Good news - the cycling party rode 45 miles yesterday to the first campsite and plan to be in Syracuse tonight, a day early. David sounded tired but excited. He told me his butt ached, but the new gell cover I bought him for his bike seat really helped. I must admit to having had some sleepless moments last night thinking about him, and fully understand that like GB, I will feel the same whether he is 11 or 31.

Tonight DH, Annie and I are going to see a production of the Producers. I spent the morning making fresh apricot preserves - I bought 4 lbs of slightly mishapen fruit for $2 at the market that were perfect for cutting up for jam. The rows of deep orange preserves look lovely lined up by the window.

Martie - your patio has a fantastic view!! Darn those wabbits:0(

Wendy - I chuckled over your photo. I wonder what Alfred would look like in a hoodie.

Kathy - what gorgeous foliage!! Your fingers must have been itching to pinch.

Deanne - I'm so glad the ladies are enjoying your class so much. Seeing your gardens will be the icing on the cake.

I'm taking the afternoon off from any sort of work and am teaching myself to crochet. It seems perfect for a grey, overcast afternoon.

Mary

I think you two will love "The Producers". The helpmeet and I were in hysterics (much to the consternation of the couple sitting next to us, lol). It's really funny and decidedly NOT "polically correct". Nothing (aside from abject cruelty) offends us more than "political correctness". Parody and satire are undermined by "PC". I love Mel Brooks; has Annie watched "Blazing Saddles" or any of his other films?

You wanna stamp out bigotry? make it the butt of jokes! show it to be as stupid as we all know it to be. Have a good, long laugh at its expense. Shine the spotlight on the outright stupidity of bigotry and expose it for what it is. Mel Brooks spares NO ONE in his humor, and even as I've winced, I've cracked right up. That man is brilliant!

Good afternoon...

No rain here yet, just overcast so far. I was surprised that despite all the rain we have had, I actually had to water a few things this morning. There is one Hydrangea that I bought at NEWFS, a native hybrid, called Samantha and every year, it crisps up. The leaves edge with brown. This year it has done it again. None of the other Hydrangeas have this problem and are planted in the same area. I think I am going to have to replace it. If it isn't happy with the amount of rain we've had this year, it never will be. [g] Got a few things done out there this morning. I am starting to be happier with my containers and taking a break from 'redisigning' any beds but thinking about the fall for doing some of that.

So Kathy...we watched the first Sox game last night with Jason Bay. Very happy outcome and based on interviews I've read, at our house, we are already warming up to him. Hope #99 will be an asset for your team. He still has a lot left to give, I am sure and your new manager of the Dodgers has been known to make a few great trades and this one has potential.
Good luck! :-) LOVE the photos from your trip! Great looking begonias. Funny you should post a photo of the climbing Rex...I was just looking at the June 2008 Fine Gardening issue and they did an article on Containers and one had one of these as the centerpiece of a large container. Very different. The last photo is one of the best conservatory photos I've seen. So full and lush and well groomed. Nice.

Wonder what Brenda is doing about now? [g]

Saucy...I didn't realize that about bees. I wonder then, what could improve the bee population? I plant enough plants for them. What a neat fish tank! We haven't had a fish tank in a long time. What type of fish are you raising there? So you had a nice nursery trip there...I have been eyeing the Physocarpus 'Center Glow'. I have two varieties of Ninebark already but the flowers are a red? on the 'Center Glow' which I like better than the white. What will you pair it with? I have the 'Little Joe' Pye Weed and it's not so little...lol. Looks the same height as the regular one. Another person wanting a front yard garden with no lawn. I have wanted one for a long time, but around here people would rather mow than weed, so I am making do for the time being.

Wondering how Cynthia is doing? Waving :-)

Hello Norma, nice to see you! :-) Glad to hear you are having rain this year. Sorry to hear about the Japanese beetles and snails. You are right...it IS always something...lol.

Hi...T....enjoy the rest of your visit with your friend. Hope you will come back and post again. Would love to see some photos of your place.

Deanne your photos of the front beds with your container garden are looking lush! I am sure they will look amazing once some of your late season bloomers get started. Your brugs are huge! I didn't know they got that large...lol. Is that the new fountain that you just bought this year?

Hi Cindy...hope you are getting a good rest this weekend.

Martie...what good news about your visit with your brother! What a difference from the last time I read about one of your visits. Very happy for you! I thought of you yesterday when I was reading that issue of Fine Gardening. In their tips section, someone said they had good results with rubber snakes keeping rabbits away. Such a shame about your campanula. I chose Veronica for a short edger instead because I had read the campanula attracts groundhogs. It's their favorite. We had groundhogs one year and I can't think of anything I would dread more, so they are definitely off my list. Didn't even know rabbits liked them. WOW! Look at all that digitalis! You are going to have a crop next year!

Mary..what a healthy, happy looking crew you've got there! Forty five miles?! Boy, are they in good shape, or what! lol

Hello Gardenbug...interesting story of your son's bike trip. He sounds like quite an adventurer! You and DH must be getting excited to see Skyler tomorrow. I am sure it will be a wonderful trip! My kids all loved string cheese and goldfish crackers were one of my Mom's favorite. Good choices...but the chocolate dipped berries....yum!

Alfred it is, Wendy. :-)

Jerri...love that link to the puppies getting their lullaby. So sweet. Our son brought home a cat from a shelter and it ended up being pregnant. Now he has five cats and a dog. [g] He talked about finding homes for some of the kittens, but....he's decided he's keeping them all. He is definitely an animal person, but Yikes! They are about two months old now.

Well...the rain has started...nice timing, some of the weeding caught up and the containers were needing it....look at the time, it's almost supper time!

Bye!
pm2

I'm taking that "...and the living is easy" part very seriously right now. A busy couple of days has left me with a serious need to chill out.

Thursday evening's shindig at the office went quite well. The food was great, and my personal beer and wine selections were well received. After the crowd left, I sat and chatted with my boss and his wife until 11:00 pm. Then last night DH and I sat on the screened porch, sipping wine and enjoying the night until 11:00. This is well past my usual bedtime and I'm paying the price now with no energy.

Wait - I think I just heard a loud scream off to the southwest. Musta been Brenda on her way down...

I'm refusing to do any more garden maintenance until the clods working on the house are outta here. The deck has been torn apart for the umpteenth time and it's getting old. DH is on me to make a list of what needs to be done before our September party, and all I can think is why evaluate now, because these guys are destroying faster than I can fix things. I trimmed and primped all the pots last weekend, and now they're out of place with broken stems, etc. And don't get me started on the cigarette butts.

Grump over.

So glad to see a post from T. I miss hearing from you more regularly. No, your life is not boring. How are the twins doing?

DD is playing trumpet at the wedding of a friend's sister this afternoon. She's a little nervous as this is the first wedding she's playing. I'm sure it won't be the last. The rehearsal was yesterday and she had some interesting editorial comments about the mega-church where the ceremony is being held. She definitely did not care for the fact that it is more of an auditorium than a traditional church.

OK, in the spirit of nothingness, I am going to put on my swimsuit, get a cold beer and my book and head to the pond.

Later, gators.

V.

Was the guy singing to the puppies? What was he singing? gb - does Phoebe have a particular bed-time ritual? Should Randy learn to play anything special for her? :- ) How's her foot that you had mentioned she hurt a week or so ago?

