With subjects like that, how can we NOT join in the conversation!!!

I go through periods like that, but not so much economically-motivated, but just plain overwhelmed and tired of the work and not enough time to get it all done. I have always had a high debt tolerance, so if I want something, I usually buy it if I have money or not (well, within reason...). I guess its time I change my ways. The ways out of debt are closing down fast...

Another reason I lose the lust, is that my former plant lust has lost its luster after discovering that so many new introductions that I lusted after, were not worth the lust after I had them for a time. They were anti-climatic.

:-)

Plus, I have less spots to put things. It has to be a REALLY REALLY great plant and I have to come up with the right spot without too much musical chairs to do it.

Many books that I have lusted after are in the bookcase still unread. Maybe this winter...

I need more time to satisfy my lusts!

I lost the lust several years ago, and have been satisfied with watching the current garden inhabitants grow up. It started with the year we rooted about 60 rose cuttings, and spent the next 3 years trying to find homes for them all. Then a couple of sale items from White Flower Farm arrived that had to be accounted for. I'm still not convinced the Kousa dogwood ended up in a reasonable place, but maybe it will bloom next year.

Currently I have two major gardening needs, both of which require legendary, mythical plants. One is the infamous evergreen that grows to about 10-15 ft then stops. The other is even more mysterious. A foundation plant that will grow on the north side of the house, is deer proof and can handle neutral-alkaline clay. There are rumors in the shrub forum of a cold hardy manzanita from Utah that may fit the bill. It's questionable whether or not it can handle the mud factor, but it wouldn't be the first plant that can handle more moisture than expected so long as the pH is high enough.

Interesting timing, Katy. Today in the mail I got two seed catalogs, and was very excited. When I had a few free moments I made myself a cup of tea and gleefully sat at the dining room table to look through the catalogs. I thumbed through about 10 pages of the first one, and felt decidedly uninspired, so much so that I only quickly flipped through the rest of the first catalog, and never even opened the second catalog.

However, like Wendy, I don't think my loss of lust is economically motivated - at least not yet. Mine is also more from tiredness and being a bit overwhelmed. Having to force myself to go outside in the 27-degree morning today to do chores does not make one feel very lusty, lol. (Although I will admit that by about 11am it was actually rather pleasant out there, as long as I kept moving.)

But I've had enough of the season now, and want it to end. I'm sure by January I'll be ready to start my winter-sowing and will be looking through the books and catalogs with a bit more interest.

Economically, I've never really had the means to do any big-scale things to begin with. About the biggest thing I had done was to take down a half-dead double oak to give my garden more sun. Even then it took me another 18 months to be able to pay to have the stumps ground.

Actually, now that I think of it, I was considering a full and complete re-do of the front foundation beds, *finally* replacing the way-too-huge shrubs that the original owner put in. That project is iffy cost-wise to begin with. It may just be that come spring it will be a no-go, depending on the economy (the nation's and mine, lol). I guess time will tell.

:)
Dee

Maybe we need to miss it a little more. We just got thru cleanup (well, sorta...) I bet in January, the lust will be back after the holiday hoopla and the nesting kicks in.

I think I started to lose my lust when a developer bot the ramshackle house next door. It has since been stripped to the studs, doubled in size, and paved, front and back. There is no joy in gardening when a bunch of construction workers are watching, hammering, bulldozing, etc. Once the house is inhabited, maybe it will change? But the house really looms over my yard now. and we are built so close together there is no way to screen. It's claustrophobic out there!

No time, no money, no air! Tho I still do have space....

Well I may have Lost the Lust but it appears Garden Web hasn't...whats up with the 24pt font Banner ORGASIM? Now should we discuss why the Trojan advertisers targeted gardeners for their product with banner promises? kt

"Now should we discuss why the Trojan advertisers targeted gardeners for their product with banner promises?"

