I have some love/hate groundcovers myself. I think the biggest criteria for my love/hate ratio is the combination of how it grows (fast/slow) and where it is located. i.e. not all fast growers are hated if they are in the right place I just pulled out about 100 sq ft of pachasandra because it just got everywhere. I will miss it in the winter. (pre-snowcover). I have a huge patch of bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) that spreads very quickly, but it is in a part-shade woody tree-shrub area and it really seems to fit the woodland less-manicured feel. I also suspect it would be hard to eradicate if I wanted to. It has those thin roots that go everwhere and break easily. But I love it where it is. I have creeping veronica Waterperry in a perennial bed and it stays put nicely. Love it. I also have Georgia Blue but it is much more aggressive. I have to pull it back severely twice a year. Dislike it (but not enough to remove it). I have a gold variegated one that barely grows. I moved it this year to a new place it may do better. Lamium 'Pink Nancy' wanders and blends in nicely. It pulls out easily if it wanders too far. Love it. Ajuga, love it in bloom (have Choc Chip and Crispa Metallica). Neutral otherwise. Need to have something interesting (and strong) nearby. I'm trying out Hosta Kabitan. Thymes... love the daintiness... hate that they don't suppress weeds so well. Geranium Biokova... I consider that more as a specimen perennial than a groundcover, but I can see it is somewhat of both. Love it. Sedge, Treasure Island...grows slowly, love it because it can go anywhere safely, but unless it is cut back with other perennials, it looks messy far into spring until the new growth covers the old stuff. Cutting back a groundcover is not a fun thing. I used to when I had a little, but now its out of the question. I enjoyed and saved this old thread about groundcovers in link below. I haven't read it in a while, but it might be interesting after reading this thread.

I think we are getting what you guys normally get here in Oklahoma, and surrounding states. We've had so many this year, especially the QM, PVS, and BST. But, this doesn't happen to us very often, that's for sure. I've seen Monarchs, but no eggs yet. But, I've had a lot of other species to focus on so it's been a very good year! Sorry about not having any yet, Mary, but I bet your population will pick up soon. I know, everybody used to tell me that, too - not what you really want to hear, huh? I guess we just have to take the precocious nature of butterflies into account - some years they're here and some years they aren't, or in very low numbers. I believe they follow the weather patterns. We've had so much rain this year, well into the end of July, and way over our normal rainfall for the entire year. Now, it's getting hot and humid and the jet stream has moved up north so we are back in our normal pattern. They may soon be moving south again. Susan

I am so sorry Kelly. I pray things will get better. Please be sure and take care of yourself. Getting worn out will only add to your stress. beverly

I like fantasy for many of the same reasons I like science fiction. It provides a fresh lens for looking at our world and our problems. In a fantastical world our prejudices and preconceptions don't apply. We come with a fresh eye. Laura Marie makes a very important point - the world created by the author must follow the rules established by the writer, or it's throw against the wall time. I hate when a character discovers he has a new magic skill just in time to save the day. Unfortunately it isn't rare in fantasy, which is why I read so little of it any more. I was mildly disappointed by the Maisie Dobb's An Incomplete Revenge wherein we discover she has a hitherto unknown psychic skill perfect for solving her case. Mildly disappointed because otherwise I was thrilled that this book was so much more enjoyable that Winspear's earlier novels. I began reading the series because of unfamiliar setting and because they struck me as worthy. The last couple have been a pleasure to read. All I can guess is that Winspear's skills have grown with the writing of her novels. I saw E.T. with cousins on the Christmas it opened. I came home ranting and raving about how awful and derivative it was. Ha! What did I know?