I'm really curious to know how Brenda's adventure went! That's 'way braver than anything I'd want to do. Back in the summer of 1976 I worked at the New Brunswick Horticultural Nursery (part of the NB Dept. of Agriculture). It was located next to an old military airfield that was then just being used for the spruce budworm spray planes and recreational flying. The Fredericton Flying Club used it for parachute drops so we got to watch a lot of recreational jumping. Sometimes the jumps didn't go smoothly - like the one where the guy landed in a hawthorn tree - ouch!

Martie - that lounge chair/view of the garden looks great! The neat little hedge in the background (boxwood?) really sets things off nicely. I'm glad the visit with your brothr went well.

Mary - I'm impressed with the bikers' stamina (and tough hind ends, gel seat or no!) It sounds like these long distance bike rides must be the 'in' thing these days. Two friends both have kids that have either just done that or are in the midst of it. A better activity that being glued to the computer....

Deanne - I second gb's suggestion of Kirengshoma. I don't like yellow but I like the soft yellow of those ones. They've been blooming here for a week or so now. I find they don't make a big show - but then mine are in a lot of shade so that probably makes a big differennce.

I spent the morning building another brick spillway to carry water from the living room downspouts across my bark mulch path along the livingroom wall. The downspouts were washing out the path. I did a spillway on the north end on Monday but needed Randy's help to dig out the base for the second one because it's a bit wider. I've tried to direct the water flow down into the south side of the woodland garden under the oak. The other spillway just discharges onto the back lawn. I have one more to do (under the south arbour gate) to direct the flow that comes from the front of the house. I want to divert the water to the beds on either side of the south alley. Right now the water flows from the near the driveway, down the sideyard slope, under the gate, along the south alley path, along the path along the fence and down to the 'wet corner', washing out paths all the way along! I've slowed the water flow a lot by having it fnrst drain through a big pot filled with pea gravel, but it's still washing out the paths a bit. So I'm trying another possibility. I will tilt the bricks on the edges a bit to driect some of the water to either side so it can run along the beds instead of straight down the path. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will work because I'm getting tired of having to rake the mulch back onto the paths after every hard rain - and we've had a lot of hard rain this summer!

Just a quicky here, as Skyler is arriving tonight. He should already have left the Edmonton airport by now....

Phoebe appears to be fine now Woody. We just aren't letting her be super rough with Norah for a while...She seems to be playing extra roughly these days. We don't do anything special for a bedtime routing with Phoebe. She has a "playpen" where she sleeps in the laundry room. We give her a cookie, say "night night" and that's it! Of course she gets a walk first, sometime between 10-11. Then she gets up at about 8-9 in the morning, or whenever she hears us stirring, has a quick walk, then breakfast.
She is very interested in chewing these days and I have TWO damaged sofa cushions. No toys are strong enough for her....She's testing and testing, jumping on the bed, the couch, anywhere she should not be. I guess she's acting like a 5 year old!

Time to water the vegetable garden and then dinner- then the airport!
'bug

My dance must've worked because the orb was seen for a whole two hours!! Another line of orange on radar is enroute. Hrmph!

The hedge is Arborvitae, Woody. It was placed by the town when the cul-de-sac's run-off system was built 23 years ago. At that time, the Town Planner demanded (and they do to this day) that any development with more than 5 residential units be professionally landscaped. Tucked away all through town are neighborhoods that were truly thought out. Pretty cool foresight. Though I would've staggered the planting, it does set everything off as well as keep the dust from the tobacco farm across the main road at bay.

The man is singing in an absolutely wondrous voice to the puppies, "Good Night Sweetheart It's Time to Go." Imagine the sign for "calm" and that's the feeling....

I hope she won't mind me suggesting to everyone that you pop over to the Idyll Project thread and see what Cynthia found. The woman never ceases to amaze.

I want to do some grunt work! LOL I got somewhat emotional about the gardens' condition and Monday will be teach Rich to Weed Day. Point and pull? Make a sample board, ie., "If it looks like this...." He's a sweetheart for offering. The one summer I could've done without enough water to need to weed a few times a week .....

V: Want Rich to come out and set your contractor straight? He's up for a good professional facedown :-) I hate hearing stories like yours because it makes the good ones be disliked from the get go without reason. Did he pull a permit? If yes, then call your Inspector and get him/her out there with deadlines. If no, fire the hacker and call your State Consumer Protection folks. Any help we can give will be gladly sent your way!

Go, David, Go!!

Can't wait to hear about Skyler's (and Brenda's) aerial adventures.

Funny you mentioned it, PM2, I have Veronica on the other side of that garden and the rabbits haven't touched it. My only true and all out fear is for snakes. Great idea but I think I'll switch out the plants, first. LOL

Squash, cukes and roast chicken for dinner. Sustenance. Ahhhh. First of the Helianthus are blooming. What the heck happened to July??

Martie

Its always a challenge to make the garden look nice in August-no rainwater for months, ratty daylily foliage, mealy bug on the Ladys Mantle. Its that weedy looking time of year. I hacked away at things pretty mercilessly today(including attempting to prune my little finger in a moment of careless Penstemon trimming) and there is an improvement . The Dahlias and lilies remain a bright spot, but the roses look horrid. Ive had a ton of those damnable cucumber beetles this year, and they brown up the edges of the petals. Bad karma to me for bragging about my lack of Japanese and Lily leaf beetles ! After viewing Deannes brugs in yesterdays photo I went and peered closely at mine, not a bud to be found ! My plan is to pump it up with weekly ½ strength doses of Maxsea bloom food. The water has been on all day, being moved from one spot to another.

PM, thanks for your nice comments on my photos ! Im really pleased with the pictures Im getting with my new /used camera. Ive posted a couple others below. Manny didnt have quite the glorious debut that Jason had , but I heard on the radio today that there has been a huge spike in both individual and season ticket sales since the news broke. He certainly got a rousing welcome from the crowd last night.

Deanne, our fuchsia tip-cutting experiment here was a dismal failure. I havent tossed them yet but they look really bad ! I will try it again with a different cultivar though, and if it gets results Ill report the process. I would love cuttings of that Plectranthus do you know its name ? What if you put a pale yellow dahlia or two in your current Rudbeckia spot ? Youd have the extra chore of lifting them , but I bet you could get close to the color you are looking for.

Saucy, you have become just a garden-design machine ! We all await the dramatic reveal. And that fish tank is just yet another garden no watering required.

Woody, dog man was singing Goodnight Sweetheart the oldie by The Spaniels, one hit wonders I think !
Goodnight Sweetheart well its time to go-o
Goodnight Sweetheart well its time to go-o
I hate to leave you but I really must say
Go-odnight Swe-eeheart Goodnight

Hows the rose swag doing ?? Your spillway sounds industrious. I have problems with standing water here (in winter) and it would require some serious infrastructure re-do to fix it. Ive tried to build my planting beds up a bit , but still get some rotted bulbs every year.

Martie, I murdered my ficus repens for the topiary project . Actually I guess it was manslaughter since it was not intentional- it dried out while I was in Washington, and once a F. repens dries out its a goner. I purchased a new one today, and hope to create the assembly tomorrow. Your chaise on the patio looks like a perfect spot for recuperation !

Yay Chelone , for you have conquered the mysterious electrical task . I fear electrical is the only DYI project I refuse to do.

