afternoon and wore myself out. But, look what I found as I was going around sprinkling rose care and feed. The container is big (12 pounds) from Costco.

Close up of the trillium - I remember buying this from Lowe's a year or two ago but haven't seen it since I put it in the ground. One of those boxed plants that is usually a gamble. Maybe, just maybe after a few years, it might get some babies.

Harbor Freight was excellent. Now I know where it is when I need a special tool. They have some very large tools and toolboxes there.

My syngoniums are starting to color up

I bought six 40" vinyl coated grid wire for making moss poles. I want to go to HD and get some PVC pipes and rope (for a wick) to hold the wire baskets up and keep the moss wet. If I see some success, I have a feeling I will be making lots of moss poles this summer. The syngoniums might look good on one.

I may start staking my cane begonias again. I really hate to cut the side shoots off but sometimes it is best to train the straightest canes and use the floppy side shoots for a new pot. This is Sophie Cecile, but most folks call it Sophie. Some say Sophia, but it is Sophie.

This is the tiny calathea I got last week. Not the flashiest one, but I liked the size.

Here is another vine that might look good on a moss pole, Pothos Manjula (Epipremnum which I hate to spell out or even try to pronounce).

I forgot all about this begonia. I have another one that looks similar but has more of a rippled edge (East Gate). This is Comte de Lesseps.

One day I must see if there is a tag in this pot. I like the rippled leaves and the white blooms.

We were at the big Walmart two days ago and I had to see what they had in the garden area.

Nothing spectacular, but they are starting up.

I did buy two red rexes above and the dark leaf plant behind it. Five dollars or so as I recall.

Since I lost my red Mandevilla this winter, I picked up another one (less than 6 dollars).

I'm ready for planting (and hope a hard freeze doesn't come along).

Crocus are so small to really stand out like the pansies.

You can hardly see any in this island. The lilies are coming on strong as well as the Dutch iris and bearded iris. Soon the pansies will need to be replaced with a summer annual. The Dutch hyacinths are over other than the boring green leaves.

Coral bells

Johnny Jump Ups in the back have made a lot of progress but still a lot smaller than the ones in the front (they were grazed by rabbits or deer a few weeks ago)

The creeping phlox might actually do well this year. Our old company turned over the yard care to TruGreen. They've treated the lawn twice now, and so far no yellowing of the creeping phlox.

Yoshino cherries are about over. Azaleas are coming on (Mildred is the only one showing so far in this picture - a nice purple). Kwanzan cherries are blooming now and I don't even look at ours since it is straight up and not spread out.

The JM I cut back super hard a few years ago is now midway on our dining room windows. Maybe I will just give it a flat top this year instead of all the limbs.

Fern alley makes it difficult to shut the water off or turn it back on. We have an extender to a hose bib with a cutoff so we leave the faucet at the house turned on for summer.

the lazy boy in his favorite spot this morning when we went to Harbor Freight.

I took this one behind the couch. Our daughter's cat is under our care for the weekend as she is going back to NC to see her other two kids (young adults - soon to be 23 and 25).

yep full retirement is for me!..

I have a cold/sore throat 😢..started Monday..I haven’t been sick in 4 years!..I was sick when Covid started..I tested negative..nothing since..can’t wait to be “normal” again..

wild onions are ugly..I dug out a few a couple of days ago..only a thousand to go 😝..

yes I’ve used sunblock for about 45? 50? years..I don’t need it at home..

I can see that you need 2 cars..

I hear negative comments about Florida..homeowners insurance is an issue..flooding..hurricanes..the heat..but to live in a tropical climate is a dream..

hey you have a trillium!..you’ll get more..I took this picture yesterday..

I want to leave the burning bush for now..but you know how it is..one day in the spur of the moment I might rip it out!..

you could get locks with a code for the gates?..

I like the long view shot with the logs too!..my lot is larger than most here and I love photos that capture that..

hellebores look prettier when the old leaves are removed..but it is a time consuming job with as many as we both have..

I thought about a daffodil bouquet but I’m sick and don’t want to bother!..

you’re right..my phone is different than my old 35mm telephoto lens..

I’ve learned from our years of communication that I was mistaken a bit about how “tropical” Georgia is..I thought you had an extra month on each end of the season to leave out delicate plants but our timetable for overwintering is very similar..what is nicer about Georgia is the milder winter temperatures..some of your plants wouldn’t survive here..

I do avoid mushrooms..

I’m happy to have the bloodroot I have but it’s not a fast spreader for me..

I have 2 variegated brunneras..one in front one in back..the front one..

the one in back before and after cleanup..and a shot of the 3 in back..

so you’re going to try moss poles?..have fun..

I like the small calathea..

love the red coleus and begonia..we have plants here now..my neighbor told me..I’ve been sick and haven’t been shopping..

well it’s your maple..but please don’t cut it flat..that would make me sad..

Rufus has it made..

my fragrant viburnum is leafing out..

the latest daffodil shots..

I think I need a nap..

Can you imagine ever having to go to work again? I know there are folks who have to, but I sure hope that is not our case.

I hope your sore throat disappears quickly. Do you have allergies this time of year? I know there are lots of people who complain about sore throats, headaches, congestion this time of year.

Good luck on the wild onions. I dug out a few piles of it last week because they were too close to valued plants such as peony, daylilies, and hot red pokers. I bet some little ones escaped the knife though.

I was kidding you about the sunblock, but also dead serious. Our skin gets enough damage as it is. Those sunburns I got as a kid have shown up later in life.

There is no perfect place in the world, but I would take Florida over a lot of other states and most of the world for that matter.

You have quite the colony of trilliums going there. How long have you had them now? I guess most are from seed or did you buy most of them?

I always like to let things grow if I don't know what they are. This could be a big problem if it is very invasive. I had some kind of knot-weed (I think Japanese) a few years ago. It makes a dense cover for privacy, but does that stuff ever grow. I cut, dug up, sprayed for 2 to 3 years to kill it but every once in a while I will see a seedling. I make a mental note of it and pull it out ASAP. I don't think burning bush is anywhere as nasty as this knot-weed was, but we must be vigilant on what comes up in the yard.

I don't know if there is a digital lock for gates (that would fit our fence). Sounds great in principle, but cost and weather are two other issues to consider. I just have to remember to lock gates when we go away for a few days and unlock it for my convenience. We have pest control that I have had to unlock the gate(s) for if we want the back of the house treated.

Photos can be taken at different angles to get some cool results and change our view about what most normal views we come to expect. Some photos are illusions and can be manipulative for the naive. Do you remember the adage about "believe half of what you see and none of what you hear"?

The blooms do stand out better on hellebores with the big old leaves removed, but the labor is not worth it for me. My mother likes her old leaves removed like you, but she cannot do it anymore. I noticed her leaves are rattier than mine, but I suspect that is due to colder winters.

I think I prefer flowers left on the plant for the bees and pollinators to use. I will take pictures and stow the scents away in my memory for the next year.

A phone camera is very convenient. And the quality of the snapshots are very good. I don't think I will give up my collection of cameras and gear though.

If I lived on the coast or south GA, then I think I might have an extra month of growing plants outdoors. The things we do to amuse ourselves with, right? Some plants I have seen in the north, would not survive here due to the heat and humidity. Two I recall are lilacs and white birch trees. I am sure the tulips are perennial in the northern states (most are treated as annuals here). We just have to adapt and find things that will survive in our areas, right?

I like photographing mushrooms. There is so much diversity in such a lowly plant. The scientists and the hobbyists probably enjoy them as much as our flowers and houseplants.

My biggest memory of the bloodroot was probably 30 years ago when we climbed Kennesaw Mountain in early spring. There was a patch of them that was very large and they seemed to reflect the sun much like a shiny piece of metal.

I think I tried Brunnera once, maybe twice. Maybe I put it in the wrong spot of the yard or over watered it. I enjoy seeing them in pictures, at the nurseries, and once in a great while someone might have one growing on their property.

I got some PVC pipes at HD on Saturday. I had the young guy cut the 10 foot sections in half (he didn't quit hit the half mark on the 3 pipes I bought). I also got six caps and the cheapest PVC glue. I went on the other side where a lot of other hardware was including ropes. I bought a 75 foot one. I will cut these into 8 to 10 foot sections so I can push one end down the pipe to the bottom and let the other half hang over the edge so it will wick water in the pipe to the moss in the cage. Does that make sense?

When I get around to trimming the maple, it will probably be this fall when the leaves are off it. I want to take care of the branches that are above a certain height. I will probably prune those back to the trunk.

My fragrant viburnum is over for another year. I hope it will fill out from the ground as it lost half of its original mass.

What are the names of those daffodils (I typically forget them as they are so short-lived)? Is that "Ice Follies"? I like them as they are standard oldies. I want to get the old yellow giant ones, one of these days. "King Alfred" as I recall.

I hope you are feeling better, got your nap, and had a Happy Easter. We went to our daughter's yesterday for Easter and to give our grandson his birthday gift from us. We were supposed to go on Saturday, but things got in the way. I'm glad we didn't make it as they had some issues with teen boys being "teen boys".

I ordered some more plants on Etsy last night. Syngoniums, Alocasia, and a fern. Crazy, I know!

I took Rufus to the new dog park Friday. The guy with the young Great Dane showed up and his dog (Mila) and Rufus had a blast. She is 10 months old and 116 pounds. She is twice the weight of Rufus.

She is trying to get the old man up to play some more. They get along pretty good.

Another guy came in with his overweight, short leg pit bull mix (her name is Tess). Rufus is standing at this point, Mila with her big tongue hanging out, and Tess in a stretched out style.

Here is the big viburnum Saturday.

I love the red berries of Nandina, but the seedlings are going to be a job each year.

Most of this scene is Nandina seedlings and the little taller plant is sensitive fern coming up.

old fashioned snowballs are emerging, yet I see in other yards where they are much further along (a week or so). I started all these with cuttings from the bush I bought years ago.

my two bleeding hearts. The blooms is from the everblooming one. I just noticed my finger in the corner when I posted this. GRRR!

this hosta is rooted in the ground through the drain holes of the pot

new daffodil bloom

two hostas from Walmart grab bags on both sides of Penny Mac hydrangea.

purple perilla seedlings - I've created another monster?

Hellebores - two views

my tallest JM

azaleas are busting out of their buds now (some azaleas will be no shows due to their bloom buds getting frozen out in January)

I put this small fence around two peonies (thought I had 3 or 4 in there) to protect them from dogs and other critters. I weeded it before taking this photo.

I can't get over how tall this azalea (Mildred) has gotten. Most of the ones we've grown stay dwarf.

Money plant is going to be a riot this year if half of them bloom.

The Celandine poppy has really spread but only a few are blooming right now.

my $13 Walmart JM in the very back.

Ostrich fern

I'm trying to remember the name of this spirea. Gold Flame is what I want to say, but probably wrong.

Ghost fern

I am surprised when I see some of the old hostas coming up. The deer have just ruined most of them from two or three years of keeping them mowed.

I took the beast (weed whacker) to the Asian jasmine to expose the rocks of the dry stream bed. The vines will be back with a vengeance but I will try to keep them a bit more orderly going forward.

I think I have bronchitis..I cough up stuff..ugh!!..but I’m strong enough to work outside every day..

the wild onion shocks me..been digging for years yet I have so many clumps..😩

my husband had a routine dermatologist appointment today..came home with about 10 freeze wounds..

I find Florida appealing too..

I do have lots of trillium and trout lilies..I can’t take credit..I had a few when I moved in..I definitely have more now..isn’t it interesting how trilliums can be lighter or darker?..

I looked up knotweed..I haven’t seen it in my yard..

“believe half“ etc is a clever adage!..

my old hellebore leaves are very ratty..it’s worth removing mine..

I read about a tulip species (don’t have them or know the name) that bloom reliably..I bought tulips once..learned that they’re basically annuals and never bought any since..I think? the leaves come up but they don’t bloom..

I think I follow your moss pole irrigation method..

I think Ice Follies could be the correct ID for my daffodils..I should’ve taken close ups of my others but I concentrated on my favorites..

teen boys can be a challenge!..

you do HAVE quite a few new plants Lol..I’m holding off a little longer..I admit if I wasn’t sick I would have probably been plant shopping..

Mila does make Rufus look small..they look cute together..

your viburnums are way ahead of mine..

my bleeding hearts are short lived..beautiful but they go dormant..see the blooms coming?..

do you think your potted hosta needs a bigger pot?..it’s so lush and full..the pot seems small..

love your daffodils..especially the small white ones..

your azaleas sure give you great color..

If you do not get better in a few days, you must see a doctor to get some antibiotics going. I have had bronchitis and it doesn't get better, only worse as each day passes.

Persistence will win the day against wild onions. At least you are aware of it and how it continues to multiply. I dug out a good sized clump yesterday next to my garden phlox (from my grandmother's yard).

Old age and the skin doctor go hand in hand. I need to go again, it's been a few years. I've had the chemical burns (freezing), cut off cysts, snipped off tag warts (not covered by insurance), and the Mohs procedure twice (I hate the smell of burning flesh, especially since it is my flesh). The freezing looks hideous for a few days, but soon disappears.

I like it when the trout lilies are blooming, but after that - meh!

