pics 1,2 in back..pic 3 in front..pic 4 could be the biggest hellebore leaf I've ever seen..I measured it..17 inches..

You can buy Pet Insurance these days. We don't buy it as no one would think of a pet getting snakebit, but then anything can happen. Pets are a lot of work, but the rewards are worth it.

Some plants can be sheared to the ground and come back with a vengeance. That doesn't mean all plants can be sheared to the ground, though. Research it before breaking out the heavy guns in other words.

When a plant is exhausted, then so be it. Buy another one if you like it or vow to never buy that one again because of its performance. So many plants in spring are considered annuals after they are done blooming.

Too much stress and prep work for a colonoscopy. Surely there has to be a better way today. I have to get two CT tests done after yesterday's colonoscopy but the imaging center and my allergy to iodine has delayed that until a week from today.

You are right about life and regrets. Isn't that part of the learning process? We all make mistakes but hopefully not big enough to move on with the rest of your life.

I have one hydrangea that hasn't done well in a few years yet its mate a few feet away is AWESOME. When I was picking up my debris from pruning and hedging, I broke off a live stem of this hydrangea. I took it inside the basement and put it in a small bottle of water. I hope it roots soon and I can put it in a pot to grow on. This one from last June on the side of the house is a performer. The mate is a few feet to the left and has quit blooming.

The poor one looked like this in 2020, though. It makes me wonder what happened to it - not enough sun, not enough water, some kind of pest.

Rocks can add some punch to an area. I like to grow some plants around all the rocks we had put in but I must stay on top of some of the vines (Asian Jasmine) as they will take over the area despite all the rocks. I don't take many photos of my Asian Jasmine these days - this one is from 2024 after allowing it to grow back some after a heavy weed-whacking and hedging a month or so beforehand. It will choke the middle out of the dry stream bed if I let it.

My big beech has finally leafed out. It felt like it was overnight, but I am sure it was a few days.

It is the one in the center of this pic and further back.

zoomed in

I can understand using the wide side of the bench - seems more accommodating to more than one person. Most furniture indoors is the opposite with the back of the chair/sofa on the wide part of the seating.

I suppose there are better hybrids in most plants (garden and house). I assume your bloodroot is the same - an improvement over the wild type.

I did not get lily-of-the-valley for this house due to all the negative comments about it. I have enough invasive plants as it is and that is one of my goals this summer - get rid of or constrain the invasive ones.

I used to get quite a few JM seedlings at our last house. I am kind of surprised I don't have a bunch at this house since I have a lot more JM trees.

We were 90 degrees the last two days, but I saw that our low temps early next week will be 42 on Monday morning! I also saw that your low next week will be 34! Yikes.

I quit buying hydrangeas whenever one excites me at a store. I've lost several over the years while I have other big ones to keep me happy when they are in bloom.

I hope my wife cut the netting off the chipmunk's neck. I couldn't say one way or the other as it scampered off once it was free of the entire net. I hope she is right and I don't find it dead from strangulation later this summer.

How many trees were down? It looks like several in all your pix you posted or is it just one from different angles? I bet you had it cleaned up in no time.

Oh, after looking at your second post about the "mess", I see it was the big limb you talked about earlier. A chainsaw would clear that out in no time.

Your hostas are looking great! You should put down a ruler for your hellebore leaf or some familiar object for comparing sizes. I used my lens cap in the past on my largest begonia leaves. The cap was either 67 or 72 mm (long ago). Then I just have to translate mm to inches to get a clearer idea on the size. 2.54 cm = 1 inch. Or 25.4 mm = 1 inch. Therefore 72 mm is almost 3 inches across. Here is one example back in 2009 - Begonia Challenger with the lens cap on one of the leaves.

I hope Rufus is doing ok..

live and learn is so true about everything!..

yes colonoscopy prep is miserable..they make jokes about it (and root canals)..

your blue hydrangea is awesome..no more macs for me unless I move (unlikely)..we do wonder what happened when a plant dies..

your beech has a nice full shape..I call ours "Halloween" trees..they're crooked with not many limbs..maybe because we have too many trees fighting for light and nutrients?..

lily of the valley certainly spreads..

the temperature dropped today..I wore a fleece coat to take pics..

yes just one big limb down..

I took the hellebore photo at the end of the day..a good idea to use an object for scale..I measured it fast and went in..

the trout liles are bigger..they grow in our "grass" too..

Painter's Palette is spreading..there's a couple of Jack in the Pulpits too..

lily of the valley pic doesn't show on GW but shows on Houzz?..

all 3 peace lilies have blooms..so does Polly..my Chinese? viburnum has a few blooms..

thanks for the hosta compliment..I hope the lower temperatures don't ruin them..some backyard shots..

Spanish bluebells..silly mac hydrangeas!..only nonblooming growth every year..the pic has a funny angle to avoid the shed..a Newport viburnum by the living room..Virginia waterleaf is blooming..

pink and purple epimedium..the blooms are past their prime..lungwort..a maple seedling by a Japanese maple..

we saw an owl carrying a squirrel!!!..I'm glad I didn't see the capture..it's not Flipper (my favorite)..I've given him nuts since the owl was here..

testing, testing. I posted a few minutes ago with several pix, but don't see it (yet).

Well, the test worked.

I won't put my original post out here, yet. I will come back later today to see if it ever caught up.

Well, I got tired of waiting so I will paste my reply in and add pictures later on today.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Rufus is doing great. He finished one of his meds a day or two ago and hopefully will finish the rest the end of this week.

Medical procedures are always a pain to do, but I guess the benefits outweigh the risks (supposedly).

I found a new media to try for hydrangea propagation later this summer. Sand! I've used sand before on other plants, but the results I saw on YouTube are wonderful - roots so full and healthy looking that it makes me wonder why this is not used more often.

Trees like room to grow and do their best just like shrubs and other plants. Too crowded and they become lost in the forest fighting for their space in the sun. Most gardens recognize the value of spacing plants (and that goes for trees, too).