And Mary, it will not be long before there is nothing you cant do ! Will you crochet toilet paper roll covers like the Midwest ladies ? (with apologies to our Midwest ladies of course) . Apricot preserves are the best..

Jealous of V with her beer in the pond. It was almost 90 here today . So if I were you V, Id complain to the company that sent you the plant trampling, butt tossing workers. Id be looking for at the very least a case of wine as mental anguish compensation.

OK, time to go back outside- ta ta Idylls !

Kathy in Napa

Another Begonia

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Passiflora 'Batwing'

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Didn't see the sign . but this has to be a 'Sharkskin' Agave

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Waving to all on what many of us consider wine night.

So-so weather here today. Much to my amazement, a couple of hours of rain once again. Last week I heard that July 2008 was the fifth wettest July on record here. I believe it. I've hardly run a sprinkler at all and my gardens look relatively lush for high summer.

On the productivity front I sucked wind though. It was just a down day. In mid afternoon I took a ride over to a neighboring town and bought fresh corn at a farm stand then parked at a ferry landing and watched the river run by. No surprise that the water is higher than usual. On the way home I stopped at the fish market for fresh swordfish and scallops. No one can accuse me of not eating well...lol. Just finished the swordfish, terriyaki marinated and grilled, served with the corn and a salad. Isn't summer eating grand? A few weeks ago I found this terrific terriyaki marinade at the grocery store and have been using it on everything. It's called Soy Vay...if you see it, try it.

Hey T! Hi to Karen for me. Maybe someday I'll make it out to the Portland schnauzer walk again. How is the mood this year with Gwen gone?

Martie, it's nice to hear you sound so upbeat. Love the patio view. Tell Rich I found an excellent heating contractor and I'm confident that there still are good guys out there. Now I just have to ask a few questions and decide if it's worth spending an extra $3K for the higher efficiency system. My gut tells me the payback period on heating costs won't make it worth it.

Marie, enjoy the visit with Skyler. He's lucky to have found his way into your family.

Mary, I saw The Producers at The Bushnell, Hartford's as close to Broadway as you can get theatre, in January. Lots of laughs. Enjoy! Good for David for toughing out the bike ride. I used to love long distance biking when I was single, lived in a condo, didn't garden and had time. Maybe it's time to reshuffle the priorities.

Kathy, your pictures look like they could have been taken at the NYBG. Last year we say that climbing Begonia at just about every garden we visited at IU4. I think Monique found one around here at the end of the season but wasn't successful in wintering it over.

OK, so one thing I did do today was take a few pictures. As promised, here's the banana that threatens to eat NY. LOL! Jeez, who would ever think that there's a banana that could take over a zone 6 garden?

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Deanne, not too many plants work harder than Rudbeckia, but I agree the color can be less than restful. Try the annual Rudbeckia 'Prairie Sun'. It's orangey towards the center but the petals fade out to the type of yellow you want towards the tip. Plus, it blooms all summer. One of my Kirengeshomas is blooming now. For some reason that's been a so-so plant for me. I think my shade is just too dry.

Tiger Eye Sumac...an intriguing plant, but it seems like every one I see that has been in the ground for a few years has shoots popping up some distance away. If I had room I'd give it a go but not in this garden.

OK, enough out of me. Maybe tomorrow we'll get some pictures of Brenda in a free fall...lol.

Sue

Wow Sue that banana is spectacular!

Cissus discolor, climbing rex begonia, not really a begonia at all I don't believe. I have one, but haven't overwintered it yet...

Skyler should have arrived by now. He's in for a fun time I think.

Long day here and I'm beat. Good night to you all.

Eden

Sue, just for the record, here in Napa County every night is wine night !
That Bannana is scary, and looks better than some I've seen in zone 10. Is that thing in a container ?? Definately F-F...

Kathy in Napa

I'm now in Ontario and I'm having lots of fun already. I saw Phoebe. She's BIG and BLACK and likes me a lot.

Skyler

A very quick good morning to all,

Great day yesterday again. The garden visit was a success even though we almost had to cancel because of rain but the precipitation stopped in time and a good time was had by all.

Kathy, Im not sure of the ID on that plectranthus but will try to find it. I will definitely send you cuttings. Ive had that plant for a several years and its an easy keeper. ~~~ Just love your pics from that conservatory. Some of those begonias are wonderful.

Sue, WOW! That patio and your banana continue to amaze. What a gorgeous photo. It looks fabulous. More pics please?

Thanks to all for all the advice for replacing the rudbeckia. I agree with Sue that it is just the hardest working plant in the gardens and really earns its space. Kathy, Id thought of doing the dahlia thing but I have a real problem with slugs in that garden and they LOVE dahlias. I might try it though as I know there are varieties that have purple leaves that would be good there too. Im still pondering. I might just remove half of the clumps of rudbeckias and see if less of that color will do the trick.

Martie, Love your patio! Beautiful spot for recuperating.

OK Ive got to get our of here and get to class so Im going to sign off for now. Have a great day everyone.

Deanne

Good morning Idylls.

Zeus is de-skunked, and I'm happy to say that the recipe worked fabulously! Zeus took it right up the nose, and I guess most of the "skunk" went into his nostrils, because he acted as though he'd been hit with mase. Poor guy. It wasn't what I wanted to be doing last night, but with all the foresight of the Idylls before me, I perservered!

A big Welcome to Skylar! You have great adventures ahead of you, I just know it!

Martie, that chaise is the perfect retreat for you! It seems Rich is taking good care of you. We'll have you ready for garden hopping in no time!

Kathy, I'm so happy to benefit from your new camera! I like that you got a shot of some Browallia for Chelone....and the color on that Passiflora is right up the new alley I'm stuck in :)

PM, according to my bee school instructor, there are no more feral bees in our area....I don't know if I believe that, but he certainly has more experience than I. I have to get into the hive soon and plan to photo it....About the Physocarpus...it'll go in the back of a new bed that borders the woods....I needed something large to transition, I think.

The viburnum still mocks me, but yesterday I moved an azalea and made a little garden in the alley between the house and garage. It came out nice. I will photo when it fills in better.

Sue, now I really have banana envy!

I saw Dark Knight last night. I loved it. I like the darker films in keeping with the original comic. It's fun to see different interpretations, much like viewing differences in garden styles :) Heath Ledger stole the show...and I couldn't help but compare his Joker to Jack Nicholson's.....funny, that brought me around to The Shining, and that's exactly the character that Heath's Joker reminded me of....someone who's gone over the edge. Too many raisinets for me perhaps......

Well, I'm off to get a weather forecast and figure out what this day holds for me.

Saucy

Wow, what a beautiful morning! Dry, cool and clear blue skies. Lots of Cicada activity though although the weatherman say we'll only get to 81 F. I'm sitting on the patio with my laptop and coffee and it's still in the 60s and almost chilly. The dogs are on one of their multiple daily grid searches of the lawn for rabbit poop. I took them back to bed with me this morning after their breakfast and we all slept til almost 8 like a bunch of lazy slugs.

Every night is wine night here too Kathy. No, the banana is not in a container. For winter I cut it back to about 18", put a wire cage around it and fill the cage with shredded leaves. The bed it's in is south facing between the garage and the patio. It's probably a solid zone 7 microclimate. Salvia Argentine Skies is running rampant in there as well even though I thought I got it all out this spring. I also grow a Crepe Myrtle but that is being almost totally shaded by the banana now and hardly blooming this year. Next spring I need to do some shuffling. I'm tempted to move a few plants now but it's probably best to wait til I get back from vacation when I can water every day.