Do you think the darkness of the trilliums is due to how old the plant is? I looked at your two photos and the darkest ones are the largest (and probably oldest, too). That is sweet that you already had these on your property when you moved in. I wished I had some lady slipper orchids, but won't dig any up in the wild and their prices are too high for me to even consider. BTW, those are lovely trilliums.

Persicaria is also known as knot-weed, but some of the smaller species are nice to look at and easier to get rid of.

I had two tulips at our last house that bloomed each and every year. Why these two was a big question. Out of the dozens we bought, only two that were truly perennial performers. One was yellow and the other was red.

Here is a picture of the moss pole with built in irrigation I was going for.

Yes, teen boys (and girls) are always a challenge. I guess that is why babies start off as sweet, innocent, cute children. If they started out as teenagers, there would be no humans.

I need to start some flower seeds soon. It is already April 2nd! I want to move some of my bigger houseplants outdoors this week and hope that no hard freeze comes. I took down all my caladium pots and started watering them lightly.

Mila and Rufus have the same coloring as Mila's owner has commented. They are a pair together.

You have the old fashioned bleeding hearts (Dicentra spectabilis) that do disappear when it starts getting hot. Try the luxuriant variety that are known as everblooming. What I recall about them is they spread more but are shorter in stature.

Yes, the hosta needs a permanent spot in the ground, but I've been very hesitant about planting any more hostas until I have a better protection plan against marauding deer.

The newest daffodils (from Costco) are really showing up this week. Unfortunately, they will soon be over for this year. I wished our azaleas had a much longer blooming period too. Just like Camellias, love them while they are blooming, but their bloom period is kind of short (and during colder weather).

Here is the big viburnum yesterday. I hate the leaning due to the magnolia intrusion - you can see the pink blooms in the upper right hand corner.

the first dutch iris to bloom

Mildred azaleas behind some of the Costco daffodils (front yard)

This daffodil is already starting to fade out

the focus seems to be the azalea (phone cameras are harder to use for focusing at times)

Pink Ruffles is hose in hose flower type on azaleas.

our new lawn service didn't kill the creeping phlox blooms this year

This shows how tall the JM is getting in front of our dining room windows. The prostrate blue deodar cedar needs a big haircut as well.

Coral bells are doing their thing, growing like a weed. Bloom stalks are already forming on one of the two in the ground.

ferns and their new fiddle heads are always amusing

Walmart plants yesterday

A nice Kwanzan cherry on our drive home from our daughter's house on Easter day.

It was hard to get a shot as I had to grab my phone out of my pocket, get logged in, and get the camera app up.

some begonias from Easter Day.

the newest Calathea (kind of a miniature)

my newest alocasias from a month or so ago (local stores such as Pike's and Lowe's)

I like the new canes that come up straight, strong, and tall. It becomes a problem when they hit the shelf above, so I have to move them away from the shelves.

one of the rooms showing part of the hand made shelves

I shot this without the overhead light turned on. I have one leaf that has those white dots on it and I need to explore that further one of these days.

Bambino

My Etsy purchases so far. 3 Anthuriums, Xanthosoma Mickey Mouse, and Aglaonema Tricolor. I hope to move them to six inch pots in another month or two.

I started these on Feb 18 (two days after our Feb meeting)

I feel slightly better..headed in the right direction..

it is satisfying to dig up onion clumps..

trout lilies are sweet..once a year a little breath of spring and then they disappear..

thanks for the trillium compliment..they are attractive and it’s great that I have them..I think my organic garden methods have allowed them to survive and thrive..

so you were lucky enough to own worthwhile tulips not duds like mine..

love your take on teenagers!..Lol..

I did notice Mila and Rufus match!..

I took a screenshot of a bleeding heart that I’d buy if I see it..it lasts until fall..might be the one you mentioned..I’ll look for my pic..

protecting hosta from deer is difficult..I can see why yours is in a pot..

all of us would love longer lasting blooms..

l don’t like leaning plants either..

you’re right..the azaleas dominate the photo!..

my Japanese maples are so thin compared to yours 🙁..I think my colder winters affect mine..it does block the view..

love the peach/orange/yellow begonia planter..

nice cherry tree..

your begonias did well this winter!..

my indoor plants could look better..I think some got too dry..with the furnace running during extremely cold temperatures they dried out fast..

for less than 2 months old the begonia cuttings are cute!..

we had a downpour last night..so standing water today..some of my plants are kind of smashed..

That's good that you are feeling better, even if it is only slightly. I heard from my mother that my sister has been in bed sick for four days. She figures she caught COVID again. I doubt she is vaccinated, but I won't go there.

It is funny that you find digging up onion clumps as satisfying. I guess it beats watching crabgrass grow.

I missed our hiking spot's trout lilies this year. Not a big loss. They will be there next year.

You do have a nice colony of trilliums growing like the proverbial weed. Enjoy your success.

There were only two tulips that bloomed each and every year. I guess it was luck?

Ah, teenagers are the crossover from cute kids to adults. We have to remember that we were once teenagers. I was reading this morning on our local neighborhood website (not just our subdivision but a much wider area) where one person was raising a stink about middle school students in the park being rowdy and boisterous. Gee whiz, isn't that what kids do? If she saw drugs, guns, or other vices happening then she would have a point. But rowdy pre-teens is nothing to get upset over.

I think I may have to gather any remaining hostas into a small area, put my temporary fencing up (easy to put together) and put some bird netting over the fencing. That way deer can visit, but no tasty tidbits for them. They may still gnaw at young hydrangea tips, but no more hostas.

The only leaning plants I like are the ones done that way such as bonsai or trained to look "wind swept".

Taking care of the remaining begonias and other plants shows that a little care goes a long way. Neglect often will show how badly plants need just a little attention like water and spraying once in a while.

Wow! Your yard looks like a place on the bayou (kayak much?) I know it is only a few inches of water and very temporary, but does this happen often? We had some storms last night, but the only thing I heard was Rufus scratching the bedroom door. Then I heard some faint thunder. He is so afraid of storms. My wife took him to the living room, leashed him to keep him near her. She dragged his bed close to the couch so she could sleep on the couch while keeping him from disturbing me. I didn't hear another thing.

You can see why the viburnum leans from this picture. I plan on taking out a couple of big limbs and maybe a trunk or two of the magnolia. The viburnum needs cutting back too, but I hate to do that.

I have 3 old fashioned snowballs behind this big boy next to the fence. I started those with cuttings.

This is not the biggest of the 3, but it is around 7 feet tall now. The blooms are not full size yet.

One of the weigelas is blooming now. This is the one I started from some cuttings of a neighbor across from my parents. It took 3 tries to get it. The first try failed completely. The next one turned out to be the forsythia I have. I had to wait 2 or 3 years for it to bloom before I realized I got the wrong bush. Fortunately the 3rd time I got the correct one and they rooted as the house was bought below price (the owner had died when I got my first cuttings) and the new owner (flipper) had all the shrubs cut down. Boo Hoo!

from the deck, the big yellow leaf JM is between the very tall birch and the star magnolia. Not really between in a straight line, but as a triangle.

To the left is a dogwood, Kerria, azaleas, wood hyacinths, and hellebores under a muscle wood tree.

gold finches enjoying the bird feeder

Tangerine Beauty cross-vine is growing up our golden conifer. Here is another plant that I wished stayed in bloom all summer.

yesterday, between pruning, weeding, blowing leaves, etc. I took a few photos

This is the big magnolia and saplings or suckers. I cut all the leaders out of these small trees to keep them uniform and possible candidates for anyone who wants one. Beats paying $80 or so for one at a nursery.

fiddle heads and wood hyacinths among the hellebores

this bumblebee was enjoying the flowers

the little hosta unfurling its new leaves.

nandinas and its seedlings

I used my hoe to get rid of most of them. The rest will be hand pulled or using a smaller digging tool.

Azalea 'Mildred' in the front yard.

Alstroemeria and purple shamrocks

native cross vine growing up the big birch tree

my one and only yellow azalea

Found this while blowing all the leaves off the ground. Can you see it?

How about now?

Now?

Here is another gotcha. I was moving pots around and found something kind of rare.

I put a pot back over it, so it could continue surviving people.

a few in the basement this morning between breakfast and getting ready to go to my haircut appointment.

the tallest caladium sprout so far

teeny tiny begonia bloom

I wonder what insect this is on my rubber tree.

large leaf plants

Not a big bunch of flowers on this hydrangea (this is the one I picked up last year at Sam's)

Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!

Weird begonia. I think it might be a parent to Gryphon

this is the 3rd or 4th time coral bean has bloomed this year

fyi..your comment posted 4 times..

I’m not recovered but better..sorry your sister is sick..

I do appreciate the trilliums..I bought one (green leaves/white bloom) in a bag years ago..it never came up..

I agree..teens hanging out in a park is nothing to get upset about..

a hosta “cage” sounds like it would work..

the water is shrinking..yep happens after heavy rains..compare this to the first pic..

crows today..

ever wonder if Rufus was left out in the rain?..poor guy..

never grown a shrub from cuttings..just bought shrubs and planted them..

nice selection of food for birds!..

someone gave me wood hyacinths (she said)..I planted them..grape hyacinths came up..🙁
I wanted wood hyacinths..

I like your yellow azalea..

I needed your hint to find the first surprise..I spotted the salamander..

I don’t know that many insects..the ones on your plant aren’t one of the ones I definitely know..

love the lavender/pink/green/white hydrangea bloom..

I love all of the color in your basement..

Yay it’s April!..

you wouldn’t know it according to our weather..

cold temperatures and possible snow..🙁

Thank you for noting the post was four times. Now I know how that happened. I submitted it and it disappeared (no error this time). I refreshed the screen and it still had not appeared. I refreshed twice more with the same results. I let it go for a couple of minutes and came back to refresh a fourth time and TA-DA - it was posted. I am assuming with each refresh with the same results was actually submitting my reply each and every time.

There is nothing worse than being sick. So sick, you could almost wish for death...

I had some puny trilliums in the past - small leaves, white flowers. Not much to look at. I didn't mind it when they eventually disappeared.

Some people have nothing better to complain about. That is normal in everyday situations in places like work, at home, BUT most people don't post little things online. Teens doing teen things is normal. If they are doing criminal acts, then let the authorities know about - NOT the random strangers on a social site. I saw one this morning where the poster was complaining about a dog that ended up in her backyard several times. Have animal control handle the issue, not folks on a social site.

Yes, a chicken wire house would work for protecting hostas. Kind of like a bird netting house works to protect fruit from birds.

That is a big difference in water levels in your backyard. Crows are supposed to be very intelligent birds. A few crows is better than hordes of blackbirds.

I've never wondered if Rufus was left out in the rain. Experts have tried to analyze dogs (and animals) for decades. They seem to know when a storm is approaching before we do. Maybe due to their excellent hearing?

It is a lot easier to buy a shrub and plant it than growing from a stick. I still find it amazing and somewhat fun to grow shrubs from a cutting.

Here are some layering balls that I've bought but haven't used all that much (yet).

That is the one thing my wife enjoys - feeding the birds and relaxing on the deck listening to them sing. She gets mad at the squirrels on top of baffle eating away out of the bird feeder. I told her to spray the top of the one baffle that we see a squirrel perched on top with some Pam. I would like to see the squirrel slide right off it the next time it gets up there. We cannot figure out how it gets up there as the baffle seems high enough to NOT jump on top and the baffle usually "baffles" a squirrel climbing the pole. I wonder if it is climbing our deck post and jumping from there.

I like the wood hyacinths - not as big as Dutch hyacinths, but still pretty to look at. They multiply year after year.

I find the yellow azalea interesting since I rarely see a yellow blooming azalea. It may be a native one as a lot of native azaleas bloom before putting on new leaves.

I like to take a few shots of rarer animals and insects - close up, normal, etc. I found in the past that if I took one photo of the animal and downloaded it (or got the film developed) that it was not that good of a photo. The phone cameras are very good these days.

I don't know the insects either on the rubber plant. A couple look like bigger fungus gnats and the tiny white critters may be some kind of mite. I must run it through Google Lens and see what they come off with.

I bought that hydrangea last year due to its unusual coloring. This is how it looked last year (guess growing it in a commercial greenhouse helps A LOT).

April 4th already! It is chilly this morning and will be for the next 3 mornings. I hope this will be our last cold spell. I'm glad I didn't move any plants out now.

Yikes - possible snow? We both know that it isn't summer yet.

Since I was already at the folder for the hydrangeas above, this Chinese Viburnum shot on the same day (April 8th) shows me that our early spring this year is about the same as last year. The old fashioned snowball behind the bigger C.V. shows its blooms as white while yesterday they were still green.

Rufus a year ago.

All of these shots were using my big camera.

Google Lens came up with white flies or aphids as the insects on the leaf. It looks like some kind of small housefly that became food for these creepy crawlies and I think there is a tiny spider on there as well - maybe eating the white flies/aphids.

I cropped into the leaf from the original photo. I may attach my USB microscope to have a closer look today. I could just cut a leaf off and bring it up to the computer and use the other USB microscope but that seems drastic.

I understand what you’re saying about duplicate posts..it’s happened to me too..

some health conditions are heartbreaking..beyond sad..

isn’t it crazy what people post online?..

the water is disappearing..too bad we had some light rain today 🙁..we have a freeze warning this weekend..want to come over and ice skate? Ha!..

crows are intelligent!..I saw a show at the zoo with a crow..ever see a toddler toy where you have plastic pieces of different shapes that drop into a ball with cut outs of the shapes?..well the crow put every piece in the right place on the first try!..