Maybe an engine of some sort which fixated on the word 'lust'?! Or maybe the thought that gardeners are now indoors . . . ;>)

My plant lust comes and goes. Like Wendy, my wants have been tempered by experience - what others think is a great plant may not fit my definition, and also the wishful thinking on hardiness that often accompanies new introductions. At this stage of my life, a plant may sit on my "interesting plants" list for years before I end up buying it, just waiting for more info on hardiness, invasiveness, actual garden effectiveness,etc. and is more likely to get removed than bought. My garden book lust, however, seems unchanged. Up here in the rural north, it's cold and dark by 4:15 or 4:30 in the afternoon and reading about or looking at photos of warm gardens is a nice evening tonic to counteract the out-of-doors.

No trojan advertisers here... Firefox with Adblock extension rocks!

Oh I never look at seed catalogs until Jan or Feb (well after the holidays). I look at this time of the year as a break from gardening. After putting the garden mostly to bed and planting some bulbs to force in the garage I am done for now. I think if you wait until Jan or Feb or even later you'll feel much more motivated!

As for the feelings about the financial state of things, things will get better. Remember in the early 90's when people's houses were underwater (in value versus mortgage) and how hopeless people were that housing prices would increase again? Also the jobless rate was 8 or 9% (something like that) in Massachusetts with lots more layoffs etc. So for now keep your fingers crossed and be hopeful things will recover soon.

I'm not worried about finances too much, for better or worse.

I figure my money is worth less every day it sits in any sort of wall street investment, so I might as well invest in plants. Just think, a $15 investment in a small tree will be worth 10 times that in just a few years. (OK, I guess I should admit it, it will cost a fortune to have all these trees removed in a few years so the next owner can find the house.)

My lack-lust attitude is not so much disappointment with new introductions; I've found that the plants I've HAD to HAVE, whether new or old, don't really make much of a difference, in my garden or in my life. It's kind of sad, because it's the lust that keeps us going; once it's gone there's not much left ... except work.

But from a financial point of view, I don't think there's any point in being conservative now. We're in for a bumpy ride, no matter how big our nest eggs were last year. I'm planning to enjoy my garden and wait to see what happens.

I'm guessing it's the calendar as much as anything; see how you feel in February or March!

On the other hand, I think *everyone*, whether your job/income is secure or not, is inclined to be frugal, or at least careful, in this economic climate. Personally, I'm trying to stop my entertainment shopping and ask myself if I *really* need a particular object of lust. Many folks are that sensible anyway, by nature, and it's a good model for those of us who aren't. I do feel bad for the merchants. There are so many businesses closing! Just in the nursery business there have been several closings the last couple of years, and yesterday I was startled to see that several of my favorite furniture stores in Harvard Square (for browsing, not buying) had closed or are in the process.

In terms of gardening, I suppose being frugal means we should look at buying seeds, smaller plugs, going to plant swaps, making divisions, trading with neighbors, all the time-tested ways to garden on a budget. I'm trying to convince myself to swear off those $17 1-gallon perennials--heck, the voles will probably get them anyway. I'm a magazine junkie, but trying to resist unless it's really a keeper. I've discovered that my town library has a great collection of gardening books, and that ebay and the resellers on Amazon are good sources for the must-haves. Just today I took a walk to the bookstore to buy a book I read a good review of (Scott Calhoun's "Designer Plant Combinations") and after flipping through I decided I didn't like it. I'm glad I didn't order it on line!

Great topic.

my lust for a bargain wins. I already mentioned somewhere I bought 1000 muscari from Van.E at 40 percent off. But I give myself credit for not buying the narcissi they had left because I just wasn;t crazy about them. They arrived in 24 hours!!

As many others have stated, this time of year I'm just plain TIRED. . .it's rather like the end of a marathon, tying up the end of the season, all those last minute chores to complete, but don't push too hard or fast or you'll collapse before the finish line! Now that we've had a few good freezes at night, I consider my work done for this year (pay no attention to those stray pots in the corner!)and I can give thanks to all my garden gurus over the years who taught me about the "bones" of a garden - for the next few months, I get to look out the windows at shrubs bursting with berries, wander down through the still-bristling grasses with my thermos-cup of coffee and marvel at the appropriately sited evergreens just quivering with bird activity. This is pay-back time, for all my hard work. . .