Sorry, Deanne, out of all the pictures I took yesterday that was the only one that came out decent. A photographer I am not...lol. Maybe I'll give it another shot today.

Poor Zeus! A skunk attack would be a nightmare. Maybe I should go reread the deskunking thread. Luckily that is one critter I rarely smell and have never seen around here.

OK, time to get moving. I'm shooting for a better day today than yesterday.

Enjoy!

Sue

Hi, Skyler!! Wonderful to meet you, and I hope you'll tell us all about your trip.

Well, kids...DS and I jumped out of a plane, AND lived to tell about it. It just doesn't get any better than that, eh? It was SPECTACULAR and I'd love to do it again. There are pictures, and video. Today is my birthday party, so I don't have time to fiddle with them right now. As soon as the house clears out this afternoon, I'll get them posted. I think I'll need to borrow DFSILs laptop to upload the video to youtube. I'll have him bring it with him today.
For now, I'll just say that 46 year old skin is NOT pretty in free-fall. Ya know what? I don't care...I jumped out of a plane, and 23 year old skin isn't a whole lot better, LMAO!
Have a grand day, one and all. My head is still in the clouds :)
Brenda

Brenda, I don't think you could have had a nicer day for your jump. Can't wait to see the video!

DD's performance at the wedding went well. I had asked her if I could come to the church to hear her, but she said that would have made her more nervous so I stayed home. She brought home one of the centerpieces from the reception which had some lovely lilies. Perhaps I'll get a photo later today.

Sue, your banana looks amazing.

Saucy, sorry you had to deal with skunk issues yesterday. That's never fun, but at least you had good advice close at hand.

Skylar, I'm glad to hear you arrived safely and that you've met Phoebe. I hope you have a great visit to Ontario!

Time to shower and get on with the day. The pot ghetto must be addressed today!

V.

Good Morning, same weather here as Sue's having, just perfect. If this is high summer I'll take it.

Brenda, WOW is all I have to say. And enjoy your party today.

Kathy, I have a plectranthus that looks similar to the one in your pic called Troy's Gold. I'm loving the pics with your new camera too!

Martie, love the view from your chaise.

Saucy, my sympathies to Zeus. Bud did that exact same thing one night a few years ago, right to the face.

Deanne, those ladies got a real treat touring your gardens.

Hi Skyler! Glad you made it safe and sound and can't wait to hear about all the fun you'll be having this week.

I'm off to the grocery. Then home to make a couple of salads for the cookout this afternoon.

Eden

Welcome to the EST zone, Skyler! It must be a special time for you if Nana Marie is letting you stay up and talk with us past midnight! Have lots of fun and tell us about your trip and adventures. I'm glad Phoebe likes you and why shouldn't she? You are her very own boy.

Had to gasp then LOL at Sue's banana. You have the one at Logee's beat by a mile! Go with the high efficiency system, Sue. First off -- I think there's still IRS benefits with putting it in, knocking off some of the extra expense right off the top. We switched from oil to natural gas so I can't give first-hand savings estimates, but Rich won't put anything else in when he redoes systems; it really makes that much of a difference and his customers a season later are always pleased. Not just with the cost, but with the emissions and the ease of system care. If you have a nat gas system, there's no question. Ladd's in Windham's sale is coming up. Perhaps a rendevous?

So sorry to hear about Zeus, Saucy, and the ensuing detoxification. You hit the nail on the head with the garden crawling. I Can't Wait to be able to never again be concerned about which day in the cycle it is or maybe it doesn't matter because I feel crappy, anyway. I can Make Plans! Don't wait until the new area fills in -- I'd like to see the "bones" since there's still plenty of areas at Cornfield Park that need something done.

Brenda -- So when does the runway get built at the farm? LOL So glad you loved the jump and can't wait for the video.

Okay, Kathy. I've put off mentioning Manny but must say that I gloated a bit during his first appearance :-) You'll soon start reading about "Manny being Manny" (google some Boston Globe articles for clarification if needed) and learn that he basically decides when he will play well and when he won't. Hitting into a double play in game 1 that would've enfuriated a Little League coach then wacking a HR in game 2>>> Huh?? But -- and this is a huge but -- he's one of the few remaining pro players with definitive personality and you have to hand it to him for not going mainstream. I'm already in love with Jason Bay and he got an equal ovation in Fenway. Not easy to do in crusty old New England. A side article quoted the Red Sox equipment guy as being relieved that he didn't have to deal with the "hair and helmet issues" anymore. LOL

Pulled out the High Country catalog and browsed the website in search of Agave. I need some concrete suggestions as there are just too many lovelies. Help?!?!

Could sit here and putz around the brain some more, but everyone's time will be better served by me going out and IDing crucial weeding areas for tomorrow. Ky and BGGF V. have done a tremendous job, but they can't do everything.

The Woodstock Crowd had it right: "No Rain!@!"

Waving to all from the patio :-)

Martie

Hi Skyler! Welcome to Ontario! I hope to meet you when Nana Marie brings Phoebe here to stay with us when you go home. Our little Misty will be happy to see Phoebe again. Phoebe was still small when they first met. How much bigger is she now compared to this picture? (Misty likes her doggie buddies to be big!)
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Brenda - it sounds like you had a great time! Will the pictures and the video be on display at your party today too? I'm looking forward to seeing them.

Sue that banana is so amazing. Big leafed plants really appeal to me but there's no way something like that is going to survive in the ground here unfortunately.

Saucy - poor Zeus; poor you... Even with that recipe, there's usually a bit of residual smell, particularly on damp days in the week or so after...:-) Chelsea had a close encounter with a Pepe LePeu but Misty has avoided it so far. We keep the supplies in a bucket just in case because there's often that distinctive odor in the neighbourhood! Replacing the old shed got them to move a bit further away though I think.

It started off nice and cool here this morning but has rapidly warmed up and got humid. I watered some of the driveway pots, mulched the edges of the spillways to blend in with the path, raked the washed-out paths in the south woodland and swept the back porch and patio. I was dripping with sweat by the time I finished! No more garden work today...! We're forecast for maybe some rain tomorrow or Tuesday. If the spillways work properly during any rain, I'll post pictures of them.

Barb and my samosa-making friend arrive tonight for a two day stay. Cooking is the main thing on the agenda. My samosa-making friend's Canadian-born son is now in the picky teenage years and wants his mother to lean to cook some western-style food, particularly some pies! On the cooking agenda, we've got chicken schnitzel with spaetzle and fried onions, egg white waffles with turkey-apple sausage, apple pie with walnut crisp topping, ginger peach pie with pecan crisp topping and cinnamon rolls.

If this summer in my zone goes into the history books, it may be filed under the chapter "Mildest Summer on Record." We haven't been into the 90s since May, and the 10-day forecast goes into the low 80s then slides back into the 70s. Most agreeable. My BIL & SIL were over for dinner last night. They are just dipping their toes into gardening. The lure was saving the pumpkin seeds from a family vaca last summer, then planting the seeds this summer. The vines have all molded and withered, I think probably from lack of heat in this coolish summer, since they seem to be doing everything OK. It's interesting to watch the gardening flame start to flicker in others, what plants attract the first interest. A sentimental attachment to a plant as their impetus makes total sense, very unlike my cold-blooded ruthlessness when it comes to gardens...