I think propagating plants would be amazing..I just never finish all of my garden work and haven’t tried it!..

I remember you showing me the layering balls..

squirrels are a pain with bird feeders!!..

I LOVE my phone camera..couldn’t live without it..

our “snow” was nearly invisible..didn’t stick..

as I became more interested in gardening I was sad to learn about pests and diseases..in the garden section of bookstores multiple shelves devoted to the subject..your last picture with the insects enlarged..ugh..

I sent my husband to the library for free eclipse glasses..I hear Indiana has a good view of it..

he’s going to the Honda dealership tomorrow to pick up a mat for the cargo area..we decided it was a good idea..I’m still not 100% so I’m not going..

I hope in another week the weather and I will be better!..

At least we know one of the reasons for duplicate posts, now. HAHA - do not refresh after posting a lot of pictures.

It is crazy what folks post online. Some would never do that in person.

It is cold enough here but not enough to have an ice skating rink. It was 36 here this morning. One more morning to go - probably 35 tomorrow. I hope this is the last of the cold mornings after this week. I know I am pushing it.

It seems like I read about a crow in an old book (Tom Sawyer? Huckleberry Finn? or maybe it was Treasure Island) where someone had a crow whose tongue was split which enabled it to talk. I wonder if that has any truth at all. I saw a video this morning where a crow (think it was a crow) kept grabbing a floating tidbit from the water's edge and spitting it back into the water. The koi were large enough to tackle the bird if they wanted to. Anyway, after about the 3rd throwback (maybe spit is not the right word), a small fish came along to sample the tidbit and that is when the bird caught the tiny fish. Kind of smart?

Ah, you and I are retired and for the lack of anything better to do, trying new things garden-wise, is worth the effort. I have been watching a few moss pole tricks on YouTube and think I will try one of the new-fangled poles (flat piece of plastic that has some seams that double back onto itself, creating a D tube). I was not interested in the advertising when I first saw this thing but after watching the woman try five different poles, I thought it might be worth trying for the smaller pots.

Well, the PAM spray trick did not work. My wife saw a squirrel sitting on top of the dome this morning. I was hoping to see it slide right off.

The phone has become a very valuable tool to carry with us most of the time. The folks who say they don't want one, have no need for one, and would never own one; do not know any better.

Oh, I tried my newer (better?) USB microscope this morning. I gathered four leaves this morning - two from the rubber tree, one from the plumeria, and one from a brugmansia. I will show the results of those in a bit.

Is your location in the path of the total eclipse? We went to the last one in 2017 in our old home town. It was very neat. I had two cameras set up - one for the eclipse itself and the other for all the people ready for the big event. Unfortunately, my DSLR went belly up, so I had to rely on the small compact camera to do just the scenery around the event (I didn't point it at the sun since I had no filter for it).

I saw on the news last night that a town in Texas is at the cross of the last eclipse and this one that will occur in a few days (Monday?) The small town is gearing up for tourists and sales. One old guy is making a thousand pieces of jewelry to commemorate the event (he's hoping to sell most of his work that day).

A mat for the cargo area is a good idea for keeping the original carpet/mat somewhat clean. That is one of the first things I did on my SUV - ordered WeatherTech mats for the front seats, the middle row, and a mat for the cargo area (nothing for the 3rd seat rows since I doubt we would ever use that as seats). Are you saying you are not going to the dealer for a mat or not going to see the eclipse?

We went to Sam's and Walmart yesterday morning. I took Rufus to the dog park around lunch and was pleased that there was someone there (she had a juvenile boxer) for Rufus to play with. After I got home and had a bite to eat, I started weeding more of the side yard. Afterwards we went to Costco since they do not open early like Sam's. Today I hope to just do more weeding and the dog park. Fun never ends.

Here is the photos I took this morning. The little leaf is stunted and from the Yellow Gem rubber tree.

and here is what the microscope shows at that distance. My fingernail looks ugly despite cutting it last night.

on the computer screen. It is difficult to take a picture of the screen with my right hand while holding the leaf in place with my left hand (criss-crossed).

This shows the awkward position. The USB cables are short and plug into the front of the computer.

The bigger rubber tree leaf. Excuse the coffee cup stain on the glass top of the desk!

The underside is where some bugs may still be alive despite my repeated spraying over the last few weeks.

These looked dead.

This is where it got very interesting - the plumeria leaf was rife with damage.

You might see some dots if you peer close enough. The two big white spots are latex sap from the cut leaf.

spider mites

This was either the mid-vein of a lateral vein.

very tiny bugs - no wonder we can't see them with the naked eye

the top of the leaf

Closest I could get. Focus is much harder due to how close the lens is. Dead bodies and live ones. Black eggs or frass? The circles might be hair on the leaf?

and the brugmansia leaf that is starting to yellow and show signs of damage

the big yellow dot might be a scar? Dead bug I think to the left and bottom. The white dots might be due to spray residue (sulfur and pyrethrin)

a second or so later, there is a bug (spider mite) along the main rib and to the left of the yellow spot.

I have the lens as far down as I can go, unless I remove the protective hood.

I put this paper under it.

and this is what the paper looks like under the microscope.

On to better subjects.

the yellow blooming native azalea

Hydrangea from Lowe's in front of it with 3 or 4 different Alstroemeria around the hydrangea.

The variegated form is robust and has tall bloom stems. The other 2 or 3 are denser and have prettier flowers on short stems, BUT they are not as strong growing. UGH!

We had 6 original Loropetalums planted here. Last year was the second time I cut them back very hard. They do sucker out away from the mother plant which is good and bad. I will have to keep an eye on the ones I don't want.

a pic today..the water is shrinking..

I forget our frost date..April isn’t frost free..I saw this..we live on the west side but I doubt there’s much difference..I still leave the tender plants in until after the first week of May..

I don’t remember the crow in a Mark Twain book..

we’re blessed to have the means and time to garden to our heart’s content..try new plants and products..what a blessing..

awww sorry PAM didn’t stop the squirrels..

yes Indy is a great location to see the eclipse..

I didn’t go to the dealership to buy the mat..wasn’t necessary and I hate to spread germs..our new mat..I’m sure WeatherTech mats are nice..we’ve had Honda mats several times..they were good..

it was too cold, wet and muddy to go out..

the magnified insects make me cringe! 😩..in a perfect world all plants are insect free!..or more realistically the plants and their insects live outside year round..

I really do like the yellow azalea..

I feel better..I cough less but any coughing is aggravating..

It's always nice when the water dries up from the small ponds you don't want.

There are so many farmer's tales about frost dates. April 15th is what I heard when we moved here and that could be true, but early May can have some chilly mornings. In TN it is after May 1st or after Blackberry winter. I haven't seen any blackberries blooming yet, but then I try to keep any I see cut, hoed, and sprayed. Another tale is when the oaks leaf out and they are starting here. Mother Nature doesn't care for our predictions, she will always do what she wants to. HAHA!

I don't recall what book I read 60 years ago about the talking crow. It seemed like it was a pet and the book mentioned the split tongue.

I told my wife to spray the pole with PAM, too. She witnessed a squirrel leaping from the star magnolia to the top of the bird feeder pole, so maybe it grabs the pole first and used it to stay atop a slippery bell (the spray oil is probably gone by now).

I haven't followed all the news of the eclipse since it won't be near us. Enjoy the show! It is quite amazing how quick it happens and even more amazing how the astrophysicists have it figured out to the millisecond. I was wrong about the state that the last eclipse and this coming one crosses at. I think it was Illinois but will verify. Okay it is southern Illinois.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/makanda-illinois-eclipse-festival/

Anyway, here is my documentation of the last total eclipsed in middle TN. My big camera was set up on a tripod aimed at the sun with a strong filter on it. Except the camera wouldn't work before the big show. GRRR!

August 21, 2017 at Center Hill Lake - all ready for the big show

my oldest grandson was doing his viewing in the water. It is already getting dark.

You can see I didn't worry about the picture being level in this shot.

This is 2:35 in the afternoon. Don't ask me if this was CDT or EDT because I doubt I even corrected my timestamps on the camera back then.

2:36 PM

2:40

group photo op around 6 PM

The vendor mats look great. No sense in getting anything else. I've been 3 sets of seat protectors so far. My first set had the cords break that held the cover in place, so my wife got a new set which was not as nice and I complained about the fit and color. She ordered me a new set that fits much better and the color is to my liking (Red). I bought a leather steering wheel cover for my SUV as my old trucks steering wheels were subjected to my and mechanics sweaty, dirty hands. Over time, it will become apparent how everyday use takes a toll on the seats and steering wheel. Covers can be cleaned and/or replaced.

If the magnified insects make you cringe, then don't go view this video clips I put on my Google Drive. I just hope this link works.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wcw-RwW-a1a5ST6rSFHtUgGJNIo1MHX1?usp=sharing

If you don't get better in 10 days, you should seek medical attention. No sense in letting it go too long as it could develop into something much worse.

This caladium is about to open up. I want to move them all outdoors, but glad I didn't because the temp was 34 on our deck this morning.

Other pots have sprouted as well. I want to replace those original logo pots this year.

I took the lid off of this tray yesterday. I didn't know the tray had a bit of water in the tray (hard to see when it is up that high).

Cool seeds on my bleeding heart vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae)

Another chore to do - pot up all these starters. I had 4 different leaves (one of each) that I wedged. The only that hasn't sprouted yet is the beefsteak leaf. It looks like a couple of them are getting a tiny root now.

Here is an ugly tray that I have some begonia leaf cuttings, begonia seedlings, lots of fern seedlings (where do they all come from?), and 3 cuttings of florist's jasmine for a friend in MI. I have to put a dome on this due to the jasmine and ferns.

This is the only jasmine cutting that has roots outside the mesh. The other two are rooted but no visible roots outside the sleeve (yet).

I played with some photo editing this morning. Before editing

after selecting the bowl and begonias, then adding a new background under the selection (layers).

we’re not going to an eclipse event..too much work Ha!..there’s an event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway..huge attendance I bet..along with lots of traffic..

on a boat at a lake would be a great way to see an eclipse!..what a great memory..

I’m writing as I read..afraid to try the link and lose my comment..

I barely coughed today.. I’m better..

yeah the diva plants we love need warm temperatures don’t they?..

your basement is a marvel..so many fresh young plants..

I edit but nothing fancy..learning more about my phone camera is on my to do list 😂..

your link works..bums me out seeing insects..I’m sure I have insects too..exactly which ones I’m not sure..

my plants are taking off..pics yesterday and today..

ripped out the burning bush..

yellow and a white trout lily..

I threw out my leafless (dead) macrophylla..clipped the apparently dead stem tips off the one that lived..it has bad leaf color..it’s light deprived..but it’s outside again as of today..should help it..at some point I think it got too cold..the leaves have some puckering..I don’t intend to buy any big leaf hydrangeas ever again unless I move (unlikely)..

my fragrant viburnum..

Japanese painted fern..

I think I would stay home unless it was a small party of friends and family for the eclipse. It is a big buildup for a few minutes. I recall one long ago through Atlanta. I was downtown at the office and I didn't even go out on the street to observe it. It was not a total as I recall. I remember as a kid living in Puerto Rico where the class was led outside half an hour before the eclipse. We made a pinhole "camera" and our white sheet of paper to observe the eclipse. I was in 2nd through 4th grade when we lived there. I sure didn't know what was such a big deal about it back then.

We had fun at the lake that weekend. I think we spent 2 to 3 nights on the houseboat, went out for an evening dinner on the lake. Grandkids had a blast "tubing".

Just chilling the day before Eclipse day. Both daughters and my niece (blue float) chatting while the boy in the vest is my oldest grandson (he would've been 16 then).

A year later and my wife (red hair) is going out to wave board as a "retirement celebration" conceived by our youngest daughter and my wife's sister.

the owner's son showing how easy it is. HAHA!

My niece is doing pretty good getting up and going.

my wife getting instructions on the starting position by her niece

easy, right?

she almost made it a few times.

our grandson made it after a few tries

Yay, glad to hear you are a lot better. I talked to my mother last night and she said my sister is still sick after 8 days. She thinks she has COVID. They were anti-vaxxers, deniers, etc. I would get to the doctor ASAP and start the new medicine to lessen the effects of COVID.

Not all divas need warm temps, some require intense cold. I remember seeing Lilacs the size of small trees when we visited my sister in Bismarck, ND a long time ago. They also had beautiful white birches in some yards.

The basement is one of my outlets. It is good for my "hobby". I got two more plants from Etsy a short while ago. I got an email that said it had been delivered. I went out to the porch and didn't see any packages. My wife asked who the shipper was and I told her it was USPS. AHA! I went to the mailbox and retrieved a box that fit perfectly in the mailbox.

I don't think we will ever learn all the tricks on our smartphones today. My oldest daughter told me about a trick on my Samsung for taking group photos. I can use the stylus to trigger the shutter. I just set a timer on my last group photo so I could hurry to take a seat before the timer triggered the shutter. Samsung or Google (Android) just added some new features that I doubt I will be using anytime soon.

It is nice to see the actual bugs that make our plants look sick. Now I know what I am fighting. Unfortunately, I will never have a microscope to see viruses that may hit some of our plants.