I have enough invasives so I heeded warnings about Lily-of-the-Valley. Maybe it isn't as bad as others like bamboo, wisteria, honeysuckle, etc.

Oh, yeah - it was cold yesterday morning. In fact, out of the towns I have on my watch list, we were colder than everybody except Detroit. You were a few degrees warmer than us. We saw 34 degrees on our deck yesterday morning. I did not see any damage to the plants I already moved outside, but that doesn't mean that damage might show up later this week.

I enjoy the hiking park when the trout lilies are in bloom. I never noticed them before in leaf only. Now that I know where they are and what to look for, I do keep my eyes open in early spring for them. They are kind of cool to see, but after the blooms are over, not so much. What color are your blooms on your trout lilies?

I warned you about Painter's Palette. They are still good looking plants but invasive.

Your viburnum looks like the Old-Fashioned-Snowball bush (V. opulus 'Sterilis') which is still a great viburnum, but nothing like the Chinese one (V. macrocephalum).

I took a photo of my biggest peace lily (still in the basement the other day). It is looking very good despite the small pot it has been in for years.

Your hostas are growing great and they should be fine even with low temps (as long as it doesn't get below freezing). I like your VA. waterleaf. It has some nice cut leaves and the blooms compliment the plant, too.

I usually cut down most tree seedlings when I see them - oak, maple, birch, definitely sweet gum and poplar, pine, etc. What do you do?

Your Newport viburnum is a low growing shrub. Is this normal for this plant?

WOW - that is a great photo of the owl and a bushy tail (squirrel). Can you crop into the owl for more detail?

the owl blends into the beech really well..and the squirrel blends into the owl!..I cropped it..you can see a little better..

I'm glad Rufus is doing well 👍..

an edit..the owl is sharper..the squirrel is a mess..I prefer my uncropped original version..

Excellent shot and crop (the second post). The squirrel is part of the food chain unfortunately. You should submit this crop to a photo contest in the future.

I moved the two alocasias from Pike's outside two days ago.

Walmart is starting to get a lot of plants in.

I am undecided on this begonia - ugly or kind of pretty?

3 days ago, the first bag of dug up ferns in the little courtyard. This is one of the very large bags and it took both of us to lift it and drag/bump it to the backyard. The dug up ferns after this first day was in smaller bags and also limiting the number of ferns per bag. I think we did 3 of the smaller bags, maybe 4.

the 8 episcias I bought last year are all in their own little tray-pots. The water evaporates quickly.

Callisia 'Pink Panther'

another big tray of Episcia(s). I thought I had two different ones in this tray but if I did, only one exists now.

Marble Queen Pothos is still indoors but it needs to be moved out soon. I moved two rooms outside so far and hope I can move a 3rd room today.

water rooted 'Eric Seele' broken stem. I potted it up after taking this photo.

my biggest peace lily has six blooms as I remember. It really needs a bigger pot.

I moved this B. staudtii to the larger pot below it

I hope it fills this pot by the end of summer.

This is in the room I moved almost everything out of yesterday (after my doctor appointment) See the two stems that grew up between the wires? And trays were resting on the original cheap plastic liner, too!

This is the tray those two stems are a part of (Hazel's Front Porch cane begonia). I also have 2 different syngoniums and I think Neon pothos in. I hope to do something with my aluminum tray grow pans this summer, but what I do not know yet.

I found some growth in this small cup in a baggie last week. I thought everything had died months ago. I added a wee bit of potting mix to it, gave it a small drink and put it in a domed tray and I will see if it does anything else.

I found these cool pots on FB yesterday. I think Amazon carries them. I don't have monkey tail cactus but I do have either or both dog tail and rat tail cactus.

I love the look of Anthurium Regale, BUT I've also seen a lot of reports that this species typically only has one leaf at a time. That is a deal breaker for me.

A couple of cool looking ferns. I am sure I saw these in Thailand the last time we visited.

I'm writing Thursday..after today no time until Monday..our family reunion is this weekend..

I have a bit of frost damage on a few things..oh well..

my trout lilies are yellow and white..I intended to take a picture of the white ones and forgot..

you're correct..the viburnum in back is the old-fashioned snowball bush..it does have maple type leaves..

peace lilies are big!..I'm debating about keeping all 3..

I'm getting a lot of volunteers of Osmorhiza claytonii or Osmorhiza longistylis..

I'm about 50-50 on tree seedlings..some are definitely in the wrong place and I remove them..my biggest is an oak in the front..it's close to 5 feet..

I consider Newport a success..the tag said 3 x 3..ideal for below the living room window..

the owl picture is unique..

to me the begonia isn't that much different than what you have already. I'd pass..

my Episcia isn't pretty..

I took my snake plants out of my decorative pots yesterday..put them in a black pot to give to my cousin at the reunion..I want them out of my life!..I've had them 5 yrs..I'm not good with succulents..I'm more interested in what's growing outside than inside..I don't have your strength and energy to deal with carrying pots in and out..in Indiana they're inside so long..

the pot with the succulents growing outside in a spiral are interesting but not for me..

the ferns are cool..

I'm really a foliage gardener.. blooms are beautiful but I find leaves so appealing..

these pics were supposed to be with the first comment..grrr..I forgot them..
the snake plant is awkward..it fell over several times when I moved them into this pot!..I tied it up to make it easier for my cousin..

Newport..love it..

the trees are filling out..

I've seen these for a few years now..I think mine is the claytonii..

4 more pics..the most peony buds I've ever had..

Have fun at your family reunion. I go for a CT scan in a short while. That is not fun.

Yeah, there isn't much we can do about weather. Frost, hail, drought, flood, etc. Roll with the punches.

Oh, well, there is always next year to take photos of your trout lilies in bloom. They only last for a short while.

You could put all 3 peace lilies in one big pot, but that has its own set of problems.

Wow, that Osmorhiza plant looks like carrots or hemlock. What do you do with your plant?

If trees would only grow to a perfect height for small yards. Sigh. They grow so fast and big (well, most do).