On the economic front, consider how fortunate we gardner's are: while everyone else will have to forgo so many things
in their over-accessorized lives, we can still wallow in
our most favorite pastime - gardening - while scarcely missing a beat. Seeds are relatively cheap, we could ALL do
more dividing and grafting, and there are always those
alluring Plant Swaps out there! Plant catalogues are still
a boon (it costs nothing to dream. . .) and some of my happiest winter side-trips are day-long visits to the
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society library or our own county Hort. Library. . .getting to peruse garden
books BEFORE I buy has saved me a small fortune, plus the
Amazon used book outlet is a gift.

Lost the lust? Nahh. . .just putting my feet up for a bit
and biding my time. . .

Carl

Carl, very well said! As I was reading your post, I was thinking maybe you could turn some of these thoughts into a poem. :-) Sorry, I've been reading garden poetry all day. LOL

You have also painted a wonderful picture of your garden and I am intrigued. I would enjoy seeing some photos as the winter season progresses.

pm2

pm2,
I read the poem you posted today on the perennial conversations page by Clyde Watson and I am not sure I see the correlation between that and what Carl wrote.
Totally unrelated but I just have to ask...don't you feel concerned about the depth of personal information you folks (IdllÂs) write on a daily basis that is open to the World Wide Web? Have you ever been concerned about feeling so comfortable with the other IdllÂs that you forget that in the divulging of the subtle nuances of your day to day lives you have left your selves vulnerable to some pretty scary people? Hope you understand that I am just voicing a concern for your safety. kt

This week I suddenly find it too cold to go outside and enjoy it. Time for the big winter coats! Yes, I would love to garden in the warmth of summer, otherwise, I am glad to be by the fire.

I think I always loose my lust right about now and am actually happy to just cut all my babies back and call it a day. I actually enjoy the break. That said - I moved this summer and really have not bonded with my new yard and garden (I miss my old place) so my levels of garden lust have been low most of the year. This did not stop me from ordering 1200 bulbs though so I guess there is hope. Regarding the economy I think gardening is the perfect hobby for bad times. I love doing it on the cheap.

Maybe an engine of some sort which fixated on the word 'lust'?! Or maybe the thought that gardeners are now indoors . . . ;>)

LOL, nhbabs...I have been known to say that gardening is the most fun thing I can do with my clothes on!!

KT - another great thread, thanks for starting it - and what the heck are IDLLs??? Mayalena - sorry to hear about the monster house and construction next door and how this has curbed your lust! Carl - I enjoyed your description of the winter garden.

My garden lust used to go "dormant" this time of year, somewhat thankfully so after a long season of hard work in the gardens and yard. Since I started winter-sowing, gardening is now year-round. (This may or may not be such good news for us tired gardeners, hehe.) However, winter-sowing is such an easy, relaxed garden activity thru the winter, and there's rarely an urgency about sowing seeds by such and such a date or weather condition. It's very low pressure. And it's an effective way to get lots of plants for little money, a perfect fit for the current economic conditions.

Now the late fall/winter is filled with many pleasurable hours researching plants, perusing seed company websites, fantasizing about what I can grow from seed, and where it will be planted. Filling a few containers and sowing seed from time to time. Also bird-watching and bird counts, winter photography, and nature walks. Winter is a lot more fun than it used to be.

I have such an abiding passion for nature and wildlife gardening, I don't expect to ever "lose the lust". But, I experienced a garden slump this year in August...sometimes we just need a break or are forced to tend to other life circumstances.

It is good to hear so many of you are still enthusiastic about your gardens. I must admit after reading about"Johnny's Select Seeds" cool new on line catalog over at"Garden Rant" I had to take a peak and it did spark my interest (though not enough to place and order). I wonder if you would be willing to forego a paper catalogue in lieu of such a cool user friendly web site/catalogue?

