susanc, You are awesome! I didn't realize thunbergii could be anything other than 'Ozawa' Now the next question is how did it get in my garden? I suppose a seed/bulb could have come in with something else. If anyone has had their 'Ozawa' turn into album do LMK, THx! Karen

Many years ago I read a rather prejudicial statement by a gardening non-american who said that American Gardeners were like babies. If it wasn't big bright and shiny we couldn't appreciate it. Well, I disagree-WAH! The point is that some of the seed heads of Alliums are also attractive in their own right (as Cameron mentioned about Purple Sensation) if you have an eye for such things. For instance I've used the Drumstick Allium heads in dried arrangements with success. Also at a teaching garden I was attracted to a group of medium growing large flower heads that looked like an explosion of fireworks had just gone off. It turned out they were the seed heads of Allium Schubertii. They were planted in front of an evergreen shrub border with competition from nothing else "bright and shiny" to distract, and their unusual form took center stage. The guide said that they stayed like that for at least a month or so. I've never seen them in bloom, but had I a similar set up, I'd certainly try the same combination. Here is a link that might be useful: Allium Schubertii

The last of the snow has melted from my garden. Still too wet to clean the lawn and nothing yet on my winter sown pots. We do have rain today forcasted for the Ottawa area so that should help move things along. Indoors at work I have a ton of babies, my tomato plants are a good 6-8" after being repotted from their sprouting stage. I looked at my garden catalogues with the plants - perennial geraniums about $7.00 with tax....I have 5 so far growing from seeds indoors. Thank heavens for seeds and trading/sharing with fellow gardeners. It is so expensive to buy plants. Saved the seeds from my petunias last year and they are doing nicely on the windowsill as well, pansies, chives, gaillardia, lupins. I will try to grow anything and everything. Today I will have to get some more dirt at lunch and hit a few more window spaces in the office. They have been pretty good about my seedlings and very interested. The only smart thing I did last fall was turn my garden beds, clean them up and cover them with landscape fabric so they will not be full of weeds this spring for my new babies. I will be incorporating bags of leaves I saved and some fresh compost. We have also decided to do a wooden deck as our patio stones have more than seen better days. I am saving the bricks for the garden, going to recycle the fence that is being replaced into wooden planters with benches and paint them bright colours. I will line the planters with pond liners so the wood doesn't rot out. Also have morning glories starting at work too. I may just keep them at work and trail them around the windows. That has been my spring so far. Dragged out the plastic table and chairs on Sunday. Digging out my garden shoes and starting to look for shorts!

Lizzann, glad you enjoyed the Velveet fudge. It is delicious. My family doesn't question what I make cause they enjoy my cooking. Here's one, that I haven't tried: Chocolate Chip potato chip cookies 1 cup butter 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 2 eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 2 1/4 cups crushed potato chips (I used Lays Classic Potato Chips) 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Combine the flour and baking soda and slowly add to the creamed sugar mixture. Mix well. Stir in the crushed potato chips and chocolate chips. Drop by small spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. If you are making large cookies you may want to keep them in the oven for about 14 minutes. Cool for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.