I hope you continue to get more pictures of your owl(s). I hear them all the time, but rarely ever see one. GRRR!

Yeah, I didn't think that silver begonia was that pretty. Maybe if it wasn't grown under harsh conditions, it might look better.

I've too many snake plants, but I always see if there are new ones that might interest me.

I read that decades ago from Lee Bailey's "Country Flowers" - the mature gardener eventually starts growing plants for their form and foliage. Flowers are fleeting. I like a blend of both worlds.

Giving the snake plant away for free comes with its own challenges. Eventually it will fill that pot to the point of breaking it. If they would only fill a pot to an extent and stop.

Newport looks nice. Does it have a scent?

We hiked yesterday after going to the recycle center. I can't believe I put in 3.4 miles after being off for a week and a half. My goal is to get all my plants out this weekend if possible. Rain may delay that goal, though. I moved up my begonia seedlings this morning after watering some of the plants still indoors.

Did I already show you my white peony? It sure is floppy.

If I recall correctly, this is a Louisiana Iris. I wonder how one tells the difference.

Asian Jasmine blooming. I only see it in bloom if it is climbing up a tree or support, though.

Rufus waiting for me to return with Chick-Fil-A earlier this week.

one of my cups of begonia seedlings is pushing the lid off (the two small condiment cups is what we started seeds in while the two rinse cups are ones I moved four or five seedlings to a few weeks ago)

One of the seedlings has some good roots this morning.

This is the cup pushing the lid off

transplant complete! The Sharpie wasn't working very good, so I had to go over and over it. C stands for crassicaulis and N stands for nelumbiifolia.

So, I took half the seedlings from the original container and moved those to a new larger cup (skip the middle rinse cup)

I'm trying to maximize growing efforts while minimizing labor. HAHA!

Do you think I need to pot up these cuttings?

What I got at Walmart yesterday. I found out these are not full sun plants. Whoops!

These are. I had already bought the red one a couple of weeks ago and picked up a pink one yesterday.

two mixed baskets of million bells and petunias. This year I will put these in the ground, not keep them in the pot.

and two Dragon's Breath celosias.

I have a lot of seed packets to sow as well.

the reunion was wonderful 🙂..but exhausting!..

we have heavy rain right now as I'm writing this..

impossible to put my 3 peace lilies in 1 pot..just 2 of them take up the space of my 4 ft table..

yes my Osmorhiza resembles hemlock and carrots..getting the correct ID was tricky..I left them for now..they're natives and kind of pretty..

my cousin was happy to take the snake plant..yay!!!..she's good with plants..she'll repot it..I put it in 1 pot for convenience..

no scent on Newport..

nice peony..my buds aren't open yet..

awww..did Rufus get more treats than usual after his nasty experience?..if so I would've spoiled him more than usual too..

your begonia seedlings are adorable..yes you need to pot up the cuttings 😂..

my neighbor bought some annuals but said she told her husband "not too many..we have cool weather coming and I don't want to move more than a few"..

I was too busy to shop..no annuals for me yet..

most of my potted plants are still inside..it won't be long until moving day!..

a great waterleaf and Canadian blacksnakeroot today..

I have this waterleaf too..

snakeroot info..the flowers stick to socks/clothes and are annoying..if I have the energy I rip these out..

a screenshot of an old comment (5-5-20) I saw today..typing on a phone on Houzz has been a problem for years 🙁..

Newport today..

I put my leggy episcia outside..

Fire Islands (even past their peak) stand out..

Was the reunion a multiple day event? Or several hours?

We had some rain this weekend and are getting some heavy rain this morning. I'm glad we are getting some, but it delays my moving plants outside project.

Oh well, 3 pots of peace lilies will have to suffice.

I bet your Osmorhiza provides needed nectar this time of year for the pollinating insects.

I hope I can repot most or all of my sansevieria plants this summer. It is long overdue.

Rufus has my wife trained on giving him treats. If she says "good boy", then he expects a treat. If he behaves himself after we pass by other hikers (especially dogs), then he expects to be treated.

I've grown begonias from seed before, but this year I've paid extra attention to moving them up to bigger pots. YAY!

It is easy to get carried away with planting annuals (and perennials) this time of year. I planted two seed packs yesterday between moving plants outside (very dark colored sunflowers with just a few seeds in the packet and the Mexican sunflower which is a cool plant).

I want to get several more plants this year and here it is April 28th! Time is moving quickly now.

I bet you will move all your potted plants outside in a day (or several hours). I've been moving mine out 2 to 3 hours a day. Yesterday was too much for me - I only did 1.5 hours and I couldn't do another round. I start my walking mode on my watch and I typically do a mile per hour - just walking to and from the basement to the great outdoors.

I like the blunt leaf waterleaf for its patterned leaves. The Canadian black snakeroot looks like the weeds we have here and glad to hear you treat them as weeds, too. I prefer the other black snake root (Actaea racemosa) since its flowers and leaves are much more exciting.

Your Episcia should enjoy the great outdoors and rebound in no time. Fingers crossed!

an Episcia I have in the room with all my aroids.

Yes, your Fire Islands help break up the green palette of your landscape. It's always good to add some accents to the yard.

one of my Utz pretzel terrariums (with lots of scum in there - algae?)

I need to extend this pole soon.

I got this Syngonium Albo from Pike's last year or this winter.

one of my other Utz pretzel terrariums

a cane grown from seed is heavy in bloom (I moved it outside yesterday)

I moved this one to our gazebo on the deck. I may have to move it later on since it can get real hot in there despite no direct sun on the plant itself.

We have been buying bags and bags of cypress mulch lately (60 so far) from Home Depot. Here are some plants at Home Depot 3 days ago.

the reunion was one day..I was there 7 hours..some relatives weren't there as long..we had 49 people..a smaller group than the reunion in 2023..

yes Osmorhiza is a beneficial plant..

yep dogs are food motivated..but why not reward good behavior?..