What bushes am I looking at in your first 3 pictures. I think the red leaf ones are JMs, right? What plants is in the bottom left corner in your 3rd photo? The white daffodils are behind the mystery plants. I see you still have some standing water in your 4th photo. Do you have any bog plants? They would enjoy that spot. Poor little burning bush. I hoed under dozens of Nandina seedlings last week. We must stay ahead of the weedy plants.

Nice trout lilies. Reminds me of the ones at the park.

At least your surviving hydrangea looks good. If I ever moved, I would move to a tropical or subtropical place. I can always see cold weather plants online.

That is a nice looking viburnum. And your painted fern has a lot of promise. I bought 3 painted ferns probably 20 years ago and they haven't done a lot. Yet, I dig up seedlings in my mother's weedy lawn and transplant them to pots and they grew like weeds. I even have a volunteer under our deck stairs now. How did it get there?

My Etsy plants today.

I should've taken a picture before opening the box.

bagged and tagged for potting up later (today or tomorrow). We had our annual eye exams this morning, then to the recycle center since it was on the way home, then Walmart (another store on our way back home). My, how time flies when you're having fun.

African Hostas from a friend in our begonia club and a GW member in MI.

Did I show this already?

First shot at 1x power, this at 3x.

now 10x

our six azaleas in front of the front porch. The 3 large ones in back are George Taber or Tabor (I prefer Tabor, but I've seen it both ways).

I like the oddball sporadic blooms which reminds me of its cousin 'Formosa'. I wonder if that is how they get these different colors - sports!

Johnny Jump Ups look garish in full sun.

Pink Ruffles on the side yard.

the newest daffodils (from Costco)

eclipse day was perfect..73..dry and sunny..we had a great view..husband stood but I sat on a garden bench..lots of neighbors out..our quiet neighborhood was buzzing..people cheered..10 of my relatives (nephews, nieces and their kids) went to the racetrack..that’s too much work for us Ha!..

what great times at the lake!..

I’m fine..minimal coughing..

new plants for you is a daily occurrence!..Ha!..
I’m well enough to go to the garden center now..can’t wait to see what’s there..

I’ve used the 2x and 3x settings more lately for closeups..

there’s a mix of shrubs and trees in the photos..viburnums (several types), forsythia, burning bush, Japanese and Amur maples, and honeysuckle..dogwoods and hydrangeas aren’t leafed out..I think what you’re seeing is a honeysuckle..didn’t plant it..hate to lose the privacy so it’s still here..a shot from a different spot..

the water’s gone now..

I need to be more brutal and just rip out the plants that could someday be unwanted..my instinct is to save every plant..

yep a tropical climate or I’m not moving..

I can’t tell what I have until I clean up!..won’t be long until I’ll feel comfortable removing some debris..I was waiting until after the chance of frost..

your new plants traveled pretty well!..

hard for me to say “I’ve seen this begonia photo”..lol..I sometimes wonder..”did I already post this?”...not a big deal if we post a duplicate..

a friend offered free daffodils today..they’re yellow..we’re meeting Wednesday at Walmart or Lowe’s..no final decision yet which store..

I have hellebores popping up in lots of spots..one is practically in the middle of a smooth leaf hydrangea..I’m leaving both plants..the second hellebore photo is the clump growing next to the burgundy leaf burning bush that I ripped out..

‘Alice’..my big oakleaf hydrangea..

I have 2 possibly dead young trees..a black cherry? (volunteer) and a Kousa dogwood..both have dry, hard unopened buds 🙁..

a backyard shot..

top right corner behind the tree are doublefile viburnums..the parent plant and several volunteers/suckers? that I should move..

there’s so much to do here..

I bet you enjoyed the eclipse as you got to see the total darkness. I am trying to remember the song(s) that were played during the eclipse on the houseboat nearly 7 years ago. Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler? Seems like I had a song on my phone playing while a boom box had a radio station tuned in for all the dramatic moments (Totality something-something). Fun times.

That was interesting about the eclipse yesterday. We were watching a movie on Netflix (I was in and out of micro-naps) when the room got darker. My wife said that she didn't think it was supposed to rain today. I looked at my watch and saw it was a few minutes past 3 PM and then remembered that the eclipse was happening. We went out on the deck to observe the change in light levels. Within 10 minutes or so, everything returned to normal expectations of light levels.

Ah, I continue to challenge myself on new plants or new ways to grow plants. I saw that arbor at Sam's (for several years now) and thinking how I could incorporate that into the backyard (growing vines over it) and having some benches under it. I planted the crocosmia from Sam's and black lilies from Walmart yesterday. I didn't do the black hollyhocks due to 1 of the 2 plants was not there (did it rot completely away?) and the one viable root was half rotted. It was only $3.24 and I doubt I could find the receipt. It isn't the money, it's the principle. I may go buy some more green bags of it as I really wanted to grow some black hollyhocks. Oh well... I moved the five dahlia pots outside, fertilized them, and had my wife give them a drink. Only one plant had some growth (10 inches) already up (they've been in the garage without a drink for months).

Enjoy your shopping for new plants. It's always fun to see what is new and exciting.

Sometimes I use the longer lens to get closeups but typically I move the phone on top of the subject for close ups. I like to use the telephoto lens for subjects that are farther away.

What honeysuckle do you have? Is it a shrub or a vine?

Yay, the water is gone now. We had rain last night and this morning, but nothing heavy. It should help the bulbs we planted yesterday (black lilies and Crocosmia). I planted the florist azalea I bought last year after mother's day. I hope it grows in its new spot.

You are right on being more brutal ripping out unwanted plants. I wished I had done that much earlier than later.

I often let a plant grow to see what it is if I don't know it. Sometimes that is a huge mistake, even some I introduced such as purple perilla, Celosia Flamingo Feather (I've reduced it a lot over the years), Painter's Palette, winter grass, and other annuals that seed prolifically.

I doubt you or I will be moving to satisfy our gardening desire. I should've done it years ago if I was serious about growing tropical plants.

Some of the vendors want to sell a heat pack for the tender small plants they ship. I think one of the vendors, I had to verify that I would take the chance of shipping without a heat pack. Seems like this vendor was in Florida. Gee whiz, we are their next door neighbor. Surely it can arrive in a few days from shipping, right?

Free daffodils are always welcome, even if they are the most common ones out there. It's hard to beat "free". Why at a public place instead of your home or their home? If they are a stranger, then I can understand.

That is how hellebores spread - a seed is moved by animals or birds and it starts to grow. The next thing is they are all over the yard and the neighbors' yards. I wouldn't consider them invasive, but they are prolific seed makers.

That is a shame your Kousa dogwood died. I wished mine was in a sunnier spot so it would bloom. My neighbor's weed trees have blocked the sun a lot for the dogwood and it is too large to move.

I've heard black cherry (beside the song) over the years, but am not certain exactly what are the things to look at to ID it. My daughter has a wild cherry in her yard and I can see the qualifying marks of the bark as a cherry tree, BUT the blooms are in whorls unlike our ornamental cherries (Okame, Yoshino, and Kwanzan) that have clusters of flowers. To confuse the issue is I have a volunteer tree that I would say is related the wild cherry except the bark is different and the leaves are glossy and evergreen.

I haven't ID'ed it yet, but I think it is an Cherry Laurel of some sort.

If you move a shrub or a tree, it is best to do it when they are very young. Lots of digging and the weight of moving a good sized young tree puts a lot of stress on the body and the plant. I dug up some good sized crepe myrtles and one of our 3 Okame cherry trees. A lot of work.

Some pictures this morning from the deck using the big camera. I have some blurry photos that shouldn't be. I may have turned off my IS on my lens, so I need to check that.

The big Chinese viburnum is bowing from the big clusters and the rain.

volunteer double file viburnum is blooming now

The big JM

The Weigela looks bare this year. Maybe it needs a hard shearing to make it produce more limbs for next year?

The hellebore patch.

I had a funny accident this morning. I was making my egg, bacon, and cheese biscuits. I had the biscuits in the oven and decided to get the other items out of the refrigerator so I would be ready to cook those to coincide with the biscuits coming out. I got my precooked bacon out from the deli drawer, my egg out of the egg container, and went back to the deli drawer to get a piece of American cheese out. I was holding the egg in my right hand, the bacon in my left, and thought I can just grab the cheese while holding the egg in the same hand. I put too much pressure on the egg and it cracked open and spilled into the drawer. I could've just cleaned up the mess and get another egg out, but I decided to take the drawer out and pour the egg into a bowl instead. I took all the items out of the drawer and tilted the drawer towards the bowl. I had to use my index finger to scrape most of the yolk into the bowl. Oh well, the drawer probably needed a good cleaning anyway.

Broken egg (I had already taken the bacon package out)

recovered the egg

And the leftover mess.

I’m glad that I had the eclipse experience..I was in the right place at the right time!..you played the perfect song during your eclipse party 👍..

my first trip to Lowe’s in 2024!..was fun to see the garden center open and stocked..I didn’t see anything I had to have today..

that’s an invasive “bush” honeysuckle..heard it called that..it was here when I moved in..I’ve pulled lots of small volunteers..and removed several big ones..the neighbor in back has them too..I feel kind of guilty but I need the screening..

ever heard this..the best time to pull a weed is when you see it..could apply to an unwanted seedling too..

I think we’re both content enough that even if we never move so be it..👍

agree that a heat pack seems unnecessary now..

we met at Lowe’s because it’s closer for both of us rather than either one of us making the trip to our houses..I’ve been to his home..he’s been to mine..it was fun to look at Lowe’s with a fellow plant geek..he bought a plant unfamiliar to me..he said the name but I didn’t catch it..I intended to look at the tag but got distracted..was hardy here..full sun..fleshy kind of elongated leaves (succulent?) with a lantana type bloom..kind of echeveria? like..I looked at the Monrovia website and didn’t find it..I think it was a Monrovia plant..I’ll ask him..

the new daffodils in the compost bin..

for now I like the prolific spreading of hellebores..

I hope my Kousa survives..but it looks dead..😩..

not positive that I have a wild cherry but a neighbor suggested it..it’s very nondescript..nothing memorable about it..it doesn’t bloom..

we’ve moved big shrubs successfully..it IS hard work..

what a crazy story!..that’s a lot of trouble to save an egg!..😜
I bet the next time you’ll put the egg down then get whatever else you need!..

A total eclipse is a cool phenomenon to see. I'm glad you didn't have cloud cover. At my mother's place, it was cloudy so no chance of seeing any effect of the eclipse. That's the breaks. The nice thing is all the photos online and videos in the news and entertainment on TV. I doubt I would travel very far to see an eclipse in the future.

Isn't it nice when you can breeze through a garden center and leave empty handed? I think that comes with experience (what works and what doesn't or the appeal has changed over the years). It has been a few weeks since I stopped at a Lowe's. I should try to get there before May to see if there is anything new.

I don't know what kind of bush honeysuckle you have. I bought the winter honeysuckle and I don't see it spreading much (roots or seedlings). It continues to grow so I trim it back hard every 3 years or so. The fragrance is intoxicating in Jan/Feb.

It's your yard and you can grow what you want. I wouldn't feel guilty (unless it spreads to your neighbors' yards, then just a little bit guilty).

Well, I agree with that saying about the best time to pull a weed is when you see it. Often, I mean to get back to a weed but then forget about it until a couple of weeks later.

There is no perfect place in the world, so make the most of the place you live at and make it better for yourself and others.

I think I had a heat pack in the early years of mail orders as I didn't know how long it would take to ship or what the weather would be like. If in doubt, put the order off a little later. I've shipped cuttings to folks around the states in winter. As long as the box is not going to stay outdoors overnight in winter, it is usually safe. I sent a box to a woman in Turkey. She never received it. After about six weeks I get the same box returned to me, beaten but half the plants are still alive. They were all succulents. I put the survivors in a big pot of bamboo (yeah, I had 3 pots of bamboo long ago) and they rooted in. She said try sending the plants again in a bubble envelope and make it look like it is a birthday gift. I did and she received it after two weeks. WOW!

Oh yes, it is fun to go plant shopping with another avid gardener (or a pack of them). I doubt an Echeveria would be hardy in Indiana, let alone in Georgia. I could be wrong. If it was a sedum, then it can be hardy. The botanists have moved some or a lot of sedums to another family - Hylotelephium. I'm still going to call them sedums.

Oh no, are you composting your new daffodils? Just kidding. They should love it there until you find their new permanent spot. I heard that if you dig daffodils at the wrong time, that they will not bloom again. I don't believe that, but I have seen where they may not bloom for a few years after a transplant.

At least Hellebores are easier to get rid of if need be. The seedlings are easily pulled up or hoed under.

My Kousa has leafed out, but I doubt it will bloom. Maybe I should try air layering some limbs this year.

Does your wild cherry have cherry-like bark? No blooms doesn't help on the ID. The bark and leaves are the only thing you have to go on right now. Has it ever oozed any sap? That is usually another trait of cherries - the gum like sap. I ran my unknown laurel looking tree through Google lens, and they suggested Bay Laurel. It looks right, but I had no idea it got that big and was hardy here.

I moved some big azaleas at the last house and they all survived. I moved several shrubs from the last house to here with the JM and the blue deodar cedar being dropped in place (they were burlapped) and they both took root and still alive and well after 20 years.

Yeah, I thought no one would believe that egg story so I took a few photos for evidence. I also dropped an egg on the tile floor a few weeks ago. I was not going to use it. My first dropped egg on the floor after 50+ years of being an adult. There is always a first time for everything? Maybe old age is catching up to me.