Congrats to the high-flyin' Brenda and can't wait to hear how Skylar shakes up the farm. The microclimate effect is so interesting and what a ginormous banana Sue coaxes from it. Martie, I love your chaise perch. Saucy, I'm enjoying the dizzying multiplication of your garden plans. That book has really got you going! A book I haven't read yet either...maybe best to stay away from it! Kathy, I've got that plectran too, first saw it yrs ago at Western Hills out at Occidental in Sonoma Co. Do you ever get out that way? I hear the garden is open again by appt. I can ship you a cutting which I'll start post-haste (say the word). I've never seen such huge, shrub-like Hellebore argutifolius in my life as they have at WH, and the mature trees & shrubs must be wonderful to see even if the detail plantings aren't kept up with anymore. The Cottage Garden nursery in Petaluma is a nice stop out that way also, and they usually carry a strong selection of Chalk Hill Clematis if memory serves...

Way to go on the class and garden tour, Deanne. While you contemplate removing grass, I contemplate removing pathway...and did so on Fri. Since I'll probably never be able to move the giant blue agave pot from its central spot, I want to see stuff waving behind it while viewing from the patio under the pergola. Yarrows Terracotta & Anthea and gaura on order. Found some Verbena hastata, blue vervain, locally for this area too. Will sacrifice some more alliums here too, ever the optimist. Not a big area, maybe gained 4X4, but in a small garden every foot counts! Always amazes me how the dry-laid, brick-on-sand pathways bind together. It takes dogged attempts to dismantle them. The sand substrate laid for the bricks is going to provide some intense drainage for the yarrows. Pathway interruptus:

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It's more of an access path, a half circle of narrow brick path behind the main garden bed, and all the plantings will still be accessible w/o stepping on soil. The bricks should have wheels here, never mind the plants, lol.

And a new dahlia, 'Karma Choc' bought in bud. Success builds upon success, since I'm having OK luck with the Bish of Cant:

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Nice to hear from T & Norma, and waving to those I missed. What a menu, Woody!

A short break with the Idylls as I have done battle with Lady Banks ( a stand-off as usual, she will not be defeated) who is (was) casting too much shade on my red/yellow area. In addition, the sun continues to change position and this time of year areas of my garden begin to get less sun. LBs haircut will help, temporarily. I also ripped out various stands of my ever burgeoning aster population.
Denise, it seems Norcal may have gotten your missing heat. You can have it back any time ! Havent been to Western Hills since the new ownership took over. I try to get over to Cottage Gardens at least once a year- At one time the plants they propagated and carried were hard to find at local garden centers, not so much the case any more. But the garden center is beautiful to visit none the less. I DO like that Dahlia! Is the photo color fairly accurate ?

Ive noted the check-in from Parachute Brenda , returned safely to earth, Skylar who may have enough energy to romp with Ms Phoebe till she tires out, Saucys skunk woes, and continued flurry of garden activity, and am pondering Manny being Manny a common theme with sportswriters out here and still better than Barry being Barry ,LOL.

Ok, I need to cut up some fruit and get back out to fertilize containers..later !

Kathy in Napa

Nana Marie took my photo last night with Daddy Ric at the airport.
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We made yummy pancakes for breakfast this morning and I had maple syrup on mine, Daddy Ric had lingonberry sauce and Nana Marie had fresh peaches on hers.

Then I went with DR to pick grass for Cricket the bunny rabbit and we fed him together.
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While DR repaired the ping pong table I swang on the swing in the barn and Phoebe tried to catch me.
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Finally we played ping pong! I beat DR!!! Later I made a schedule for the week's Ping pong tournament.
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We had chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. We looked for bugs later and watched them up close in a magnifying glass. We cut flowers for a little party tonight and I made place cards for the table. Mine is the gold one! I hope we can go for a walk in the dark again tonight with Phoebe.

Woody, Phoebe is WAAAY bigger now!
Skyler & 'bug

Evening all,

Well class is done and everyone did a great job. Another seminar finished and I dont have anything else until September. Yea! August is garden time. (Well except for painting the project piece for the end of Sept seminar.) Im so glad I scheduled this too as its going to help pay for the $2,400 shocks my car just required. Im still gasping over that one.

Ive got a ton of garden work to do as Ive not really cleaned up and deadheaded for a week now. Things look good on the surface but I can see all the ratty-tatty stuff that needs attending to.

Brenda, You go girl! Im so impressed with your adventure because Id never be brave enough to do such a thing. Looking forward to photos and video.

Saucy, sorry about Zeus and the skunking episode. What a bother! ~~ Did you buy the tall urn yet?

Sue, Im hoping you share more pics today. How about some container shots?

Denise I love that Karma Choc. What a beauty. ~~ How neat that you are having such a mild summer there. Im looking forward to seeing pics of the finished planting in the area you removed the path. Yes, as you have probably noticed from my photos I have a good deal of grass it the front that really could be put to better use. I just have to tread lightly as Doug likes his front lawn.

Bug Ive had Anthea for several years and it just fades away to nothing for me after a couple seasons. Its the perfect yellow Im looking for but I dont like its habit here. Also Kirengeshoma palmata is the perfect soft yellow but too tall for where I want to plant it and not enough of a show of color. ~~ Looks like Skyler is having the time of his life. Love the ping-pong shot.

Ive been trying to get a decent photo of this container for a couple weeks now but for some reason I cant get a pic that really shows what it looks like in person so Ill settle for showing you all this one. This is my favorite pot from this years collection. The Hibiscus is probably close to six feet tall now and the dwarf canna not far behind. I love the Cuphea with this arrangement. Im training the Alternanthera Red Threads to climb up through the arrangement so that I have a nice S curve of dark purple running through the design. Its all too much fun!

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Im really fond of this combination, love the chartreuse with the purples and the throats of the daylilies and Oriental lilies pick up the chartreuse of the Golden Spirit and heather.

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A long view of the Driveway Garden looking through the Verbena bonariensis

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OK nite all, have a great evening everyone
Deanne

I know 'bug doesn't need any ideas to make Skyler's visit enjoyable, but it might be fun to see what ideas this crowd has to keep a boy busy in summertime:

Pitching a tent (with skeeter-proof mesh flap door?) in one of the many fields close to the house. Canteens and stuff are adored at this age.

Very basic but satisfying, digging in the veg garden, unused spot of course. Duncan was a tremendous digger. May not be Skyler's forte but something to keep in mind. Generally, I find boys are earth movers, and Phoebe would probably be right alongside helping out.

Making little sailboats of twigs and stuff to sail down the creek, if it's still flowing, maybe from the bridge overhead.

Making a fancy walking stick, maybe with fancy rope work like Marty makes for his hiking sticks, turk's head knot at the top of the stick.

Kite building and flying

Drawing a map of the farm.

Kathy, the dahlia is actually more chocolatey and less burgundy than the photo shows. Deanne, that pot with the hibiscus is stunning, as is the cotinus/lilies planting, and I love the last photo with the scrim of verbena. I'm out of superlatives where your garden is concerned! Simply gorgeous, FF to the max...