I'm sure growing from seed is rewarding..but I can't keep up now..I don't want more work..

yes I want to be able to move my potted plants in a few hours..

at this age I want simple and easy..I'm ready for less..

the waterleaf with patterned leaves is pretty..

yes the black snake root you mentioned is a prettier plant..I don't own it but I'm familiar with it..

inside plants (although rewarding) are messy and more work than outside plants..I bring in what I bring in because it's economical..if they were hardy I would plant them outside and could be happy without any inside plants..

I like that rather than scattering the Fire Islands around the yard they're planted together..they make a statement and don't look spotty...

that's a lot of mulch!..I'm sure it makes your property look nice..your Home Depot has beautiful plants..I should get my chance to go shopping soon..

I didn't take any pictures the last few days..

a picture of a funny hosta I didn't show you..see the leaves with the white margins?..they don't match the rest of the plant..I have so many seedlings (hosta,bloodroot,hellebores and more) that could be moved you wouldn't believe it..I could work every day all summer..

My mother's reunion in southern Pennsylvania was about 12 hours long if you got there early and left late. My wife's reunion (her dad's side) in southern Kentucky was short and sweet. Maybe 3 hours. I liked that.

Most plants have some benefits, but not always to humans. Thank goodness that all our food and medicine needs have been mapped out for us over thousands of years.

Food is a great reward for pets and animals, but it shouldn't be overused. K-9 dogs are often rewarded by a few seconds of tug of war with a rope, for instance.

Growing from seed used to be the main reason for gardens - FOOD for health and sustenance. Thank goodness we don't all have to be farmers these days.

I wanted to live in a place where I didn't have to move plants in and out. Oh well, maybe in the next life.

What are you going to do with all your simple and easy time? Are you saying you are ready for the rocking chair?

I thought about buying some black snakeroot, but I don't want to buy in onesies again. Maybe 3 to 6.

Do you have silk plants in your house? They are easy to take care of. Maybe dust them off once a year or so.

Remember a few years ago when we bought 330 bags of mulch? Even that number was not enough. Personally I would prefer gravel that doesn't wash off nor rot. Oh well.

I try to take pictures most days, but I've slacked off a lot. When I miss an event, I say I will do it the next time (which might be years).

I guess that is a sport (mutation) of your funny hosta. If you like it, then encourage it to grow more.

Why would you work every day all summer if you like easy and simple? Do you go sightseeing? Shopping for the things you want and like? Life is getting shorter every day. Just saying.

First lily of the year!

Irises I got from a friend a few years ago has done very well.

I started taking cuttings yesterday to try my hand at it. These are Weigela cuttings.

dappled willow (I got many more today after seeing how little I took yesterday)

Rubber trees:

Mexican Rock Fig (the water is so murky from the sap, that I changed the water today)

Yellow Gem (doesn't look yellow on these cuttings)

Tineke (the usual variegated ones)

Shivereana

I brought in an Annabelle hydrangea and Little Honey oakleaf today as they are being eaten by wildlife (rabbits?)

Same friend that gave me the iris above, gave me a rooted cutting of Sinningia bullata 2 or 3 years ago. I moved it outside a humid dome earlier this year and it has taken off.

such fuzzy stems and backside of the leaves.

Hydrangeas are putting out bloom buds now

some begonias I moved out already

dahlias are up and some are just coming up

I stuck some weigela cuttings in this pot to do a simple and easy test.

one of my surviving hostas

a spreading bottle brush buckeye is getting a little scary, but not as bad as bamboo, wisteria, etc.

Celandine poppies are kind of weedy, aren't they?

Our last hike was Sunday. Glorious weather. We helped two couples find their way back to the parking lot. I wouldn't want them to continue getting lost for an extra hour or two.

way down there is a few snapping turtles

This was the only one I could get as the other went underwater.

Mountain Laurel is blooming now. I was hoping to get back to the ruins or the other side which has lots of M.L.

Which view is better? This one with the camera pointing up to get the big pine and sky OR

this view where I wanted the little trees on the rocks as the main focus?

I would've enjoyed more time at the reunion..my back hurt that day..I didn't mingle or take pictures very well 🤦‍♀️..

that's a good idea to use playtime as a positive reinforcement during dog training..

I'd be much thinner if I had to grow my own food ha ha..

I was at my sister's yesterday..her white peonies look like yours..in full bloom..mine are still buds..

a tropical climate is a dream for me too..oh well..as you said.."in the next life"..

what I was trying to say is I have plenty of things I could do outside..enough to fill every day.. yes a rocking chair sounds good to me!!!..

no silk plants for me..I had a few in the early 80s..sold them at one of our family garage sales..haven't owned any since..having great views from my windows is enough beauty for me..

I've had lots of hosta sports..I just let them be..haven't separated them..

Sinningia bullata is sure a fuzzy textured plant..

I think Celadine poppy leaves are attractive..to me they don't seem weedy..maybe you meant they spread like weeds?..

I think the photo that includes the sky is prettier..but to see the details in the other shot is nice too..I do that too..take multiple views and keep more than 1 shot..

this is funny..the morning of the reunion I see an ad for 3 free lawn chairs..they were close to my nephew's house..I thought "I wish I had those"..I called my nephew's wife.."do you know this street?"..she says "yes that's about 2 minutes away"..that's what I was thinking..my nephew picked up the chairs..they didn't fit in their car to bring to the reunion..they're the old-fashioned lawn chairs..aluminum frames, plastic woven straps..my sister was at her son's house yesterday and brought the chairs to her house..I went to my sister's yesterday and picked them up..I used one last night..it's great to have back support!..I'd lean forward to work then take a little break and lean back..I think they're going to be useful..they're all different..size..color..one has wooden arms..I need to protect my back..sitting on a stool all day without back support has not been good for me..we made a funny memory!..I'm calling them "my reunion chairs"..

our temperatures dropped yesterday..I wore a jacket when I was outside..we're going to be in the 30s again 🙁..I might move some things back into the garage just to keep them pretty..it's not a hard job..not many pots 6?7? and just a few steps..

if I take any pictures I'll write another comment..

my new free chair..Great Expectations (yellow center) looks nice..these hostas look bigger in person..the episcia got too wet or too cold outside..I tossed it..it's compost now..