Sorry kt, I'm not following you...not sure where you saw any reference to a poem on another forum. When I read what Carl wrote, I really connected with it. He 'painted a picture' with his description. This sentence is very poetic to me:

"I get to look out the windows at shrubs bursting with berries, wander down through the still-bristling grasses with my thermos-cup of coffee and marvel at the appropriately sited evergreens just quivering with bird activity."

My mention of having read poetry all day, was to explain, that normally I wouldn't notice it but since I had poetry on my mind, which is unusual for me, it just jumped out at me.

Carl.....you clearly love your garden and you did a great job describing how much enjoyment it gives you and have not lost the lust. :-)I feel the same way. Thanks again.

Surprisingly kt, the Idylls group is frequently reminded that they are on the Web. [g] Lots of lurkers out there. I didn't know you were a fan. :-)

pm2

pm2,
I was relieved to read that you feel your Idyll posts wonÂt lead to any unpleasant circumstances. I am afraid I havenÂt visited the perennials conversations page frequently enough to consider myself a fan but will now certainly visit more often. When you referred to the Idylls group does that mean you consider yourselves a garden club or sorority?

I too work for the financial industry, need I say more...

So, the first catalog arrived last week...ho..hum. I did flip through almost immediately - however right now I feel I have enough. I think I used up my lust quota for the next five years. Every free minute this year was spent in the garden. Too many new hosta, shrubs, and trees to reconstruct my front yard (removed 6 trees) and plant two new gardens...I'M READY FOR A BREAK.

I'm really looking forward to watching my new additional grow next year! I hope I can hold to this plan as that would be a fresh approach - just working with what I already have.

Methinks runk needs to dust off her copy of the Michael Pollan tome...

Here, I am neither overly nor underly enthused. The weather is way too cold, way too early, but I enjoy the cold weather for laborious garden work. I hate the heat of summer. That said, laborious work is no fun when the knee is out of whack and any moment may produce intractable inertia. On ten acres, sometimes no one can hear you scream...

So, I want to buy the great deals on new clones of bare root Viburnum species that come from hither and yon:

ÂViburnum prunifolium 'Forest Rouge'
ÂViburnum cassinoides 'Endeavor'
ÂViburnum dentatum Cream PuffsÂ
ÂViburnum cassinoides Vanilla CupcakesÂ

But I don't look forward to the ground prep necessary to provide for their future home.

I'm also quite enamored with the bargain basement books being brandished - by the likes of the American Nurseryman bookstore. I see eleven books (marked down 75%), that for $110 or so, could punch up the old library and give me a year's worth of reading. Not too bad, in the overall scheme of things.

So - lust not lost, but maybe waylaid...

hostabuff,
I hope I can hold to this plan as that would be a fresh approach - just working with what I already have.
LOL, this fall I moved many, many shrubs that I had originally planted in protected beds to their final location and I did get a kick out of shopping for plants in my own yard.
VV,
I think you need to bring a Lassie type dog along with you to send for help should your knee decide it doesn't like cold weather labor as much as your heart seems to.
In regards to your list of clones it is no wonder you haven't lost any lust as youÂre sure to be the first on your block to be growing any of those beauties. I had a hard time finding much info about them with the exception of V. cassinoides 'Vanilla Cupcakes'that I found in Dirr's Viburnum book and at a petite 5-6' high and wide it should be a winner for the home landscape. I am assuming that V. prunifolium 'Forest Rouge' is named for it's fall coloring but am I also correct in assuming that it may not need full sun as an understory plant?

runk:

"We're going to need another Timmy..."

All we have are five lap cats - and that's just fine, thanks.

First off, I will report the errata.

Viburnum dentatum Vanilla Cupcakes ('Vacuzam', http://www.lakecountynursery.com/vanilla%20cupcakes.htm) selected by Lake County Nursery (Ohio) is the correct nomenclature. It is NOT a V. cassinoides.