Watching the Cardinals and Phillies- not really paying much attention, as Im not quite ready to settle in for the night. A very pleasant of breezy evening here, I BBQd some chicken and did a considerable amount of WALATing. It seems as though this weekend just flew by Im not mentally prepared for Monday yet.

Saucy, in your honor Im going to drag out my copy of "Well Designed" etc . I dont think Ive looked at it for at least a year. She (Tracy-with the-extremely-long-last-name) is very organized and detailed in her approach , and I must admit that the areas of my garden that Ive taken the time to draw out on paper have turned out better than my more slapdash designs I use the term design loosely, lol !

Deanne, I can see why you are so pleased with that combo, everything goes together just perfectly. Is the Sedum in pic #2 Dark Moor ? I could never get that one going for some reason.

Eden, thanks for the ID on Cissus discolor, I would have come up pretty empty looking for a Rex Begonia vine. Ive always liked the Cissus genus.

Ok, about time to settle down, but here are my photos du jour:

Really like this one, it's called 'Star Class'.

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In this photo you get to see my design errors (Saucy take note !). The purple Phlox is behind the B&B Salvia, and can only be seen from the side. You can also see the white Echinacea , also behind B&B. The path is totally overgrown with waist-high Asters (this is after I thinned them !) and close to the point where weilding a machete may be the only way to travel forward. The pic does not show the Star of Yalta morning glory that is grasping everything, including the Rudbeckia and Joe Pye.

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Kathy in Napa

Good morning all,

Im luxuriating in knowing Ive got a whole day to putter about in the gardens with nothing else on my plate. Doug is home and working on a project at a company in the Boston area this week. It looks like we will have more days of afternoon thunder storms but that just means the watering chores are nil except for the large pots. Life seriously doesnt get better than this. I sometimes wonder how I got so lucky. I do appreciate how very fortunate we are. One of my students this weekend has traveled extensively and has been to Peru and Ecuador in South America, China, Africa, etc. and we had a discussion this weekend about just how wealthy middle income Americans are by world standards and most dont realize how well off we have it here.

On the garden front most of the daylilies are ready to be done for the year and its sad to see them go because that really means the big color times in the garden are about done. Thank goodness for the containers and fuchsias. They really carry things along for the rest of the season.

Kathy, when I opened this thread and saw your garden photo I just exclaimed to myself, "Oh how pretty!" Then I read your post and couldnt believe you were picking apart your design. WE are all too hard on ourselves. Is that S. Black and Blue hardy for you? Do you ever shear back your asters? I usually do that in June and it makes them shorter and bushier. What is that phlox in the back of the border? ~~ That Sedum is Purple Emperor. I had a second clump of that and it didnt do that well over the winter last year and its not looking too good right now.

Denise so many great ideas for Bug and Skyler. ~~ Thanks so much, Im so pleased you liked the pics. This is the first year Ive found Verbena bonariensis and love the airy look of it. Great plant. I hope it seeds around for me. ~~ I'd love to see more garden photos from you. I'm always so interested to see what you are growing there as it's so lovely and different.

OK all, Im going to sit on the patio and enjoy my morning coffee. Have a wonderful day everyone.

Deanne

Kathy, I too remarked at how beautiful your garden is! I was thinking to myself yesterday that I couldn't have found this book at a better time because I have a blank slate. I am going to try not to rip up my old garden too much because it has been a good garden - but it just needs a little editing....and I find I take most pleasure in the purples and yellows of high summer :) The light pinks are bugging me.....

Anyway, all that to second what Deanne said :)

Denise, I love that you have to remove a path for more plants :) Some great ideas there...they brought back great memories of doing those things with my children. We always played Pooh sticks on the bridge: each person picks a unique stick and drops it off the bridge and then head to the other side to see who's stick emerges first. We still play this little game :)

I've gotta get moving...Nick needs this computer and I've got a house to clean and a Sarah with a sore throat.....

TTYL
Saucy

I'm way behind again!
Martie, I'm so very glad to hear that the visit with your brother went well! DH and I haven't discussed the runway yet. Lol, I'll get the garage first, and see how much patience he has at that point ;)
T-So good to hear from you! One of our dogs found a whole nest of baby bunnies...no rescue possible, and she had to have a bath. The whole experience was pretty disgusting. She is not willing to share her yard with outside critters..she also nailed a groundhog and a vole.

The dog and the Hitchcock pics....ROFL!

Saucy, sorry to hear about Zeus' encounter with the skunk! I don't think we've ever had a dog that didn't get nailed at least once in it's life. It doesn't seem to get any more pleasant, and I've never gotten used to the smell. DS is after me to see Dark Knight. Of course, he says I need to watch the first movie before I go. He says it's one of the first movies he's seen that lives up to the hype.

V-You're right, the weather in Illinois couldn't have been nicer! Bright blue sky, little puffy clouds-it was spectacular! I didn't want to take the new camera along, as it would spend a LOT of time sitting in the hot car, and you for sure don't have enough wits about you to try and shoot pictures while you're shooting toward the ground at 120 mph! At least, I couldn't do it, lol! I took along a disposable, and I hope some of the shots of the sky full of parachutes turned out well.

Woody, we all spent a good deal of time looking at pictures and videos yesterday. My future SIL has a whole new respect for me, and seems to think I might just be crazy enough that he should be a little scared of me. I am, and he should be :)

Bug, I'm so enjoying you sharing Skyler's visit with us. I bet he's having a blast with you!

Deanne-$2400 for shocks??? I should be more kind to DH, lol! He's always handled quite a bit of the work on our vehicles. If it gets into something computerized, he won't go near it. Good for you to have a day to putter about. Those days are such a luxury-enjoy!

Kathy, I've been shooting pictures around a design error all season, lol! For some reason, I put a boltonia in front of my Purple Emperor sedum. It doesn't work, the sedum is half hidden. It's taken every bit of self control I have to keep from popping it out of the ground. It makes DH edgy when I do things like that...especially when it's hot and dry. We got rain today, though....! Lol, better just leave it alone, and remember to move it for next year.

I struck out at the local library. I was afraid I might. Now, I'm pondering whether it's worth heading to the big town and getting an external dvd drive, lol! I could swing past the chiropractor, go to wally-world and pic up my contacts and and pictures from vacations long ago that I finally got developed. Anyone want to guess what's going to happen?? It's rainy and I can't play in the yard, so..the big town it is. I'll have to see what the price is on the dvd drive. There's been more than one time I've thought about it. Must mean I need it, right. Yes, Deanne, many many middle-class Americans are far more blessed than we realize. Frankly, I'm pretty glad to have grown up without much, because I have a great appreciation for the fact that I can even contemplate spending money on skydiving and a dvd drive I don't need. Life on the farm is good, indeed!
Have a great afternoon everyone!
Brenda

We're just taking a break from cooking lessons for my friend. Here's the results of this morning's session:
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Ginger peach pie with pecan crisp topping on the left and apple pie with walnut crisp topping on the right. As you can see, we sampled... :-) They both turned out really good - the peach one is an experimental recipe I came up with after being inspired by some good local peaches at the farmers' market on Friday. Since my friend is a nervous begginer at western food, we stuck to simple recipes, hence the crisp topping instead of a regular pie crust. The bottom crust is a low fat oatmeal crust. She will take the leftovers home to see if the picky teenage son approves... :-) If he does, she says she now feels sufficiently confident that she will try it on her own.