That is a shame about your back hurting during your family reunion. I hope it turns out better for you the next time around.

My sister spent an entire weekend at her husband's family reunion (house on the lake). It sounded nice, but I could see it getting awkward after a day.

The grocery store, mega refrigerator, and food pantries keep us full of food and drink. Has grocery shopping become too convenient? I like it, but then I hear a lot of people cannot afford to indulge in a lot of "comfort food". I quit veggie gardening over 30 years ago. I can buy what I need at the farmer's market or grocery store and not put a lot of "sweat equity" in it. I'd rather have pretty plants than food plants.

Don't you wish that Peonies lasted longer in bloom? They seem to be here today, gone tomorrow. Well, until next year.

These are at a Cracker Barrel in TN.

at our fist house (crappy Kodak digital camera)

At this house before I let them get shaded out (2014)

Aw, isn't this cute?

My Mother's patch when my dad was still alive.

But this was the star of the show (an Exbury azalea we got them years before)

My daughter's house for Easter last year. Weigela looks nice, too.

HAHA, so many things to do in my next life. If only...

There are plenty of things to do around the yard and house, but also a lot of things to do beyond the neighborhood. I hope I can still plant some things when I am in my 90's (if I make it that long).

We have a few silk plants. Those came from the decorator's list of decorations. I tolerate them because of my wife. I'd be happy to trash them or donate them.

Have you tried growing hostas from seed? Maybe you could grow the next new thing.

Well, Celandine poppies aren't a terrible thing to grow. They just pop up beyond where I started them. One or two came with a Hosta I got when we visited a man's garden (below Atlanta). He had a row of hostas he was going to trash (he was hybridizing). I took two and my friend took 3 as I recall. I think both hostas are long gone but the poppies have spread 20 feet or more by now.

It is a good idea to take more pictures than you want (unless you are breaking up a party) since you may never get the chance again (a wedding, a reunion, a visit to a garden, an event). You can always delete what you don't like, but you cannot create an image out of whole cloth (well, with AI that isn't true anymore).

I remember those old aluminum folding chairs and their webbing. Light weight and great to take to the beach. It sounds like you need PT for your back. Get those bunched up muscles back to fighting condition! I would imagine everyone has a bad back story in their life. I had one when I was playing basketball on concrete courts (I think I was close to 40) and chopping the roots of a big oak tree to get rid of the stump. My wife made me an appointment with a chiropractor. I didn't see that he helped a bit (except my insurance company). It took about four weeks to get over the pain.

We will be in the low 40's Saturday and Sunday morning. BRRR! I won't move one pot back indoors. That is my motto - once it is outside, it stays there until late October. A greenhouse would be so sweet!

Those pots look like new! Did you sell them like new or a big discount to get rid of them?

I got my big utility room finished today (moving the plants I wanted outdoors). I have one more room to go. I may wait until Monday to do that room (alocasias, pothos, philodendrons, syngoniums, monsteras, etc)

it was terrible timing to have a sore back at the reunion..as I was standing and visiting I needed to say "could we sit down?"..of course everyone said sure..it slowed down my mingling 🙁..

Oh come on!!..you can only take a few hours of family time? lol..

we're both fortunate to be able to buy whatever food we might want..I've had shade at 3 of 4 homes..I've never grown a vegetable in my life!..my parents and sisters always had gardens and shared with me..

not just peonies but so many blooms are fleeting..that's why I love foliage..even though in your opinion the photography isn't great it's obvious your peonies were beautiful..

I forget what you've called the small green lizards?..yes..it's very cute..

the peonies at your parents seem to be in the shade but are blooming well..mine haven't bloomed well..however this year looks promising!..their azalea is beautiful..my sister had the same weigela as your daughter..is it called Wine and Roses?..my sister removed hers when it went downhill..

I haven't deliberately planted hosta seeds but I've scattered them..I have quite a few hosta seedlings..

my Celandine Poppy came from my neighbor's garage sale..I bought 1 and now have 5 or 6?..

a cousin sent pictures to my sister..my sister said she sent some nice pictures..another cousin sent me a few pictures..so we have photos from the reunion..my photos in 2023 were good!..my phone created a video..I sent it to quite a few relatives..in fact a few mentioned the video to me at this reunion..

this is what happens to me and probably to you..we overdo it..we take a few days off but when we start doing things again our pain comes back..I felt ok today..

we could be in the mid 30s Fri and Sat nights..because it's not a tough job I might put my few pots in the garage tomorrow..

I got a deal on those pots..$5 each..I was so careful with them they looked brand new even though I used all of them..I sold them for $5 each..I thought about asking more but I wanted a quick sale..the price must've been low..I had 16 responses!..a few I ignored..they seemed like scammers..

sounds like a good plan to wait until Monday to move the rest of your pots..

Sometimes timing is not in the stars (or is it "the cards"?) in regards to your aching back at your family reunion. I hate standing in place for a long time. I'd rather walk for a long time than stand in place. I don't see how the cashiers at retail stores stand for hours at a time. Well, teenagers are probably better suited for that.

You should go to one of my wife's family reunions. Then you could understand why I was glad they were short and sweet. We often met at my wife's aunt's place and go to the reunion from there. Then we usually went back to her aunt's place for a little more chit-chat. Usually we'd meet in town at a church or some other venue before the event started. We got to mingle with some of her uncles/aunts and cousins while waiting for the dinner commencement. Usually a church person would be asked to give the blessing and that is when everyone loaded their plates and ate. An hour later everyone is packing up and leaving. WOW!