That's what happens when cutting/pasting and not fact-checking. It is a partner to the Cream Puffs arrowwood ('Crpuzam', http://www.lakecountynursery.com/cream%20puffs.htm), and these are two in the group that this nursery calls the Lake Erie SeriesÂ, which includes some that are already ensconced in the Valley:

ÂBlue Blaze (Viburnum dentatum 'Blubzam')
ÂFireworks (Viburnum dentatum 'Firzam')
ÂPapoose (Viburnum dentatum 'Papzam')
ÂRaspberry Tart (Viburnum dentatum 'Rastzam')

I neglected to mention a few more I'm after:

ÂViburnum prunifolium Guardian ('Guazam')
ÂViburnum prunifolium Knighthood ('Knizam')
ÂViburnum prunifolium Ovation ('Ovazam')

Those are all from Lake County's Shepherds SeriesÂ.

Here's the scoop on Forest Rouge blackhaw:

http://www.mckaynursery.com/Plant.asp?Sub=47&TypeID=0amp;PlantID=19

Blackhaw exists as an understory plant, as do many/most of the North American native viburnums. But, like so many other plants we like to use as ornamentals, blackhaw flowers and fruits best with as much sun as you can give it.

VV - hope your knee doesn't slow you down too much. Do you brace the knee when you're working? How many species/cultivars of Viburnum do you have, out of curiosity? Aren't some of the differences between them quite subtle?

I bought seedlings of V. lentago and recognitum from the NH nursery 2 year ago, which are growing nicely, no flowers yet though. Something munches on one or two of the Northern arrowwoods and has stripped them of foliage each year, but then it sends out new foliage too. I'm a little worried about that Viburnum beetle.

Just received my first seed order of the season - 17 packets of native wildflowers/grasses. I am months away from sowing or sprouts - but it's still exciting!

The only bracing I get is a nice glass of wine at the end of the work day. It needs to be adequately paired with the evening's repast - and then I'm golden.

I haven't really kept a good count, but reviewing against another site's PlantFiles reveals that I have at least 94 distinct species and clones. If you count unnamed seedlings that I'm trialing, that number goes over 100. If you are interested in total plants, that would easily surpass 1000.

Differences can be and are subtle. That is the reason to try and trial them. I am very interested in knowing performance of the various choices for KY landscapes, where I ply my profession as a landscape architect (formerly as a horticulturist and landscape manager for thoroughbred horse farms) and nascent nurseryman.

Of the 20+ Viburnum dentatum clones I grow (add to that many seedlings under observation), there are probably five that I would rate highly for KY conditions. Elsewhere, that tally may be entirely different - but that is for others to sort out. Great marketing names don't make great garden plants.

That's where I say the differences are huge. If you weren't aware that Blue Muffin® arrowwood wasn't dwarf and had lousy fall color, you might just scarf it up for that prime cozy spot next to a precious perennial planting. A few years later (and 6-10 feet of height/spread), you'd be cursing the genus and likely not plant another Viburnum the rest of your days. I'd really not like that.

So, since I have the passion for it and 10 acres upon which to sow my seed, I soldier on. I hunt up every different kind of Viburnum I can find. I solicit from others who have offerings. I really want to be a sole proprietor of the full range of native KY viburnums. I'll even delve into hitherto unthinkable zone 7 (!) species, taking advantage of the present warmer climes to enjoy these southern species for as long as they last.

Dirr should have checked with me before so idly publishing...

1000 shrubs - wow! You certainly have a lust for Viburnum! Do you have any pictures?

So I'm curious - are any of the native Viburnum flowers fragrant? How about the birds - do you get tons of birds eating the berries? I've read that V. lentago berries are edible. Do you eat/make jam out of any of your berries?

With a name like 'Blue Muffin' you would think the cultivar would be dwarf. I imagine a little rounded muffin like shrub with lots of blue berries. Poor choice of names I guess.

PS - re the brace - occasionally after a hard day of gardening or working on a house, usually scraping, weeding, or anything that's hard on the wrists, my wrists will really complain - tendonitis or inflammation in the carpel tunnel, probably. So I solved that by wrapping both wrists tight before a hard days work. "Stabalization of the joint" is what my physical therapist friend calls it. Works great - no inflammation!

Yes, I have many pictures. I also have a slow dialup Internet connection with a wimpy computer. Further, I'll need a primer on posting photos in threads. Help!