Caladiums are coming on fast.

My tallest cane of Cracklin' Rosie died back half way. Oh well, a chance for a new cane to become the tallest.

East Gate is going for another light source in this pot.

This trug I left outside is full of rain water but it isn't from direct rain. It must be off the roof or gutter. The yellow ring is from pine pollen (usually we see two weeks of yellow pollen and yellow rivers after a rain in spring).

Bleeding Hearts (both varieties)

Weigela up close.

The little hosta in the original pot (rooted to the ground)

Greater or common Mullein.

First clematis bloom this year

Lithodora (I planted 3 two years ago and only one survived our hot, dry summers)

I was hoping it would spread faster than it has.

Ground level of the big viburnum - you can see the smaller blooms on the old fashioned behind this monster.

My sister thought it was a hydrangea. I can see why she thought that.

the smaller old fashioned snowballs (I have 3 or 4 bushes I started with cuttings a few years ago)

My wife wishes the yellow blooming azalea was in the front or immediate back because she never knew it was there in the past. I told her she needs to wander around the house more often.

I shot both of these over the fence with the 3x setting. It was muddy to venture close to it.

I have a long story about this plant. I bought it from WFF 30 years ago or longer. I gave my mother a piece after mine grew into a good clump at the last house. When we moved here I brought a small clump for myself. Five years later we had the worst flood in our area since we lived in GA. The next spring this plant and my brugmansias did not come back (I took cuttings of the brugs, so I was good on it). Anyway, I got a clump from my mother's several times and it would die over winter. It was really bugging me - was it too dry, too wet, what? I read up on it and found it loves water. So, it has been in this trug for 3 years now. I think I will plant it out this spring and hope it survives winters. I also found out how to propagate easily. Wow, never knew how to propagate it other than division. Oh, the plant is giant variegated reed or Arundo donax variegata.

My hardy water lily barrel is overcrowded and needs rejuvenation. The sedum around it is by accident. I think my weed whacking the bed a few feet away must've sent some pieces of sedum flying and some rooted in the cracks of the flagstone. The rest is history. I put the fence up around it to keep Rufus from drinking the nasty water. Dogs!

Bird's nest spruce with new soft needles. The Asian Jasmine must be cut every year to keep the bush from being shaded out.

Earlier yesterday

Heuchera

Deodar cedar I dug up at the last house 20 years ago and dropped it in its current spot.

Johnny Jump Ups look better after the rain and an overcast sky.

Azalea George Tabor blooms are heavy with dew/rain.

Pink Ruffles (big plants) and Mildred (small plant to the left and purple looking)

ferns by the big JM in front of the dining room windows

3 different ferns (all volunteers)

we really were in one of the best locations for the eclipse..👍

knowledge and experience makes a big difference when shopping at a garden center..
native plant advocates have a way of making you feel guilty..for now my non natives are staying..my honeysuckle..

I’m surprised the package going to Turkey made it back..lost forever seems more likely..

a photo of the plant tag of the plant my friend bought yesterday..it was a nice one..some info I found about it..I sent him these screenshots..

even if the daffodils don’t bloom well the first season I’ll enjoy the leaves..

I looked at the “dead” dogwood today..I think the dark buds had a hint of green..I wondered if the buds have a sheath? that will split to reveal leaves..no idea if this is correct..hope so..

never noticed any sap on the wild cherry..I should take a pic and try a plant app..I have 4 Kousas..planted all of them..none have ever bloomed..🙁

I’ve probably dropped an egg but don’t remember where and when..

I have an unorganized collection of bulbs, tubers, rhizomes etc..some unplanted..some still in pots..on my to do list when May comes..

you do have lots of plants with a history..they came from a friend, relative, neighbor etc..or from a former home..I enjoy the plants that were gifts..

the viburnum bloom definitely resembles a hydrangea bloom..

I went to Menards before I went to Costco today..they’re not fully stocked..I saw several customers with bowls of Johnny Jump Ups in their carts..didn’t buy anything..was fun to look..

looking forward to May..we have days of rain ahead..the standing water will be back..

my celandine has several buds now..when they open I’ll clean up and take a picture..

It's nice when a total eclipse passes over one's area to enjoy at home or close by. It is such a short show and a very long time before another one happens in the same area. I bet the astro guys have the next few hundred years all mapped out.

I used to spend hours at a garden center when I started gardening. Now I can go through a center in a few minutes. I used to visit new nurseries on my way home from a job. If I saw the same old boring things when I made a stop, I would scratch that nursery off my list of "Don't bother stopping here".

If we banned every non-native plant, we'd be in a world of hurt, especially when it comes to food. There has to be exceptions to the non-native plants. I like the smell of Japanese honeysuckle and have known it since I was a pre-teen living in Maryland. We used to pick a flower, pull the stamen out of the flower and taste the sweet nectar on our tongues. I forgot how to do it and had to make sure my memory served me correctly. Here is a video on how to do it. Always good to show kids how to do this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx4MHhMvq3g

Not only did the package to Turkey return to me six weeks later, but that I could nurture some of the survivors for a few weeks and send them back to the same woman successfully is truly astonishing.

Ah, good old Lewisia (named after Lewis and Clark, as I recall). Clark had a plant named after him as well, Clarkia. I tried both, but Lewisia does not do well in the south. I hope your friend has better luck in Indiana. What I read about it is it needs to be fairly dry during winter.

What, you will enjoy the leaves of daffodils? Most folks can't wait for daffodil leaves to dry up and go away after blooming. If only wild onions appealed to us.

It seems like your Kousa would start leafing out by now. I think mine is full out the last time I looked. Scratch the bark on a limb to see if there is any green. Flex a small limb to see if it is limber or if it breaks. Sure signs of dead OR alive.

Take a picture of the suspect wild cherry's bark and leaves (they should be out by now) and blooms if there were any. Run it through Google Lens (you must use Chrome though as far as I know).

I have one Kousa that might've bloomed years ago when I had cut the neighbor's trees down (my mistake on not knowing where the borders were at the time. I showed you my mother's two Kousa trees were loaded with blooms last year. She is thinking about having one of them cut down. I would prefer to cut the big pecan and maple trees down instead.

I remember as a kid (5th or 6th grade) and my friends had found one egg in the neighborhood. It may have been a duck egg, but will never know. It seems like we tried cracking it open (my memory is hazy) but it would not break. I applied pressure between both palms and finally it broke. I had egg splattered on my hands, arms, maybe my face, and clothes. It smelled like the proverbial rotten egg (sulfur smell). Lesson learned the hard way. I should have just thrown it on a road or driveway. Fun times!

I thought I had not planted the canna, but looking at the bags and labels, it appears it is gone. Now where did we plant it? Time will tell.

May is right around the corner. I want to start spreading some seed I've had for years and hope a lot of it is still viable. Good intentions oft go astray?

It's a good way to connect with the past - I remember more about plants as gifts than other meaningless gifts of "junk". I cannot find a better name than junk at this time. Some of the junk will sit on shelves for years or in a drawer or closet. I may remember who gave me the gift when I see it again. I got a lot of garden art stuff from one of my sisters. Most of it is in the back of the basement today. I can also remember some of the plants I've given away and to whom. The phone camera comes in handy for memories and I should document those times better.

I wonder how the botanists distinguish a viburnum from a hydrangea as some of the blooms look very similar.

Looking is always free and fun. I took some photos of a few plants at our local Walmart yesterday. I was looking for sphagnum moss and orchid bark and they had neither. I got my last moss pole kits and pots yesterday from Amazon and want to start making some pots with poles for my philodendrons and pothos today.

We had rain overnight and a small hard rain a few minutes ago. Luckily no thunderstorms. We bought some dog pills for anxiety at Walmart yesterday and gave Rufus two last night. We slept in to 6:20 this morning. The first hike back after my wife's surgery may have helped in that regard.

Anyway, rain is always welcome until it becomes too much for too long.

Your celandine looks nice. What are the weeds around it? Is that cardamine (bittercress) or maybe some kind of galium (bedstraw)? I hate bittercress as it goes to seed so quickly. It is easy to pull up but the seeds pop from the tiny capsules on any disturbance where they wait a year to start the cycle all over again.

Walmart yesterday. The rex begonia was interesting but too big for me to buy.

Our first hike since ??? White native azalea (they smell so sweet)

pink native azaleas

new observation deck (narrow stairway)

pink azaleas from this deck (middle of the picture)

10x - blurry but enough to get the idea. I didn't want to carry any heavy camera and lens on our first outing.

second deck

They replaced the old wooden bench with a metal one and put a gravel area around this new addition. Seems like they should've added a few more benches.

a new stone stairway to the canal (that powered the waterwheel back in the Civil War days)

This was the only trout lily I saw yesterday. This area usually has dozens (maybe hundreds) out. Did they all recede or did the park service remove them or what.

another addition to get down to the canal in a safer manner.

This was a nice replacement for the older deck they had.

The scene from the deck (above)

I see I wasn't level when I snapped this picture.

They replaced the old wooden fence with this new wooden one. The older one was as good or better than this replacement. On the other side of the fence is where all the trout lilies used to be. Ruins straight ahead and fenced off for safety. You can pay to get inside with a park ranger along for guidance on what you can do or not.

This is the biggest project that they added. Much better than what was here.

New staircase to the shoreline. Much better.

lots of twists and turns though.

rattlesnake ferns (I can remember the common name)

I like the ruggedness of this old pine tree which has seen better years.

10x power again.

I am pretty sure this is a Grancy Greybeard on the other side in bloom. It is a wonderful native small tree in bloom. Very fragrant.

climbing back up, I shot where we had just come from.

just a few more flights to go!

back to the big deck

and a final sit down

The final 3 plants I am expecting sometime today (out for delivery)

I still have many I want to get, but I need to pot up some of my begonia starters and start my moss poles ASAP for my bigger philodendrons and pothos.

my cousins, siblings and I did the same thing with honeysuckle blooms as a child in NC at my grandparents!..

only a plant addict would rehabilitate returned damaged plants and reship them!..

Lewisia is a new one to me..haven’t seen it in any gardens..this makes me think it could be difficult..

after a drab winter I welcome new green leaves..if the daffodil blooms start slow it won’t bother me..

I should know soon if my Kousa is a goner..

too nasty today to walk back to get a pic of the wild cherry..

I understand when you talk about gifts that ultimately turn to “junk”..I told my sisters and Mom years ago “don’t buy me anything”..

I guess after studying plants in detail a botanist recognizes every trait and knows what plant is what..

I’ve seen anti anxiety prescriptions for dogs when I worked at CVS..

I think you’re correct about the weeds by my celandine..I won’t ever be weed free..I can live with that..I’ll remove what I can and be happy that some are gone..

the decks and stone stairs look nice..wish they’d come to my house and work!..those were big projects..

I like the dark foliage alocasia?..

I went to Menards on my way to Costco yesterday..they’re not fully stocked yet..I thought the prices were high..the Boston ferns were $3 higher than Lowe’s..

rained all night last night and a little today..the water’s back..a pic from 10:30 and then one at 4..the water went down a little..

The things we did as kids, right? Honeysuckles, bike riding, kickball, tag, etc.

Huh? I guess I need some context on your plant addict statement. Ah, it just came to me - you were talking about the plants to and from Turkey. Got it!

I think I tried Lewisia in the distant past, but it didn't survive our hot, wet summers as I recall. I think this plant is from the colder areas of the states as I recall.

I hope you don't count dandelion greens as welcoming. HA!

There will be lots of days to get a pic of your wild cherry. I saw that your backyard looked pretty flooded. You need some mud boots when that happens.

I'd rather get money than some knick-knack. I've gotten some weird stuff over the years that goes into my closet that will never see the light of day again. I should just donate it to some charity and hope they can sell it for $5.

I do think a botanist should be up to snuff on most every plant in their region and then some. I'm a hobbyist and know a lot of plants, but also smart enough to claim ignorance on things that don't interest me.

You worked for CVS? I bet that kept you on your feet most of the time.

Ah, weeds will always be here. Not a huge deal until they take over an area. I do get tired of pulling and hoeing and spraying. I need to spray again today, but it is so windy that it will have to wait another day for the wind to die down.

I hope the park service fixed some dangerous parts of the trail, but I think what I posted is the extent of it. They had these areas closed down for six months.

I hope the dark leaf alocasia is a winner. It looks like a rugosa with thicker leaves. I have not received my final order that includes that alocasia.

It never hurts to look for the newest plants and prices. Some plants are high while others are low. I got a few plants at HD yesterday when I went for sphagnum moss and orchid bark (they didn't have the bark). I got a petunia, two sempervivums, a purple passion plant, and a rabbit foot fern.

Is that normal for your yard to flood like that? We have a few holes (made by Rufus) that will hold water for a bit. The dry stream bed we had put in would channel a lot of storm water away, but the rainwater has found a new channel beside the stream bed which makes no sense. Fortunately, the runoff is gone in a day or less.

We took Rufus to the vet yesterday and it was raining hard on the way over there. When I took him back to the car after his six month checkup, this is what the parking lot and skies looked like.

Some more Dutch tulips were blooming when we got home.

Home Depot later in the day (petunias)

Alstroemeria

Sempervivums in strawberry pots.