At my mother's reunion, it started with mid-morning coffee and pastries (bring your own pastries), went to lunch, games, auction/raffle, more games/etc. and most folks left when it started to get dark. We'd stay to 10 PM (mainly for my mother as she only got to see her siblings once a year). I should mention that the first 3 or 4 years we did the reunion, we were camping out in tents (UGH!) We also had a 12 to 14 hour drive from GA to PA (back in the days of 55 MPH). What griped me the most about the reunion was that it was always on Sunday because there were a lot of people who worked on Saturday. Excuse me! I took vacation time to travel 650 miles one way for a family reunion and some of the locals couldn't take a Saturday off from work? Oh well, after a few years of this, we started going to other places during that time (Aruba, Belize, Cancun, Puerto Rico, etc.)

My dad used to plant enough veggies to feed the neighborhood. Once the garden started coming in, then they had no time to visit us on the weekend. I dropped off my wife and daughters a couple summers for a week so they could can and freeze veggies and fruit. Ah, the good old days?

Foliage plants can keep my interest for months at a time. I guess that is why I took a shine to tropical plants (begonias in particular).

Where did you see a small green lizard? PS: it was a green tree frog on the peony and the small local lizards are anoles.

The peonies at my parents home got plenty of sun (depending on the time of day), but as the years passed, they got less sun every year.

The Weigela might be 'Wine and Roses' (there are more than one dark leaf Weigela).

You should try collecting most of your hosta seeds and scattering them inside a flat for better outcomes. Then start culling the ones that are plain looking or look like their parents. I wished I had done that earlier in life (not hostas, but begonias and other types of plants).

Isn't digital cameras wonderful? For events such as family reunions, weddings, etc. We did not go to our grandson's and his fiancée's baby shower 2 weeks ago. We saw some pictures on FB, but I was hoping to see more. A lot of events can have an organizer who will invite the party-goers to download their pix to a website so everyone can share and see the fun times.

If the pain is too much, then it may not be simple overdoing an activity - it could be something much worse. I found out mid-April that I have colon cancer. I am scheduled for surgery 3 weeks from now. UGH! Old age is the slowest form of dying (or so I heard). HAHA!

I have been monitoring the temps coming up this weekend. We will be in the low 40's while some of our northern friends will be in the 30's. Blackberry winter!

That is a tremendous price you paid on those pots and you sold them for the exact same amount. You could've doubled the price and still sold them in no time. Were they plastic or glazed pottery?

We shopped at Sam's and Walmart today for a few items. One of the items I wanted was clear plastic bins with lids for a propagation box (sweat box?) I couldn't find any at Sam's so I picked up two at Walmart - a low one but large and a smaller footprint but much taller. I want to try my luck at some hardwood cuttings by having a very high humidity space. If it works out, I may buy some more bins.

It is hard to believe that we are in May already! Where did the time go? Walmart earlier today.

very large yellow lilies

beautiful hydrangeas (probably for Mother's Day) Around $22 in hanging baskets

Bloomstruck hydrangeas cost more but I think they aren't as pretty as the ones above.

I just noticed your post before your most recent one with the webbed chair. I like it except the legs are too short for me. I'd have a difficult time getting up after sitting in it.

We bought some sling chairs for family get togethers and grandkids' sporting events. We also bought stadium seats when our girls were playing soccer and softball. They beat the old metal stands, especially in winter (with a little cushion for insulation and comfort) and a small back support (beats no support). We would take our blankets, proper clothing, and hot chocolate. The HS hired a new Vice Principal from Iowa and I guess being new, she had to attend the girls' soccer team. Once the sun sets, it got cold. She was sitting behind us shivering in her fur coat, dress, and I think she had hose and high heels on. We offered her a blanket but she said she was accustomed to the cold since she was from Iowa. We offered again at half-time and she accepted it then. We weren't giving up our stadium seats, though.

I told my wife that we should see if our daughters wanted these old chairs or donate them. I doubt we will ever use them again in our lifetime.

Here are the weather reports from yesterday.

Our forecast:

Your forecast:

I found this on one of my feeds yesterday. Do you think this woman is clueless or is she pranking everyone?

I was reading along about our usual subjects when you threw me for a loop..I'm so sorry to hear that you have colon cancer 😥..I bet you'll be fine..I've known several people with colon cancer and all of them had surgery and recovered 👍..

the expression that I remember is "not in the cards"..

I agree that standing in place for a long time is uncomfortable..

wow, your mother's family reunion was an event!..that was a lot of effort on your part to attend..

my family also grew more veggies than they needed..which worked out well for me!..ha ha..

I scrolled too quick..so it was a frog?..either way very cute..anole is the word I couldn't remember..

when I happen to see hosta seeds I scatter them in an unplanted area..whatever comes up is an improvement..

yes digital photography is wonderful..I would hate to go back to the film days..I've lost track..will the baby on the way be your first great grandchild?..

I toyed with the idea of a higher price for the ceramic pots..the $20 was so easy..I recovered what I paid so I went with it..hindsight is 20/20..I can't let it bother me that I sold low..they're gone..I didn't want them so in the end it's fine..

I finally went shopping!..I didn't take any pictures inside the store but I can show you what I bought..I went to Menards and was tired afterwards so I skipped Walmart..the macrophylla hydrangeas at Menards were $31.99..an easy pass for me..

my free chairs are slightly short but I can manage..

it's chilly now..I wore a jacket to the garden center..I put the new plants in the garage..then moved my potted hostas into the garage too..

the raw chicken is disgusting..that's a post for attention..they want clicks..

once again I'm sorry to hear about your cancer..I hope everything goes well and you can move on 👍..

my new plants..not many but it's a start..2 $10 ferns..the squirrels don't bother these..toss when summer's over..

2 inexpensive 6 packs..and more small plants (below) to create combinations..

a cute hosta that I didn't own..Lakeside Little Tuft..4 dark leafed begonias..a spike..an asparagus fern..

my potted hostas will stay prettier if they aren't out when it's cold..I'm planting these and selling the pots..less maintenance 👍..

Thanks for the nice comments. I am hoping for the best outcome. My sister had colon cancer a few years ago and had part of her colon removed. She's been clear ever since. My uncle had 12" removed 30-40 years ago and died last year at the age of 98. Catching it early is key.