Brenda - it sounds like your future SIL will be treating you with proper respect :-)

Wickedly good garden pictures above... I'm not feeling too happy with the front garden this year but the back is doing very well. I have to give a lot of thought to what to do with the front next year. Some significant changes are in order I think, but I'm not sure what yet. Somebody asked about the rose swag... It's waiting for the new canes to get long enough for tying in - there are lots of them but need a bit more length still. I notice this morning that there are a fair number of buds starting up so the second flush of bloom should start appearing soon. But the swag won't really be much to see until next year at least.

Good afternoon! :-)

Everyone is having such a busy summer! Enjoying everyone's stories and photos.

That Banana tree is nicer looking then some I've seen in the South! Wow, Sue! Have any bananas? [g]

Kathy, your new camera is really producing nice photos. That Agave looks like velvet. The photo of your lilies and your garden...wow and here I thought most of your garden had roses...where do you find the room? That purple phlox is eye catching, even from the back. [g]

Look forward to Bee photos Saucy...and....lots of photos of redesigned beds by fall. :-)

V...your daughter plays trumpet? Is she a Harry James fan?

Denise...I may try Dahlias again next year. I saw a photo of Bodacious that has caught my fancy. Have you seen it?

Love the photos of Skyler's arrival and first day in Ontario. Great shot on the swing with Phoebe! Sounds like Nana Marie and DR are keeping things busy there. I want updates on the Ping Pong tournament! :-) Activity suggestions per Denise's post...what about pressing some favorite flowers to take back from the trip?

Deanne...Great orangey/brown container..really great job! You're just having a great time, I can tell. :-)

Woody...No fair...photo of peach pecan crisp without recipe? My mouth is watering...lol.

Not a lot new here. I am feeling like I have too much to do of late and just have that stretched sensation that is leaving me a little blah at times. On the upside I am getting more done though...lol. DH has been on a mission weeding the garden and we are almost caught up . I've been trimming and deadheading and paying more attention to containers. Feeling better about the garden right now. Nothing is too exciting but some areas are looking pretty decent. I am working on four containers to stay out year round, through the winter. I have two plants for it already...two Arborvitae 'Emerald Green' and Ajuga 'Black Scallop'. Have no idea what I am aiming for but I have collected a long list of plants that will survive the winter in a container. I may add some bulbs in their own containers to be removed after bloom. No editing or redesigning here for a few more weeks when I hope to start moving things again. We have a trip to see our middle son coming up in the next few weeks, so that will be exciting!

Have any New Englanders grown Ajuga 'Black Scallop'? I seem to remember trying it once and it didn't survive the winter. Just wondering if anyone had any experience with it.

Waving to everyone ....I am sure I missed a lot... :-) :-)

Has anyone heard from Ei?

pm2

Okay, maybe I can finish my post now? Nick used the computer and then got an emergency call, but I was napping with Sarah: she's so sick it's pitiful. Only complaints are a major headache, fever, and a sore throat that is absent today. She looks like a little dishrag.

Sue, you've found me out....I use Soy Vay and it's what I served to you :) I added more Hoisin to make it thicker and stay on the salmon better. We're fans of the Island flavor, too....a little fruitier. We're having cedar plank salmon tonight! Sarah placed candles and we're dining by candlelight....

Skylar looks like you're having a blast! Those are some snazzy ping pong balls you've got there :) Cool motion pictures Nana :)

Deanne, your combos are just fantastic! Beautiful. Hope you had fun in the garden today. We had rain, but it cleared and we have sun....can't beat the free watering :)

I agree that I have it pretty good as a middle class citizen....but you have to make it good! It's just as easy to see the glass half empty, no?

Jake zoomed over to the library today....our little satelite library has limited hours and he wanted to catch it open and check out a book on training Popcorn - CLOSED due to staff illness, LOL....poor kid. So far he's built a T shaped training stick and taught Popcorn to come and land on it. He also has him trained to fly to him. I think he's hoping to teach him to whistle a tune or talk....

Well, the house is bustling again....guess I'm out of here for now!

Saucy

It's a sad day here. I had to have my little kitty Buttercup put to sleep today.

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I ran across this poem years ago and it just suited her personality.

Butter-Kitten

A kitten went a-walking
One morning in July
And idly fell a-talking
With a great big butterfly.

The kitten's tone was airy,
The butterfly would scoff;
When there came along a fairy
Who whisked his wings right off.

And then, - for it is written
Fairies can do such things,
Upon the startled kitten
She stuck the yellow wings.

The kitten felt a quiver,
She rose into the air,
Then flew down the river
To view her image there.

With fear her heart was smitten,
And she began to cry:
"Am I a butter-kitten?
Or just a kitten-fly?"

by Carolyn Wells

Goodbye my little friend. I'll miss you.

Eden

Eden, so sorry to hear about Buttercup. What a sweet poem.

This will be a short post as the lightning is flying all around right now. I'm running on battery while it lasts, but I'm trying to save some juice for the weather warnings.

DD is shopping with a friend, so I made that hard phone call: DON'T leave the mall, dear, the weather is too bad. So tough for a couple of 20 year olds to obey that command!

Brenda, the dive looks absolutely awesome, but there's no ----ing way you would get me up there! I watched for a long, long time when my son did his jump a couple of years ago and concluded I would never do it. Heck, there was a blind woman doing a tandem that day and I still wasn't convinced.

Gotta go weather the storm.

V.

Eden, I'm so sorry about Buttercup.
Monique

So maybe staying at the mall isn't quite so much fun when you get herded into the interior hallways by the security guards. Although it does make me feel better to know that someone at the mall was watching the serious weather and ordered precautions to be taken.

We've missed the worst of it, but it sounds like there have been tornadoes in the area.

V.

Have successfully negotiated another Monday at the Awfice as Cindy would say (and where has she gotten too by the way ? ) and am enjoying some pretty crummy Chardonnay , while perusing Brendas free-fall pics. WALAT soon to follow.

So I come back from IU5 unhappy that you can see dirt in my garden and here I am complaining that not only can you not see dirt in the pic I posted yesterday, but you cant see many of the plants either ! Never satisfied, thats me. Late summer is just such a bountiful time in the garden isnt it ? And we continue to straddle that fine line between bountiful/lush and overgrown .
Deanne, I wish I knew the name of that purple phlox , Id get a few more. I just love the color (when visible, lol) but I bought it many moons ago and dont remember where, or if it even had a tag. S. Black & Blue is hardy here, though it dies back to the ground and completely disappears in winter. I always shear back my Aster Frikartiis in May but for some reason have never thought to shear back the others. They are really pretty weedy, and have spread all over the place by runners.

Woody, those pies !

PM, I have 60ish roses I think-have not taken a head count this year, and they are just jammed in with all the other stuff. That photo from yesterday has eight roses in it- Polka , The Prince, The Squire, Gourmet Popcorn, the Fairy, Buff Beauty, English Garden and Sombruiel. Buff Beauty has had a rough go this year after I chopped her down to 3 ft. and she is timidly emerging from behind the B&B Salvia.

Hey, I use Soy Vey too!

Hi to everyone, I need to perform dinner duties .

This is my island bed- which has undergone mental re-do after viewing the bed we saw at Wave Hill. 3 of the purple phlox, a clump of Casablancas, more yellow.