Coleus looked like it has been picked over alreay

succulents

Fuchsia and New Guinea Impatiens

one gallon sized JMs were $20

I think these are five gallon for $114 (too expensive for me)

Nice rhododendrons, but I am done with losing rhododendrons. One guy had two big yellow blooming rhododendrons that he said were marked down to $40 from $60. Apparently they didn't ring up that way, because as I was looking these over he came back out and grabbed the sign showing that he was right.

before we headed to Costco and Walmart a short while ago, I was in the backyard with Rufus' first visit outdoors. He can hold his bladder for 12 hours or more. OUCH!

The big viburnum with the morning sun behind it.

Weigela

Sedum

getting ready to bloom

some of the flying dragon orange trees with one that is a lot bigger than the rest of them

still has some vicious thorns

the ginger I dug up from a friend's house last month(?)

two Arborvitae bushes that are now pushing into each other. The Abelia on the right needs to be propped up again next to the fence.

I think we had wonderful childhoods!..safe..simple..lots of time outside..

I removed a few dandelions today..I didn’t always get the entire root..grrr

I avoid walking in the water..a pic taken today..

money always works for a gift 👍..

I know my own plants..and more than most people probably..but there are a million plants that I don’t know!..

CVS was the busiest most interesting job that I ever had..a pharmacy student helped us when school was out..she said “I can’t believe the pace here”..it’s nonstop..I worked there part time for almost 5 years..I’ve been to quite a few stores..I helped a few times at one of the largest stores..there were so many people working there I counted them..12!..3 pharmacists and 9 technicians..and all of us were busy!..

unfortunately the topography directs the water our way..we don’t have a basement..so glad that we don’t need to worry about a wet basement..

love the small JMs..just like you $114 is more than I would pay for the 5 gallon JM..

a pic of the dogwood..I see green on the buds 👍..

I used a plant app for the “cherry” tree picture..the app said cherry!..most of the branches have no buds or leaves..I saw some green on a few lower branches..took a photo but it was worthless..too fuzzy..are those cherries on the right?..I’ve never had fruit on that tree..maybe that was the first time?..

I worked on weeds and debris along the driveway using my garden seat..I didn’t want to walk or sit on my wet soil and compact it..

Each generation has their own memories - good and bad. We thought we were safe, but we were naive. We certainly had it simple compared to today's youth. My four year old granddaughter operates the TV remote (Roku?) with ease. My mother can't even operate the smart TV we got her for Christmas.

You should get the Japanese knife (well a modified version of it) from Fiskars. I bought one last year on sale (50% off) at Walmart. I find it very effective for weeding. It is sharp so be careful if you do get it.

We hiked yesterday and had to walk across or through some puddles. That is what boots are for.

Money is always rewarding. I usually hoard it until a good time comes for spending it. I thought gift cards were a good way to force people to use it at a store, while my dad preferred to give cash. I told him that a lot of people will buy gas or a fast burger with it. His reply was that is what is for - use it for the best reason, not necessarily a gift that gets put in a closet. Hmm, guess both ways work?

I looked up some plants this morning from my old stock and found one out of three. The other two were some kind of philodendron, but the search results were not conclusive. So, I will continue to look for the best results in the future.

You had 12 people working the pharmacy at the same time? Or was this in shifts? Usually our CVS is 3 people behind the counter at one time.

Our CVS in Target is often busy and other times, I may be the only one standing there and have to wait for a few minutes before someone waits on me. I understnad that they may be filling in some data, but can't they put that on hold for 1 minute since I usually only go in to pickup filled orders? They know us there, so I will give them credit for keeping up with the usual customers.

If you had a basement, then the house should have some kind of drains installed to handle flooding. Usually a house is built above the surrounding ground and waterproofed somewhat. If it still floods, then French drains sounds like the next step. Our neighbors across the street are all on a slab even though they are on a hill. I don't know where the builder put in their septic tanks as the backyards seem small compared to ours.

I don't even know if those were 5 gallon JM, but they had 2 or 3 gallon pots for $69 if I recall correctly.

Is that your Kousa dogwood? If so, it looks alive. Mine is completely leafed out but I doubt it will have a bloom.

I don't think those are cherries on the tree. The one in the middle looks like a dead fish - upside down. HA! The other one looked like a huge blob on my phone, but on my computer it looks like a sea urchin (bleached somewhat). Too large to be any kind of fruit on a cherry tree, don't you think?

I don't blame you for not wanting to sit on wet soil or even kneel in wet soil. Not so much for compacting the soil, but for getting wet knees or butt.

I watered the basement plants yesterday morning, went on a 2.4 mile hike after lunch, and got my orchid bark potting soil at the other Home Depot before going to Publix to get my Sunday paper (early edition). Then I worked outdoors for a couple of hours moving the clippings from the messes I've made to the back of the lot. My wife wants to get a new chipper now. Wow! We saw a shed by Gorilla (is this the same company that makes glue and tape?) at Costco. They seem a bit higher than the ones from Home Depot.

Today I will move some of the larger plants outdoors and continue picking up my brush piles.

The coral bells continues to grow.

Somewhat interesting veining. There are prettier colors, but this one has proved to be quite hardy.

our local home depot (smaller than our usual go to store)

The park replaced both sides of the bridge with new fortified ramps and the boards on the metal bridge.

turtles are out with the beautiful weather

so are the cinnamon ferns

the ruins from the other side of the creek/river

red buckeyes

waiting on me to get done with my picture taking

looking downstream

back to the emerging cinnamon ferns and Jack in the pulpit - they don't look as impressive this year as years in the past.

what is amazing is how fast the fertile fronds come out (the cinnamon)

most of the green stuff are Jack in the pulpit seedlings. Some are even blooming, but the giants are just starting to come up.

Back in the morning, the basement continues to demand care

This is one of my mystery plants (I thought it was a Homalomena, but Google thinks it is some kind of philodendron).

caladiums are coming on fast

Here is another mystery - I know it is some kind of philodendron but which one.

2 different philodendrons. The small leaf one is Micans as I recall. Very sensitive to cold so I try to bring it in first in the fall.

.

The calathea in the middle looks droopy in this photo. This is one that our neighbor put on our porch last year for our 50th anniversary. I water it when it gets this droopy.

I found the name of this cute succulent using Google Lens. It is Kalanchoe humilis.

the African hostas need new pots (dividing really)

oak leaf fern

What to do with these overachievers?

Bottlebrush buckeye is spreading by running its long limbs on the ground.

Celandine poppy and money plant (the money plant seems anemic back here)

Autumn fern (I think) or some other fern that looks similar. Japanese anemone are running across this small area.

I first thought they were blackberry vines, but no thorns and the leaves look different. I remembered then what it was.

Star of Bethlehem is blooming now. This was the showiest of the bunch back around the compost bins. Lots of weeds as well.

even back then my mother was over protective but I felt safe compared to now..

I have a narrow hand trowel that I like for weeding..I’d like to see a hori hori knife in person to compare it to my trowel..

yes 12 people working in the pharmacy at the same time..we usually had 5 in our store..unless they’re on the phone they should help you..

the Kousa is alive..the cherry could be!..it has more buds today..yes I agree..the dried fruits? don’t seem like cherries..that one does look like a fish!!!..a good eye to spot that..I saw it in person and missed it..

I went to Home Depot too..the begonia wasn’t large enough for $15..I like the ficus but didn’t want to buy anything that I can’t put out now..

this cordyline was on the bottom shelf..moved it for the pic then put it back..pretty but I’m not ready..

I like the philodendron with long narrow leaves..

the photo of the variegated begonia leaves is pretty..

makes me tired just thinking about moving your plants Ha!..

you said “lots of weeds as well”..my weeds are overwhelming..and I’m out more than 99% of the neighbors..

saw these free pots on Nextdoor..5 mins from my house so I got them..

1 of 2..

2 of 2..
pics today..hosta and coneflowers by my mailbox..

a peony..see the buds?..

have 4 bananas coming up..they don’t grow well for me..the bananas of my neighbors are 10? 15? feet tall..mine are 3? feet..maybe too much shade?..

a crow waiting his turn..alocasia in the kitchen..

I’m getting some green up high..

the water is almost gone..

We walked to school or rode our bike until the school was too far away and had to take a bus. Kids don't know the evils in the world. We were describing some older kids smoking (what?) to our mother. It scared her to death that they may be smoking marijuana. WHOA! I think we had to change our route after that. There are many things worse than that.

I can see how a trowel (for masons?) would work for weeding. The trowel for gardens is too thick for a good weeder IMO. I lost or misplaced my favorite hand hoe. It came in a set with a case that could double as a seat for weeding (Sam's Club long ago). That was my favorite tool out of the entire set (loppers, pruners, mini-rake, trowel, and a 3 prong cultivator as I recall). The hoe itself was worth the price.

I wonder if the price of labor today has cut down on staffing at places like CVS. There is usually only 3 behind the counter - it is just a pharmacy inside our local Target store. I may have seen 4 or 5 before COVID.

Maybe your mystery tree will bloom soon and you can get some photos of the blooms. I barely noticed our Kousa the last two days despite all the trips with a wheelbarrow past it (to and from the brush pile). I know it is full of leaves, but the space between limbs is quite airy. Reaching for the light, I suppose.

I wouldn't pay $15 for that begonia either. Someone may, but it won't be us.

Is this a new intro Ficus tree? What was your feeling about it?

That is a very narrow leaf Cordyline. I've seen them before and was confused if it was a Cordyline or a Dracaena. They look so similar in habit.

My wife wants me to get rid of a lot of my pots. I told her the older, ugly plastic pots can go. Then any pots that are broken or chipped can also go. The rest of them need a good look to see if I want to keep them or donate them. I used six old plastic pots today when I changed pots on my six smallest caladiums (original pots and Monrovia pots that I probably used over the ugly logo pots). I moved all my caladiums outside after supper. The ponytail palm, the Cordyline, Banana tree (small stature and a small pot), my double flowering brugmansia, Persian Shield, Amazon lily, and the tree philodendron. I may have moved out a couple of other plants but i can't see them in my mind. It's a start. Looking for shade until they get acclimated some.

This morning

George Tabor azaleas. Notice the brown spot in the foreground?

our new lawn service did worse than our old service. It looks dead. WHY do they do this. It was blooming so nice this year, too.

This is on the 7th and starting to yellow then.

On the 1st, it looked green. GRRR! I need to chew out the new lawn service. We have a new pest service coming tomorrow. I didn't want to, but I got my arm twisted.

Anyway, back to this morning. The J-J-U look good (guess they didn't spray it)

Close up of George Tabor.

First bearded iris to bloom

Noticed this at the mailbox. It got smothered out last year from the overbearing Persian Shield. I cannot believe it survived the winter temps of 5 to 8 degrees back in January for 2 to 3 nights. Common name - million bells, botanical name is Calibrachoa.

Grass is greening up.

I had a dead battery today. I got jumped using my wife's car (Hybrid) with her battery located in the trunk. While I got it started, the hatch had to be opened and closed manually. I ran it around the subdivision, parked and turned it off in the driveway. It wouldn't start. I decided to wait until tomorrow to take it back to Auto Zone. I think the battery is a lemon.

Formosa is not going to put on a good show this year.

My new petunia from HD. It will probably go back at the mailbox or a giant pot.

the yellow azalea is starting to drop its blooms. It was great this year.

First dahlia is up and going.

big leaf hydrangea

3 of the ugliest pots I had caladiums in for years.

I reused the pots I bought from Walmart years ago. A little bleach to clean with, a coffee filter to hold the soil in somewhat, a fresh layer above the old root mass, and a covering of broken shards to deter rodents from digging. I did six pots (all were the smallest) and I moved 14 pots of caladiums outside.

At least the writing was still very legible despite the number of years that have flown by.

No name on the pot above, but this one has the name of the plant - Peppermint Caladium. Upside down stake.

Get a load of this kid's new, radical haircut.

And these syngoniums are pretty cool.

This last one is S. 'Mojito'

a pic of my favorite hand tool..the one with the olive green handle..I noticed it’s reflecting my orange shirt and the silver metal looks discolored but it actually isn’t..I bought the small lime green tool at Big Lots last Sunday..originally .99 but everything was 20% off so .79..😂
might be useful..
time to get to work outside..will write when it’s dark..

the narrow blade of my tool is kind of similar to a hori hori knife..

most businesses need more help..🙁

I think both trees that I thought were dead have survived!..I’ll post pictures when they have leaves..

I thought the ficus was pretty..it reminds me of your Gloriosum..

loved the burgundy color of the “spike” whatever it is..was labeled cordyline 🤷‍♀️..

I was proud of myself for NOT looking at pots at Lowe’s, Menards, Home Depot, or Big Lots..I used to always look..

we have mid 30’s coming..I’m waiting until May to move plants out..

how terrible that a lawn service killed your plants!!..will you ask for compensation?..I would..what a shame..if you replant will the soil damage the new plants too?..

the striped petunia is striking..I never look at petunias..I figure they’d hate it here..

I agree with your wife..you have some pots that can go 😂..the caladiums will be prettier in a simple plastic pot instead of the grower’s pot..cute name Peppermint caladium..

clever haircut but ugh..too unique for me..

agree the syngoniums are cool..

we had a visitor today..husband took the photos..I was in back but didn’t know the fox was there..husband comes to the back door of the garage and motions to come..the fox left the deck but went along the back of the lot in our direction so we got a good look as it left..so cute how they trot..

going with my sisters to my aunt’s tomorrow to see my cousin that’s here from Kansas City..we’ll have fun..I get a break from the garden and my husband 😜..