All the native viburnums' flowers have fragrance - it is just that most of them don't have a particularly nice smell. Some downright stink, depending on your olfactory preference. The ones I like are (if memory serves):

ÂViburnum cassinoides
ÂViburnum acerifolium
ÂViburnum nudum
ÂViburnum prunifolium
ÂViburnum rufidulum

Viburnum dentatum is one that is unpleasant.

None of the natives approach Viburnum carlesii or its relatives for spicy sweet wafting wonderfulness.

We do have quite the avian audience here at the Valley. As various viburnum species come into ripe fruit, the dive-bombing and flocking move into high gear. This is one of the great reasons to use this genus of shrubs - support your local birds.

All viburnum species have edible fruit. Like with fragrance, though, some are better than others. Viburnum lentago is a relatively poor performer in KY, preferring more northerly climes. I haven't had decent fruit set on the couple of weak plants I have. Very closely related are Viburnum prunifolium and Viburnum rufidulum. They have very tasty fruit, somewhat like very small prunes. I have partaken of these quite often. I expect nannyberry to be similar.

One year, as I collected fruit from every different viburnum I had here so that I could undertake a seed germination effort, I spent a lot of time cleaning the fruit of many species. I ate the good ones (the pulp, that is), and manually cleaned the others. That's a great way to get an overview of palatability (and stain your fingers). I am not a cook of any sort, and it would take a boatload of fruit and a lot of time to make jam, I'd think.

I agree with the joint stabilization idea. My problem is the knee is chronically swollen - work or lack thereof isn't the issue. I need to systematically strengthen the rest of the support system, so that the weakness there doesn't lead to the downfall of the overall community - especially when out on the back 40...

Perhaps early winter is a time to simply enjoy the fruits of our labors, to feel a satisfaction that what we planted is feeding the birds, to appreciate the differences in texture and color with the evergreens (not only shrubs, but also the evergreen perennials and groundcovers) to be stopped in our tracks when we catch a glimpse of the grasses back lit by the sun, or the way those first snow falls on the trees.

For all the months that we garden, we get the most wonderful exercise while we are having so much fun! I have to force myself to run in the winter, but get through it knowing that, come spring, I will get my exercise without even thinking about it for a good nine months! How can you beat that?

Digging in the dirt makes a really interesting point, "Just think a small tree will be worth 10 times that amount in just a few years."

A single perennial that is divided after a time can very quickly multiply, as we all know! That one hydrangea bush, through layering (both intended and not intended) has given so many babies over the years....Not to mention, those tiny Bluestone plants that did not stay tiny for long! Those cuttings that you thought would never amount to much, well look at them now! Gardening is in so many ways like the story of the "loaves and the fishes."

After this season of quiet enjoyment, my guess is that the lust will return. Somehow, for me, it always does.

Great points, mollyjenning. Today I noticed that the winter heath was showing a lot of color and some of the stinking hellebores are just about ready to bloom. Wow, did that make my day - even though it was about 25 degrees in the sun.

Last night I picked a huge batch of parsley, maybe the last of the crop; a few months ago it would have been No Big Deal, but I was pretty happy about it on a December Sunday.

Yesterday I was going through a stack of papers and came across a late fall order slip from Bluestone that listed the 3 daphnes they're sending me in the spring. If my reaction is a good way to determine if I've 'lost the lust', I'd say it is still going strong. I can't wait for spring; I want to get those little buggers into the garden.

VV - to post a photo here on GW, you first need to upload the photo to a web server. Most people use one of the Photo websites, like Photobucket, Flickr or webshots. It is very simple to set up a free account. You could even set up a public album of your Viburnum pictures, and provide the link to your album here on GW, so people can see a panoply of shots.

When a photo is uploaded to a web server, it has a "url" on the WWW. To insert a photo into a GW post, you use a simple line of html code that includes the url of the photo. The url is usually provided for you by the Photo website (it might appear under your photo in the album). See link below for more info, about half way down is the code for inserting an image.