My mother did not attend last year's reunion for obvious reasons. My sister and brother-in-law love going there (their vacation), but they stayed home last year. I wonder if they will go this year. We haven't been there in 20 years or more.

Fresh veggies and fruit for free is always nice. We got out of canning and freezing, so had no desire to go through all the labor and mess of those processes. My dad had to finally quit his gardening in his last few years. I knew he hated that fact, but that's life.

Yes, a little green tree frog. We have brown and green anoles. I wonder if the green is the male and the brown the female as I've caught them mating and the green one is on top.

Growing from seeds is always neat. One of our club members (hasn't come in years) grows a lot of JM from seeds, but then he collects them and gives them the optimum conditions to sprout and flourish.

I think I've said this before, but digital photography puts everybody on an equal footing with pros. Sure, they have high end cameras and gear, but we can all shoot anything and everything to our heart's content and learn about photography along the way. Film was expensive so we took a chance and hoped it came out halfway decent. With instant feedback, we can shoot again and again until we are either happy or tired (disgusted?)

This will be our first great grandchild. My sister (a year younger) has 3 already from her oldest granddaughter (who is younger than our oldest two grandchildren). Time marches on.

Why did you sell those ceramic pots anyway? Too big? Didn't like them? Inquiring minds want to know. HAHA!

I'd skip those hydrangeas as well at that price. Unless they were in 3 gallon pots or more. I am not going to buy anymore big leaf hydrangeas unless they say "BUY ME". I may get some new oakleaf varieties since a lot of my old ones are failing or gone. I'd like to know what happened to them before I buy anymore, though.

We are going through out second cold morning. It was 38 yesterday morning on our deck and 40 this morning. This should be the end of cold mornings. We will still have chilly mornings here and there but they should be high 40's to low 50's.

I truly believe there are people out there who are naive for believing half cooked chicken is a good thing. UGH! If that person got clicks, I hope they are all Angry, Dislike, Laugh, etc.

Don't feel sorry for me. I'm still kicking and hope to go for another 10 to 15 years. The slowest form of dying is old age (I got this info from an old woman who probably got it from another old person). As my boss told his wife who was worrying about dying young "We aren't getting out of this alive". It's better to laugh than cry about life.

Your new plants and hostas look nice and healthy. I hope they do well for you this summer.

Some pictures from yesterday

begonia seedlings from March ( some mushrooms came up in this cup)

the two new bins I told you about. Ready to start using them (maybe later today)

more episcias

I wish I knew some of the names of these alocasias

close up of the photo two above (the shiny leaf one is the one I noticed yesterday)

I put this bowl of rexes on the deck table and the little pavilion (gazebo?) protected it from the cold good enough.

One of the 3 rexes is not as robust as the other two.

I put this cute little peperomia on the same table.

This Xanthosoma has done very well (I got it 3 years ago?) at Costco or Sam's.

Philodendron 'Paraiso Verde' is a monster. It is too big for a house, but I like it too much to get rid of.

I missed this earlier - Silver Dragon (another Sam's or Costco buy 2 or 3 years ago)

Golden Crocodile is a beast and probably needs a bigger pot

Neon Pothos

Marble Queen

McColley's Finale needs a bigger pot as well

Tortum is wanting to climb so it is top-heavy. It needs cutting or put on a pole.

I had to use super wide lens on my phone to get this big birch from the deck.

the big beech is further back than the two big birches. The tree near the stairs landing is a Yoshino Cherry that grew from a seed. I cut it to the ground and it sprouts again. My wife doesn't like, but I cannot dig it out - too big.

the other big birch (the blue hoses are ones to be donated since I replaced all our old hoses)

After digging out all the autumn ferns from this narrow passageway and removed the remote controller for the faucet, we have a bit of a muddy and wet area (no wonder the ferns did so well); we bought some pavers and put them to help keep mud and water off our shoes. I may add gravel beside and between them in the coming weeks.

This is what was there back in September. Lots of ferns and vines (Carolina Jasmine and Virginia Creeper).

Nov 8 last year. I don't know what the taller fern is but it is deciduous.

I hope you have a good outcome too..

yes, all of us slow down eventually..we can only do what our bodies allow us to do..

I did enjoy the few seeds that I've planted..some were duds but I had fun with hollyhocks and castor beans..

yes these days everybody takes pictures..it's fun!..

I wasn't sure but I was thinking this would be your first great grandchild..congratulations!..

the ceramic pots were too heavy for me..they weren't large but to me felt like a ton of bricks..with our climate they need to be moved in and out..plastic and resin are much easier..I have a few clay pots..they're heavier than plastic but not as bad as those ceramic ones!..

I don't pity you..it's just sad that you have this problem..I'd feel sad for anyone in that situation..

your episcias look great!..

I'm no help on alocasia ID..

your plants are getting bigger and mine are getting smaller ha!..

in the last two days I've removed wild ginger, pruned a viburnum, a paniculata and arborescens hydrangeas to widen paths..the paths look and feel much better..
I had to help my peonies open..the petals were stuck..

a Blue Angel in front has scapes..unusual for May..

my arborescens has bloom buds too..

an oak seedling in front is growing fast..

my macrophyllas..beautiful 🙄 lol..

Great Expectations stands out..

Krossa Regals..love them..so elegant..

I'm sure you have slowed down a lot due to your shoulder. I know I continue to slow down from probably my 40's (and before that). I played basketball to I was 44. It seemed to take a lot longer to get over soreness and was no longer fun running up and down the court. We must adapt to our changing bodies due to aging.

It is always fun to see what a seed will do. I know I probably spent a fortune on seeds when I was starting out - get a lot of plants for next to nothing. The problem was a lot of seeds never germinated and if they did germinate, they often died later on from hardening off, damping off, fungus gnat damage, etc. So much easier to buy a plant already to go.

At least we have lived through the film age and got to play in the digital age. Once I got my first digital camera (1999 for Xmas), I never shot film again.