I meant to take a picture of my two multiple use hand tools. Both are Fiskars. The hand hoe I really liked is nowhere to be found. It will show up one day. Anyway here are some examples of all 3 tools.

I guess you won't have any regrets on your 79 cent trowel when it breaks.

Yay, I am glad to hear both of your trees survived. Time will always tell.

I don't know how they tell the difference between Dracaena and Cordyline at times. Blooms?

Yay, good on you for not looking at pots when you go to the store these days. I bypass them all unless I want a specific type, color, size to go with a plant in mind. I have so many spare pots to choose from today.

BRRR! Mid-30's coming your way is not good (for me). I know that we will get one more cool (hopefully not cold) spell coming. I moved out dozens of plants so far and plan on doing more today and the days to come.

I called TruGreen yesterday and told them about the problem. They are supposed to be back out here in a few days. I told the operator that I wanted for the worker to RING the doorbell this time. I want to point out the damage he or they did.

If you have any sunny spots, then petunias would do wonderful for you. Pot or in the ground. I am planning on getting more this spring for the mailbox, side yards, and some pots.

I hope we won't see an invasion of those haircuts around town. I know some folks like a little style to their haircut, but this was TOO much.

Wow, that is so cool to see a fox at your back door. And getting a photo of it too is double the fun. What is on the deck? Crumbs? All wildlife is under relentless pressure to eke out an existence. I don't see a good solution to people and the rest of nature surviving together. I saw that New Zealand-Tasmania is trying to recreate the Tasmanian tiger through genetics. Those animals were hunted to extinction, much like our own wildlife in the states.

That sounds wonderful about your trip to see your cousin and taking a break from gardening and your husband. HAHA!

We have a garage door opener guy coming sometime today to work on the openers - the main side binds at times, so I spray WD-40 on the rollers - not the thing to do but it works. The other side needs some kind of adjustment because it will not open. I can unlock the traveler and lock it back in place, then it will open. It is rare that I don't have to do this to open the door. GRRR!

I did my first moss pole yesterday with those plastic folding sheets. It wasn't too difficult and I see some of the YouTube experts that prefer it to the wire mesh ones (those do seem more labor involved and I can see the moss drying out quicker than the plastic ones that are sealed on the backside).

Some pictures.

The yellow azalea is still going on strong.

I may have to start killing all my wisteria if this is an indication of what to expect.

the big viburnum

the smaller viburnums (old fashioned snowball bushes - 3 of them) They produce a lot of suckers from the ground.

one in the corner

the middle one and I am not even going to try for the other one on the end (it may be the biggest of the 3)

Clematis time

While I was on the other side of the fence, I decided to step into my neighbor's yard and see what they see. Not too shabby?

Yay, got one of three Lithodora to survive our summers.

An iris I got from a friend and the Bishop's weed from my mother's place.

the four pack ammo cases (tool boxes or whatever) I got from Costco. I was carrying them down the basement stairs and couldn't see how many more steps I had to go. I thought two, so I took a big step of faith and was I ever wrong. I think it was three, so down I went when my foot landed on the foam pad at the bottom. Fell on to my knees, but surprised no scrapes or hurt. Embarrassed, yes. I must count the steps if my view is obstructed OR turn sideways to see how many more steps to do.

This begonia fell out of its pot indoors and I just hoped it got whatever water came its way as I watered the other 3 pots in the same tray. Looks rather dry.

two new shoots coming out so must not be too bad.

darn!..I went to Lowe’s and Walmart today but forgot to look at tools..

yesterday was wonderful..9 of us talked, had lunch, laughed and looked at pics from 11:30 until 7..

TruGreen blew it..I hope they compensate you well..

that might be the craziest haircut ever..

the fox was eating dry roasted unsalted peanuts..the condition of the earth/humans/animals etc is sad indeed..

a functioning garage door is an absolute must isn’t it?..

so glad your fall wasn’t horrific like mine..it happens in the blink of an eye doesn’t it?..

pics..viburnum under the living room window..named ’Newport‘ it’s not tall..the tag said 3 x 3..I thought “perfect to go under the window”..a viburnum in back..ostrich ferns..the water is gone but we have rain tonight...my yellow hostas again..1 of 2

2 of 2..the macrophylla in a pot has 3? flowerheads..

bought one fern for summer at Lowe’s..$10

a close up of a yellow hosta..first time ever to see red on the leaf..

vinca looks pretty..odd leaves left bottom corner..

a couple of jack in the pulpit..

could these be cocoons?..I’m leaving them for now..finally grew leaves..

‘Empress Wu’ is finally growing..I moved it last year..

Ah, you will have many more trips to Lowe's and Walmart to look at tools. No biggie, unless you need them ASAP.

That was a good sized group and a long time to chat. Sometimes it is good to get together and discuss everything, past and present (and the hopes for the future).

Yes, TruGreen messed it up big time. I doubt I will get any compensation, but I will put it out there.

Good for you on feeding the wildlife. At least foxes don't eat hostas!

We got new openers and while it was more than I expected to pay, I'm glad we just updated our 20 year old openers. The new ones are Wi-Fi enabled, so I got the primary door on Wi-Fi. I doubt I will do the other door. It took me a while to understand on programming our cars to use the factory opener remotes, but once you do one door for one car, then the other door and other car was easy.

No doubt about a fall happening in the blink of an eye. I'm glad I didn't break any bones or have any pain from the fall. Funny thing is I just did the forms for my wellness exam next week. One of the questions involved falling. Guess it is common for senior citizens. My mother fell earlier this week and had severe pain in her collar bone and shoulder area. She drove herself to the doctor's office on Wednesday because it wasn't getting any better. An X-ray was ordered and she got a prescription for Percocet (generic). Five pills to be split in half for a total cost of 56 cents. Why even bill for that amount?

That is a dwarf Viburnum! Glad it filled the spot under the window. Your ferns are coming up strong! Rain will help your plants get off to a good start. I had a couple of yellow hostas. I'm not sure if they even exist today due to the deer problem.

I see that your hydrangea looks like it will be blooming this year. Yay! What kind of fern is that? Seems like some very long fronds to be a Boston fern. I like Vinca, and yours is lovely. Only you can determine if the odd things on your mystery tree (cherry?) are cocoons or maybe some kind of gall. Empress Wu is a big hosta. Mine was becoming gigantic over the course of a few years. I've pretty much given up on hostas for the time being. I might build a kennel like enclosure if I try hostas again.

I need to hit the road to get my lab work done for next week's wellness exam. I cannot do a fast until 2 PM, so I set it up to go to the hospital to go any day, any time that they are open to pull blood. Then I can stop at Chick-Fil-A on the way home.

I took some shots from the deck early yesterday.

Big beech is my main shade tree for my begonias.

this big birch does a good job of shading some other plants.

star magnolia

saucer magnolia will continue to bloom sporadically, but the big flush is over for another year

another big birch behind the saucer magnolia (makes the magnolia look small)

The big beech is about halfway to the back of the lot. The Weigela is still nice looking with the pink blooms.

the double trunk birch with a volunteer double file viburnum in bloom beside it

These two popped into the cart at Walmart yesterday

These are interesting mushrooms near our compost bins

The double file viburnums (the two small green things are viburnums I cut to the ground last year)

The bigger bushes I let grow.

One of many hydrangeas I cut back hard a few weeks ago. I think this one is P.G.

Bombshell has been a disappointment

the volunteer viburnum

the two hostas from a Walmart grab bag and Penny Mac hydrangea between them.

Penny Mac is loaded with bloom buds this year.

the climbing rose 'Cecile Brunner' is spreading its delicious aroma around the vicinity.

Bumblebees often cut into the flower, cheating their quicker way to get to the nectar and NOT getting a bit of pollen to carry to the next flower.

Out of these 9 caladium pots, 7 are up. Broken shards to discourage squirrels. Once the foliage is up and unfurled, I can remove the shards.

All of these pots are up (I think there is either 8 or 9) in this group. I put them under more shade since a lot of them were up . I will eventually move them to more sun as they get acclimated. The small bush is the volunteer double file viburnum.

I enjoy these florist ivies and find them much easier to let grow in the ground (I still have to weed whack them at times)

Hellebores are turning into their boring green summer foliage now.

The big Chinese viburnum

Hosta and bleeding hearts.

Oh, these were some of the hostas at Walmart yesterday. No name other than blue hosta. It might be good to get a bunch and plant a field of them (after I find a way to defeat deer). On the other side were variegated ones (I bet they were labeled as variegated hostas).

you’re so right!..there WILL be more trips to Lowe’s, Walmart etc and a chance to see tools..I have plenty already to be honest 😂..

our family visit was great..I’m so glad we did it..it would make my Mom so happy..

be tough (without being nasty) with TruGreen..maybe look sad?..it IS sad what they did to your plants..

wonder what I could leave out for the fox that the squirrels and birds would ignore?..I’ll Google it..

our openers aren’t new (not high tech) but still going strong..

so sorry that your mother fell 😢..that is dumb to bill for less than a dollar..I had a customer complain about a prescription that was 19 cents..she said “why isn’t it free?”..she was rude..pharmacist overheard her and came up..he says “are you under the age of 18?”..she was at least 40..”are you pregnant?”..she said no on both counts..he said “then it’s 19 cents”..she paid it..

the dwarf viburnum has worked out well..a pic of my ferns today..the flood zone is still dry..

the tag says Boston fern..the fronds are long..some had even longer fronds than the one I bought..they weren’t as pretty..I haven’t yet but I’m going to clip off any broken or ratty fronds..

the Kousa and cherry are progressing..I’m so glad they’re ok..I really was worried about them..

I need hostas here..you have options that I don’t..I don’t blame you for growing something that isn’t deer candy..my new Walmart hostas..pretty sure they’re ’June’..

some ’June’ hostas by my mailbox..the one on the right is reverting..

your birch is beautiful..I’d love to have it here..

saucer magnolia has a hard time here..frost can ruin the blooms..

I like your backyard..trees mean a lot to me..

love the great colors of your new plants..

I remember those hideous mushrooms..

my doublefile viburnums are blooming too..I love them..did I post this?..can’t remember..

I have quite a few volunteer viburnums..in the wrong place of course..

must be nice to have a macrophylla loaded with bloom buds..I wouldn’t know Ha!..

how funny that a bumblebee would take a shortcut to the nectar!..

I’ll be planting caladiums soon!..

I guess I’m boring Lol..I love plain green hellebore leaves..

photos today..

would this tip be helpful?..

There is always shopping online as well as Lowe's and other stores. I just ordered some orchid bark and a Japanese hand hoe from Amazon yesterday.

That's good that the family visit worked out so great. I hope your Mom is smiling to see the family gathering. My cousin asked me to join the family reunion this year in southern PA. I told her I doubt we would make it. It is a 600 mile trip for a few hours of family get together at the city's park. Been there, done that. The good people there wouldn't even consider taking a Saturday off from work, so it was always on a Sunday. I took vacation to attend these and 3 to 4 night stay. Seems like it was a one-way street for most of the folks there.

I considered digging up the creeping phlox the last 2 to 3 years. This might be the year I actually do it. Seems like yard service people would know the difference between grass and other low growing green things, right?

I would have to say meat would be the thing for foxes and other animals would let alone. Foxes are omnivorous, I believe. Dog food with meat? I wouldn't put raw meat out there. Feeding foxes might be a bad thing, though. They might become dependent on humans and some people are not friendly to animals.

Openers? I will have to see what you are talking about here.

I'm sure my mother feels the same way about falling. She is not getting any sleep (good sleep) due to the fall even with oxycodone. She said she is going to call the doctor this morning about the next step. It seems to be more in her neck area than her collarbone/shoulder area since Saturday. She is tough though.

I agree on the cost of some prescription meds. I pay nothing on a cholesterol supplement, but do pay for the first prescription. When I had my biopsy and had to take some steroid/antibiotic pills (two pills), the cost was like 50 cents.

I guess the pharmacist has heard it all from customers. I just had my blood pulled on Friday for my "wellness exam" this Wednesday. This was at the hospital and they have changed their sign-in method from the receptionist to a computer terminal (one computer). We have to type in our name, phone number, birth date, and what we are there for. In this day and age, why don't they have a scanner to scan our "True ID" driver's license. GRRR! I'm venting. Most people are a bit overwhelmed the first time they have to use a terminal to sign in, and the line gets bigger and bigger. There is still a receptionist, but they are there to assist the newbies.

I see the ferns are coming up nicely in that picture. Have those chairs on the deck ever fallen off? They seem very close to the edge.

The joys of ferns (clipping off ratty fronds) are like most plants - eventually the old foliage will fall off on its own, but to our mind they need to be clipped long before they fall off. HA!

That is good news that your Kousa and cherry are alive and progressing. I hate it when a tree dies since it is a lot of work removing it on your own or paying a service to do it.

I figure I must either deer proof the entire back yard (deer fence) or section off a portion of the back yard and erect some kind of fencing that will keep hungry deer out. The hydrangeas are also nipped, but not mowed to the ground like hostas.

At this point, I won't even care about the names of hostas - just buy what appeals to me and plant it as another area of interest.

