Finally, after several years of slogging along .. like six, my captain kirk is starting to look halfway decent, except for the not-so-glorious vine shtuff that keeps coming up.

Had a GREAT surprise the other day. My shade garden turned into a semi-shade garden.

Yup, a big eight inch diameter branch decided to act like a leaf, and pulled the abscission card on me (carpenter ants, me thinks).

Left my a nice gap, and especially warm out there from 2-5 p.m. in a garden that had been enjoying 97 percent shade.

So we pulled it out of the garden, lucking only a few potted plants were upset, and I have a tree problem to deal with, as long as my overcrowding.

Oh, and the heat index today is 107.

Here's kirk ... sans starship and several other trekish hosta that have de-materilized from my garden.