Kathy in Napa

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A close up of the edging

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Eden - my condolences to you on the loss of your beautiful kitty.

(((Eden)))

What a beautiful poem for a beautiful cat. Hugs from me, Eden.

Saucy

((Eden)) I'm so sorry about Buttercup. What a sweet poem.

V-Glad to hear the worst has missed you. It's heading our way and does not look pretty. DH said he heard something about a building collapse in Chicago, but just caught the tail end and doesn't know what happened. I'm so glad to hear you DD and friend are safe. I'm chewing my nails waiting to hear from the kids that they're home from work. They both work second shift, and so does DFSIL. See, I can skydive, it's THIS KINDA CRAP that makes me a nervous wreck!!!!
Brenda

Aw Buttercup...You stayed too short a time. You'll be missed so much.

Eden - I'm so sorry to read about sweet Buttercup.

Woody - those pies look amazing. I'd love to try the recipe. What a fun way to spend a morning.

Skylar - hope you continue to enjoy your stay with Grandma. Keep us posted with all your activities!

Kathy - your gardens are stunning:0) Keep the photos coming.

Deanne - yours too are magnificent beyond words.

T - hope you are having fun with your friend. Will there be photos to share?

V - I'm with you on the Skydiving and totally admire Brenda. Given that I was scared to death on the ferris wheel at the Wisconsin State Fair (my last exposure to heights) it would not be a birthday treat I'd enjoy LOL! Glad the tournadoes missed.

Chelone - you might have heard Annie laughing all the way in Maine Saturday night. She is the most fun person to take to a comedy. We had a great evening out at The Producers and many belly laughs. Both children love Blazing Saddles, Young Franenstein and Spaceballs.

David has a blast on his ride first long distance bike ride. He said he had never worked so hard in his life! Also, that for the first time in his life, he was longing for a shower.

Today work on the powder room resumed and I have just one wall left to wainstcote. Progress is slow as molasses (I'm still painstakingly careful around the table saw) but the results ever more satisfying. I was pleased that I was able to cut out the holes for the sink pipes and drain in one go with a snug fit - yay!! I learned how to use extenders to bring out the electical box to fit flush in the waiscoting. I would never, ever have thought a tiny room would involve so many hours work.

I'm heading to bed to read for the last moments of the day

Hope you all had a good one.

Mary

So sorry Eden to read about your kitty.Hope you're doing OK.

Deanne-I'm cracking up a little at one of this year's oops moment in the garden. In spring I found this new weed that was everywhere in just one bed. I hesitated for a moment then began ripping the little buggers from the soil-it had to be a weed-it was everywhere. Yeah well that 'weed' ended up being my verbena bonariensis which came from A nursery plant I bought last year !!! Luckily I eventually figured it out so there are survivors. If you let the flower heads stay intact through winter I promise you will get *many* volunteers. Take a pic of the leaves so you know what your looking for in spring: ) Embarrassingly I will admit the one plant I was sure was a true verbena bonariensis was actually.....a weed! lol
On a side note,I thouroughly enjoyed your lily pics in your garden.

Summer's winding down way too fast : (

Am I crazy or did I see Brenda falling from the sky? I suppose both can be true....; )

Hi to the whole Idyll gang~

~Babs

Sweet little buttercup -- she does have that small, feminine face. What a beauty. Sorry for your loss, Eden. (I know you're a big fan of The Princess Bride, so I'm guessing that was the inspiration for her name.)

Brenda, I've seen the photos but haven't commented on the other threads yet. Wow! I had no idea that the price of jumping included the non-stop bear hug on the way down. I thought everyone pulled their own cords. That's slightly more reassuring than falling by your lonesome. What a great thing to do with your son. Hope you had a fine day in the "big town."

Saucy, sorry to hear Sarah's under the weather. It's so consoling to both of you to nap together when she's not well, isn't it?

That's great news about the cyclists, Mary, and your night on the town too. Young Frankenstein is probably my favorite of Brooks' movies.

Kathy, your garden is beautiful, very Oudolf-esque. I've been ever alert for Star of Yelta/Yalta (wasn't that Roosevelt? ;) morning glories, progeny of last year's mad fling. Never again. Hundreds of seedlings have been slaughtered to date.

Nice to hear you're making container plans, PM. Garden plans always pull you forward, don't they?

V, your emergency supplies must be awe-inspiring with the frequent opportunities you have to use them being at Storm Central. Hand-cranked generators and whatnot, a cleverly packed box probably sitting by the front door. Glad to hear the family is safe and accounted for.

Babs, that verbena was an exuberant volunteer for me as well, until Marty took an active dislike of that particular plant and thoroughly eradicated it from the garden. I found one seedling this year after having zip for the past few years running. It sowed into the paving, and while I love to brush by plants, that's where he draws the line. Doesn't like plants to reach out for him!

Gorgeous pies, Woody, and looking forward to hearing more plans of the front garden re-do. Nite, all.

Good morning...

Very sorry to hear about Buttercup, Eden. I'm sure you will all miss her. She looked very young and sweet.

Eden, so sorry you had to send Buttercup over the bridge. Making that decision is tough but it's the one last gift we can give to the pets who have brought us so much love.

Take care.

Sue

Eden, I'm so sorry to hear of your little Buttercup. She is beautiful and lucky to have a 'Mom' who loves her so much. (((Hugs)))

Jerri

Saucy...what a fun project for Jake to train Popcorn. Very good experience for him. I wonder how difficult a bird is to train? How old is Jake?

Kathy....I really like your Garden Island Bed. I think it expands the space with all the deep shadow behind it...and outlines the plant silhouette. I just can't believe there are eight roses in your photo from Sunday. You could do a Where's Waldo...lol. What are the white flowers on the left side of the photo of the Island Bed?

Mary...you must be saving a ton of money doing over your bathroom yourself!! Such perseverance to keep chipping away at it. I hope it will be done soon and you will be enjoying it for a long time. :-)

Babs....I feel like the summer has flown by this year too!

I agree Denise, garden plans do keep you looking forward and even if I think I will not get to them for quite awhile, it is a very pleasant pastime.

I've just gotten my first Verbena bonariensis bloom and I hope I won't be sorry. [g]

pm2

My Tuesday was a long one, went in at 6 and got home at 5:45an off site meeting with the IT folk. Temps continue to be mild (for a change) and I cross my fingers that it will stay coolish for the weekend.

Thanks to all for the nice comments on my garden photos ! Positive feedback from other gardeners who know the ropes means a lot.

PM, the white flower in my island bed photo is a Sally Holmes rose which is growing along the fence, and Deanne that purply-blue is Angelonia ! Wish Id planted about a dozen more, but at this point its time to start thinking about winter-spring stuff like snaps, pansies , primroses etc.

Martie, Im having a really good year with my lavs, and will get a second bloom out of at least three of them.

Hi Michelle !

Lol Denise, my friend Denniss mom had a standard line when we were growing up that we would hear frequently about FDR selling us Down the River at Yalta and Potsdam". We had no idea what she was talking about at the time. Highway workers were FDRs boys, leaning on their shovels".

Ok, Im going to have some chow and watch baseball for a bitHi to Mary, V, Babs Eden, Chelone , Saucy, etcwhat happened to our new Southern Belle Leslie ?? Are you there Leslie ??

Kathy in Napa