Greenhaven, I'm so glad you posted pictures. Welcome! You've really done a tremendous job in a short period of time. How lucky to have all that ledge and the way you've incorporated the gardens is really great. It all looks quite natural. PL, Love those sunflowers! I've tried them from seed before a handful of times, but as soon as I get them planted the chipmunks come along and dig them up while mocking me. Jewel weed brings me back to nature walks with my mom. Used to use it on poison ivy. I always thought it was a great cure, but as I got older I realized I'm not allergic to poison ivy, so I'm not sure if my "tests" as a child were valid! It looks great in such a mass like that. I guess I made it just in the nick of time to post for August. Hard to believe tomorrow is September. I know there was some talk in another thread about the smaller butterfly bushes. They're kind of hard to photograph, but I have three in a row forming a bit of a hedge and I really like the way they bloom later. There was also a discussion about heptacodium on another thread where everyone said it would break and most were unhappy with it. That really changed the way I'm treating this shrub/tree. I was planning on limbing it up into a tree, but after reading everyone's experiences I've decided to leave it more as a very large shrub, or at least a non-limbed up tree. The hibiscus are in bloom now on the other side of the fence. Those will stay when we get our new fence later this fall. I've never done annual asters before, but this middle bed of the veggie garden starts as lettuce and once the crop is done I let the nasturtium take over. I threw in some annual asters and I have to say I really like them a lot. One of the back beds with zinnias still going. Another bed back there. Holy cow! The bees are insane with the turtlehead and anemone blooming. Interestingly, the bees swarm to the barely open anemone flowers with 5 or 6 of them all huddled and fighting for space. The open flowers are not touched. The lespedeeza is starting its show. I do wish the clethra would bloom just a tad later so the white would be blooming with the pink. Here's a closer shot of one of the back beds. There's a carpet rose blooming in the bed behind the butterfly bushes. I like the peach and blue combo with the physocarpos mixed in for good measure. Love the fairy rose that comes back strong while so many other plants are withering in the heat! The front slope is filled in with all the colorful shrubs. Lobelia and caryopteris. I put them together because the caryopteris can hold up the lobelia when it flops. Cottage garden gone wild! I really, really, really love amsonia hubrichtii. I'll post this picture again when the amsonia and the climbing hydrangea both turn glowing yellow. Ironweed is great this time of year. Okay, okay, I'll stop! LOL! I get carried away. There is so much going on in the garden now and so much more to come. Such a great time of year.

***doing a happy dance*** gmom! I've got your block all sealed up and ready to go into the mail tomorrow! after asking you to e-mail me your addie, I took a chance on the computer and tried accessing that file of gw addresses. well, that didn't work, but then I thought of how aol is kinda, half-working for me, so I checked in my saved e-mails and there was one with your address in it! I usually delete those once I've input the address into the gw file, but thankfully I forgot to do so this time! lol! so, the envie is all addressed, and I'll be mailing it out tomorrow. I'm glad you spoke up because not knowing who these extras were supposed to go to was making me feel bad. I tried to not short anyone with what I thought was a fool-proof system, but it looks like my "system" fooled me! ah well, live and learn, right? so, in the paraphrased words of the Monkees, your 10th quilt block is now saying "here I come!" -dan

I haven't grown many pumpkins for eating. I have grown a basic sugar pie pumpkin they are ok. As I understand it, New England Pie, Baby Pam, Fairytale and Cinderella Pumpkins are all very good. And all on my want list. :) So far this year, the Blue Hubbard is my ultimate favorite. YUM. It is like sweet potato, but better. I'd like to use those for breads and pies. Also, tonight we cut into a butternut we grew and it was the ORANGEST butternut I have ever seen and it was the best tasting too.

Yo-Yo-Yo!! My uber kewl package of Spooktacular seeds arrived today, just before "All Hallows Eve (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween)"! And to think, even though our fantabulous USPS, for whatever reason, delayed the delivery of my package, I was yet included with the rest of you in this totally fun swap,...thanks to Erica! So glad I didn't miss out. :) - "Major thanks, Erica!" - As for everyone else who so generously participated, don't forget to thank Erica personally on her "Rate & Review Exchanges" forum thread, here: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/raterev/msg011420128659.html Happy Halloween, everyone! -Cryptid