RE: the fragrance of native Viburnum flowers. I think fragrance is a personal experience. There was a great thread some months back on the Perennials forum discussing this. Some people loved the smell of Salvia nemorosa; I can't stand the smell! Whereas I am usually dividing and transplanting my perennials all the time, I've noticed that I avoid doing anything to the Salvia nemorosa cultivars. Hehe Maybe the V. lentago will bloom a little next year, maybe I'll like the smell.

DTD, I am already looking forward to Spring too! Although there is lots of beauty in winter, I am already dreaming of blooms and butterflies...

Here is a link that might be useful: GW FAQ - how do I post a photo?

VV, you really should consider setting up a web album. I use picasa, it's a free service from Google. You would need to create a Google account, which is free, and from there on it's very simple to do. What's cool about it is the ability to organize your photos and share them very easily.

I'm sure the other services are good too, picasa is just the one I've used - and I like it a lot.

Here is a link that might be useful: sample picasa web

Just so you have many choices in one spot:

About inserting photos in a thread, everyone has their own favorite method. This is mine.

-You don't have to set up an account at a hosting site if you use TinyPic.com.

-The photo files on your computer must be in a format such as jpeg or jpg.

1. Using Tiny Pic, you hit the "Choose File" button and it searches your computer desktop. Choose a photo file then select a size ("Resize" button), and then UPLOAD NOW.

2. When the file is uploaded, copy the HTML tag, not the IMG tag.

3. Paste the HTML tag in your post.

This is the easiest way I know.

Claire

What is are Idylls? Link?

Sedum,
Need to run and make dinner so I don't have time for a link but the Idylls can be found on the conversations page on the perennials forum.

here ya go - Idylls

Here is a link that might be useful: conversations area at perennials forum

Answering on two fronts here:
First, runktrun, hi, ladybug!....If you like a print catalog with some very upbeat writing in it, go to www.plant-delightsnursery.com and you'll find some good reading. You can order back catalogs, I love the cover art, and they go trekking around the world on plant hunts. This harkens back to the Victorian days when explorers brought home gems of the plant world and did fantastic things to the countryside.

Now, I quote from this topic:
"my lust for a bargain wins. I already mentioned somewhere I bought 1000 muscari from Van.E at 40 percent off. But I give myself credit for not buying the narcissi they had left because I just wasn;t crazy about them. They arrived in 24 hours!!"

Was it idabean who said this? Oh wow, I love muscari and think you must too. Down here (yes, we are now back in south Alabama for the winter) I have some variety of muscari in a dark green border around much of my tropical flower beds. But I think one can never have too much muscari.

moccasin,
I hope you are enjoying your southern garden all the more knowing your northern garden is asleep under a blanket of new fallen snow. Thanks for the reminder about Plants Delight I spent last night reviewing their 2009 catalog and among other treasures decided I couldnÂt live without Kniphofia ÂLola this year.

In your lifetime you must visit one of the open houses at Plant Delights nursery! Dates are listed in the catalog. Just do it! And while you are in Raleigh stop at the Farmer's market. Both are outstanding experiences. Worth the trip.

OK, here are the 2009 open house dates at PDN:

Friday, Saturday, February 27 & 28
Friday, Saturday, March 6 & 7
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, May 1,2,3
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, May 8,9,10
and then not again until July.

I wonder how far it is from the Biltmore estate? That's another NC destination I've had on my list for ages.

Here is a link that might be useful: Open House dates, PDN, 2009

And while y'all are visiting the PDN Open House, do NOT
miss the chance to visit the totally different
Niche Gardens, a native plants nursery in next door Chapel Hill. . .

The Biltmore Estate (an astonishing place to visit) is in Asheville, about 250 miles west of Raleigh, in the Blue Ridge Mountains - late spring/early summer are wonderful times to visit, and in mid-June, a visit to the natural
rhododendron gardens high up near the Appalachian Trail
will knock your socks off. . .I'll try to dig up more
specific details to post.

Here is a link that might be useful: Niche Gardens

Oh good another road trip.