Nah. It's fake. I'm allergic to the real thing. The two of us can still eat at the table. We just have to scoot the tree a little. If we have people over, we'll just put it on top of the dog crate for a couple of hours. :-) PS I need some hints on making those two poinsettias survive (hopefully) past the Christmas season.

Merry Christmas. Mom died two years ago but I still put up a tree in her house. Others say I am stupid wasting money, but when I go there, by myself, smelling the balsam and seeing an icon I have viewed my entire life while listening to the old LP Christmas albums brings a brief bit of sadness but it is quickly replaced by a warm calm. When I was still in single digits for age I slept in the piano room one night, I remember waking one morning and the first thing I saw was the decorated Christmas tree. This year I slept on the sofa by the tree and again the first thing I saw in the moring was the decorated Christmas Tree. You may not see them with your eyes, but all the loving memories and loved ones are still there loving you. God speed and Merry Christmas.

Dan, as always--I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what you've done! You're always an inspiration to me, eventhough I don't have enough sunlight to support the conifers--I love them mixed with the hosta! And then there' the ROCKS! Sigh!! I'm doing another dry-creek bed look in my garden this year--love that sort of thing! Did one last year and it turned out really neat! Phil, we moved the Red Maple we had behind our big swing, about 2 weeks ago and used the Bonide Root and Grow--a root simulant and it's looking just fine! It has never (so far) shown any sign of transplant shock! I don't know when we can feel 'safe' in having done this. We had to move it, though, because Steve wants to build a tool shed, a smaller version of the potting shed we have behind the fence out back! I hope yours survives and thrives, too!!!

Going on the theme of bulb forcing, last year I found that Russells Garden Center in Wayland and Cataldos Nursery in Littleton carried inexpensive hyacinth forcing vases in different colors. I ended up having a few of these vases and hyacinth bulbs on hand for last minute gifts which worked well. Also Russells has a great selection of amaryllis bulbs (some unusual types). Yes Prairie good idea. I also like the Well Tended Perennial Garden book. A great idea for both someone new to gardening and experienced. A rare book that is valuable to both audiences. I too have a few books on my list. One I've taken out a few times from the library is: Gardens to Go: Creating and Designing a Container Garden by Sydney Eddison and Steve Silk The book has such beautiful photos and is a great treat to look at time and time again. Sue