Ruh-roh, don't you hate it when a hosta (or any other variegated plant) reverts to its original parentage? This year I want to clip every green stem of Vinca minor 'Illumination' from my small courtyard. It will be daunting to begin with, but patience wins the game.

I brought two birch seedlings from my previous house and 20 years later, I have two very large trees. My neighbor at our previous home is the one who planted a river birch in their front yard. The seeds from their trees ended up in our yard. Now I am pulling up seedlings here to prevent any more big trees. I would rather have a white birch, but they hate the summers here. River birch it is.

Our saucer magnolia at our last house always got its blooms blasted by a late frost. We moved it from the front yard to the back yard, and it did very well there. We had one very late freeze one year that cut the limbs back by 1 to 2 years. Other than that it did great. It is strange to see the magnolias bloom here. The very faint pink to white ones open first, followed by the darker pink, then purple. Each one might be opening when a hard frost or freeze hits and damages it that year. Our star magnolia is an early bloomer - often in late February or early March.

I hope to plant a lot of flowering plants this year - annuals and perennials. What about you?

This is the first time I saw those mushrooms in our yard. I've seen other hideous mushrooms over the years.

No, I think that is the first time you posted your double file viburnums (this year at least). They are kind of neat when they bloom, but they don't last very long. The seeds are kind of interesting, too. My biggest bushes are hidden from the deck view by the star magnolia. I won't cut the magnolia to see the viburnums though.

Well, you can either move your volunteers or cut them down. I am realizing that I need to start culling redbuds now - there are so many seedlings that I can't let them all grow on. UGH! I already cut down or pull sweet gums, pines, poplars, hickories, etc. Now it is redbuds, birches, willows, beeches, and some I don't recall. Oh, and I saw lots of Chinese cucumbers coming back despite all the cutting and spraying them last year. So much for Roundup? I need to mix another 3 gallons and hit some spots (poison ivy and Japanese honeysuckle mainly, and blackberries and other noxious vines as well).

I hope that the big leaf hydrangeas have a great year this year. The last two were not that good.

I have witnessed bumblebees cutting into flowers in the past, cheating their way to the honeypot. Honeybees on the other hand are usually too small to work on cutting the side of a waxy flower to shortcut.

Yay, for caladiums. I will be looking for new and exciting varieties this spring. So far, what I've seen are the same old thing.

Nothing wrong with boring green leaves, but color helps break up the monotony of green, right?

Speaking of breaking up boring green, your next photo of red JMs and yellow hostas complement the blue skies and white clouds. See, you like some color other than green, am I right?

What are the green up turned leaves in your next photo? Is that Lily of the Valley? That is one plant I do not have as a lot of people say they are invasive.

Aren't you lucky that you don't have deer chomping away at those luscious hosta leaves?

Well, now that you mentioned it about the helpful tip on using the old spice jars with the small holes, that is a good way to recycle. I always used aluminum foil in the past if I needed to hold a leaf above the water. A small vial is another way to keep the leaf above water as well.

Here is a close up of the two plants I bought at Walmart last week.

The tall bearded iris in the front island. My wife just noticed these yesterday on our way to Cracker Barrel. I said "they look just like they have the last 2, 3 years". She said she doesn't remember that. Yikes!

The Johnny Jump Ups are such a wonderful spring plant, that this fall, I may buy more of them along with pansies.

the JM off our front porch and the volunteer ferns

My new Monstera 'Thai Constellation' from Kroger's (we had to go to a very large Kroger's that carried it).

Ruh-roh, dad gum Virginia creeper in my camellias. it was bad enough with the Chinese cucumber.

Another iris in the back lot.

My Etsy purchases so far. Two are probably big enough to introduce to the normal basement air.

Rufus enjoying the lush growth of Monkey Grass (Liriope muscari). I didn't see the dead stick in front of his eye when I took the photo. Oh well.

Those mushrooms have since emerged and fallen over after fruiting. They look a bit rude. (Phallus impudicus, I found the name). Common name is common stinkhorn (for the lack of a better name).

Sweet William

More unfurling Caladiums

Bayberry Lane and a red coleus in the same pot. The empty looking pot has a Avocado seedling (fun to try growing) and had a half dead philodendron in it. I removed the philodendron, cut it in half, put the top on a moss pole pot and the bottom half in water.

The 3 plants I got at Costco a few weeks ago. I turned the heavy cache pots over to prevent (hoping) squirrels from knocking the plants off the baker's rack.

one of the very few hostas not eaten by deer. This is June.

Another pot of rexes on the shelf below the 3 pots from Costco.

Little Honey oakleaf hydrangea had a a tips cut by deer. GRRR!

I love this Encore Azalea 'Autumn Twist'. It is the only one I would buy due to its colorful blooms. My wife does not like Encore, because they don't have a heavy flush of blooms, BUT they do bloom again in fall.

Here are the big double file viburnums on the other side of the dry stream bed (opposite Little Honey).

Autumn Twist again.

This looks like another Little Honey. I did not plant it or the other oak-leaves around it. These are from seed or roots of Little Honey about six feet away.

Some JMs do not photograph well.

Here is one that does not photograph well. I noticed on my screen, that the leaves under it and the leaves seemed to be moving as I cannot hold the camera perfectly still. Almost like a kaleidoscope that was constantly shifting. It was a weird feeling.

This one on the other hand is not a problem

This one did okay

Holding my hand next to leaves gave the camera's autofocus a better target than slim leaves.

Same thing on this tall tree.

Here it is and I didn't even get the very top in the frame.

This one had one of its major limbs (trunk?) die. The other limbs are okay. GRRR!

My neighbor's American Euonymus is covering part of my JM. I need to whack this shrub back. I like the American version - Hearts-a-bursting or strawberry bush, but only where I want it to grow.

a lower limb of another coral bark. I let some florist ivy run up the trunk. I may have to cut it out.

Full Moon has been a disappointment. I had two, but one died.

This is not a good picture of this JM.

The other side is much better but maybe the camera can focus on the clematis vine I let use this JM for support.

Invincible Spirit II is budding.

My neighbor's side of the fence - honeysuckle, wild grape, blackberry, and Virginia creeper. Carolina jasmine in there as well. I'd love to have a good cultivar of Carolina jasmine.

Sedum starting to bloom.

And one of my favorite wildflowers is showy evening primrose (just getting started)

More later on.

that’s a long drive for a family reunion..

the perfect time to replace the phlox..TruGreen should foot the bill..they should absolutely know what to avoid spraying..

yes raw and cooked meat was recommended for foxes..also cheese, fruit and nuts..I wouldn’t put out raw meat..ugh..

openers?..garage door openers..

I hope the doctor can help your mother..sometimes it takes forever to recover from an injury..ask me how I know 🙁..

I’ve used the terminals you mentioned at the surgeon’s office..

the chairs by the ferns are heavier than they look..no they haven’t fallen off..

I have 2 June hostas that are reverting..with so much to do I doubt if I separate the reversion..

I bought a clearance ’Jane’ magnolia years ago..died in less than a year..

I have plants to move (hosta, hellebores, viburnums, heuchera)..all volunteers in a spot they can’t stay..I’ll buy begonias for the summer..
your Chinese cucumber is relentless!..

I truly love green..but yes lots of colors are absolutely beautiful..

yes I have Lily of the valley..I’ve heard that it’s invasive too..

very lucky not to have deer!..

I’ve described a plant to my husband when we’re in the house and he’ll say “I have no idea which plant you’re talking about”..I think my husband and your wife aren’t plant addicts..

do you think the stick poked Rufus?..hope not..

I’d love to have oakleaf hydrangea seedlings..

some of your Japanese maple leaves are so narrow!..they don't seem like a maple!..

I planted a few of my free daffodils..I’ll be planting more tomorrow..

some pics from today..’Great Expectations’..

Jack in the pulpit..too tired for botanical names Lol..

‘Empress Wu’..excited about the growth in the new location..

I have 4 of these urns..this winter one cracked..one huge crack and 2 hairline cracks..my husband was pulling to close the gap and it fell apart..

the big crack..

2 hairline cracks..

might try this..

Yes, 650 miles one way is a long drive. One year, we left the house around 11 PM and drove all night. I had to wait until the last minute of the last game of the NBA championship game. I knew it was Chicago that won it all, but I cannot remember who they played that year. We camped out the first 2 to 3 years (my parents thought it was fun and cheap). It was HOT the first year and cold the next. PA has some funny weather extremes, I guess.

Granted, it seems like a lawn service should be well acquainted with the plants in a yard. They should recognize a clear cut border to delineate grass from landscape plants. Creeping phlox is not a broadleaf plant, but it is not grass, either. I think the phlox is greening up, AGAIN! When TruGreen comes back for their next scheduled service call, I told the agent to have them ring the doorbell (we can still answer it even if we are miles away). I would prefer to be here so I can show them exactly what they need to watch for. I told the previous company the same thing, but they continued to mess up the following years. I should just dig up what I have, move it to the side yard or back yard, and then plant annuals or some low growing shrubs in front of the azaleas - maybe then they would understand that this is NOT grass?

Good luck on the foxes. I see a few pictures, video clips of foxes on FB. They are cute and can be domesticated (not sure that is a smart thing to do).

Ah, thanks for the reminder on the openers (Haha!) I put the reply down in Notepad as a reminder, but I totally forgot about it when I copied and pasted it in GW.

My mother said she slept better yesterday, but she switched to Ibuprofen for pain relief. So, she did not call the doctor's office yesterday. I told her she should've called anyway, just to have it recorded/reported in case she has other bouts of pain later on.

I think the "kiosks" at doctor's offices are becoming more mainstream. The first instance of it was at our eye doctor's office. Then it was at our eye surgeon's office. Now at the hospital lab services. I still think they should just have us scan our D.L. and be done with it. They have all the other information already. They could add a question at the end about any changes in addresses, phone numbers, health, etc. It seems like we fill out the same information each and every time. We fill out the information for our health care (hospital and doctors) before our exams or procedures and it is the same every time. Seems like the first question should be "has anything changed?" If "No", then you are good to go.

That's good on the chairs then. We watch AFV every once in a while and it is funny and dreadful when we see people take a fall from stupid accidents to having chairs too close to the edge of a porch or deck.

The hosta guy I visited years ago (he was the treasurer of the AHS back then) had several hybrids of his own. He put aside the dogs to destroy or give away (we took back five with us - two for me and three for my friend) and his possible divas for future trialing in states like Ohio and Michigan (I think that is what he said). Anyway, he was afraid of some of his dogs not being true to the markings he saw when he grew them on - a lot of them started reverting.

That is tough when you buy a nice tree and it dies on you. They are not cheap. I have several magnolias from either suckers or seedlings. I topped them to keep them compact for a while longer. Some bloomed like the mother tree. I don't know about the smaller ones, yet.

The only plants I want to move now are daylilies that I got in a trade a few years ago for begonias. I think they might get shaded out if some already haven't. The viburnums are beasts for shading out a lot of desirables.

Granted, it seems like a lawn service should be well acquainted with the plants in a yard. They should recognize a clear cut border to delineate grass from landscape plants. Creeping phlox is not a broad-leaf plant, but it is not grass, either. I think the phlox is greening up, AGAIN! When TruGreen comes back for their next scheduled service call, I told the agent to have them ring the doorbell (we can still answer it even if we are miles away). I would prefer to be here so I can show them exactly what they need to watch for. I told the previous company the same thing, but they continued to mess up the following years. I should just dig up what I have, move it to the side yard or back yard, and then plant annuals or some low growing shrubs in front of the azaleas - maybe then they would understand that this is NOT grass?

Green is calming and I suppose the color of chlorophyll producing cells? Watch Green Inferno, but not for the color green. It is a horror movie that is shocking.

That is pretty funny about plant people and non-plant people. I was texting my daughters and wife and we got into some plants. My youngest was right there with me. My wife was surprised at how well she knew what I was talking about.

When I was buying JMs a few years back, I tried for lots of variation. I never noted most of the names except common ones. The thin leaves were kind of cool, so I bought those as well as Full Moon. My daughter is looking for a very dwarf JM for the front of her house as her gardenias never bloom. I recommended Pygmy to her as it is as dwarf as they come (unless one gets into bonsai). Mine is above my waist and probably 15 years old. Very compact with internodes about 2 to 3 inches at the most.her it is too tall to be considered a ground cover. The reason I lost mine was I kept it in a container because it was "a persicaria". Mine came back from winter 3 years in a row, but the fourth year it never came back. It is not invasive like most persicarias though.

The stick in front of Rufus was probably a foot away. Pictures are deceiving as they compress 3D into 2D.

When I was buying JMs a few years back, I tried for lots of variaton. I never noted most of the names except common ones. The thin leaves were kind of cool, so I bought those as well as Full Moon. My daughter is looking for a very dwarf JM for the front of her house as her gardenias never bloom. I recommended Pygmy to her as it is as dwarf as they come (unless one gets into bonsai). Mine is above my waist and probably 15 years old. Very compact with internodes about 2 to 3 inches at the most.

Well, I never got to Gibbs garden back in March and I doubt I will be going this month either (the foot surgery set that idea back). That said, no more daffodils from Gibbs until this fall. I hope your free daffodils do well for you. It is hard to beat "free".

I had (maybe still have) Great Expectations. It is a lovely hosta. I hope to have a deer fence or some kind of enclosure to keep deer out this year. I will then try hostas again.