I had nothing to do with the great grandchild. HAHA! Each generation has the opportunity to start a family.

I agree that plastic and resin pots are so much easier to manage - they can be heavy with plants and soil, but ceramic and clay pots are already heavy to begin with.

I'm pretty pleased with the episcias. I do have to keep on top of watering since the trays are so small (no drainage holes, either).

I have to start cutting some overgrown bushes like you. I cut down two dead Hydrangea PG bushes this morning with my Ryobi small chainsaw. It was doing a horrible job of cutting and I wrenched my back bending over too much. Anyway, I noticed the chain seemed slack, so I tightened it and it made it cut a lot better. These small chainsaws have no oilers so I must drip some oil on the chain and bar here and there. Anyway, I cut down a Yoshino cherry (from a seed) with the same chainsaw and it took me three trips to carry all the branches and trunk to the back of the lot. I will use my pole saw for magnolias and the bigger double file viburnums later on. Trees and shrubs continue growing.

Your peonies, Blue Angel, and arborescens look good and healthy.

Are you going to remove the oak seedling? In 10 years, you will probably have to hire a tree service to take it out.

Great Expectations has always been a nice hosta. I think I had one at one time. And so is Krossa Regal. The deer or other rodents are nibbling on my volunteer mulberry trees and those are close to the deck. GRRR!

My first propagation tray ready to go with a mix of sand and cactus soil (the cactus soil looks very much like potting mix, though).

some hydrangeas cuttings next to a bowl used for rooting hormone.

I bought two more of these sweater boxes today. The one above is full of hydrangea, yellow azaleas, Hilda Niblett azalea, and 7 different color camellias. It filled up FAST!

My cuttings in water are doing well, too. Weigela, four different ficus trees, oakleaf hydrangea, big leaf hydrangea, Annabelle hydrangea, Chinese viburnum, dappled willow (the first 3 I put in there already have roots), and probably a couple I cannot picture in my mind right now. I have many more plants I want to cut and get going soon.

I was hoping to move some of my last room of plants out today but with my back in pain, I doubt I will do much of anything. Advil and Icy Hot to the rescue? I will break out my heating pad this evening.

These colors don't look good. A fault of the phone camera? The biggest thing I wanted was the syngoniums in this pan. Maybe a flash would help in this situation.

We hiked yesterday after dropping off the recyclables.

Four deer ran across this meadow while we were headed in that direction.

I don't know if these were the same ones a few minutes later after we entered into the woods. This one looks pregnant.

The big meadow below the Illinois Monument (not the same meadow as above)

I noticed a band of plants in this meadow and it appears they are milkweed plants. My youngest daughter is into milkweed and saving the butterflies. I would've never noticed these plants in the past.

Here are a bunch of them near a split rail fence (around the monument) that are getting ready to bloom. It will be another two weeks before we get over here again. I hope we can see them in bloom the next time.

We went to Walmart this morning (and Sam's). Walmart had some nice outdoor plants. Their indoor plants are pitiful and the employees in charge should be fired or reassigned if they can't care for the indoor plants.

At least this display was nice (for Mother's Day?)

JM for less than $20. I may try propagating some of my plants later this year.

I don't know what I did to my phone camera to get this "tilt-shift" look, but I wished I did.

You know I wanted to pick up one of each different color, but I behaved myself.

yes my shoulder injury was a game changer 😭..I'm really thankful for the work we accomplished years ago..

I've had dud seeds too..at least they didn't cost much..

we still have a film camera..I have no idea what to do with it..do you still own film cameras?..

I'm sure you'll enjoy your great grandchild..my parents had seven great grandchildren and absolutely loved them..

yep no more ceramic pots for me..I need to be practical..

after pruning jobs I'm glad we pruned!..the plants have better shapes and we have nicer paths..

thanks!..I do what I can to keep our plants healthy..

I want to leave the oak and see what happens..if we need to hire a tree service someday it won't be the first time 😝..

deer at your house..sorry 🙄..

you sure have a zeal for propagating plants!!..it reminds me of how I love free items!..when I get free plants..rocks..pots..lawn chairs etc..it makes me smile!..I could buy them but free is more fun..I read once that free was the most popular word in the English language..

the colors in that photo do seem a little dull..

fun to see deer when they aren't in your backyard..the doe does look pregnant..

I've never had milkweed..it's popular..

our closest Walmart does a terrible job with all of their plants..what a waste..

maybe you were holding your phone at an angle?..

hey you live where macrophyllas bloom..buy as many as you want!..

we had record rainfall on Tuesday..over 2 inches..our backyard is wet, wet, wet..we noticed the sump pump was quiet..we checked the camera in the crawlspace..there didn't seem to be any water but we decided we should call a plumber..we didn't think the pump was working..a good thing we did..we had a new pump installed today..the job went well..the guy was nice..there was some water under the plastic but he could install the pump without calling the remediation crew to pump it out..he left to pick up a pump..from start to finish less than 3 hours..2hrs 40mins?..it started pumping immediately and is still pumping..was $1004 but worth every penny..he made nice comments about our backyard..he said "I really like it back here..I know it's a problem but I think the water is pretty" 😂..then after he was finished we were in the driveway and heard the pump running nonstop..he says "that sounds like a stream..you should sit in the rocking chairs on the porch and enjoy it"..I love that!..I'm so thankful D is smart enough to be on top of these things..our pump was just a little over 3 years old 🙁..

First Frost looks cute..

Painter's Palette is growing lol..

standing water..

at least the house is dry..

As for our old age injuries (in reference to your shoulder replacement), we will probably hire younger workers as we age for jobs we used to do ourselves. Oh, well, that is the way of life.

Do you shoot film today? Yes, I still have my last film camera - more a nostalgic item leftover from the dinosaur era.

Our problem when it comes to great grandchildren is they live 500 miles away.

I have a ton of ceramic and clay pots in the back of our lot. I use the here and there for cache pots.

Pruning is one of those necessary evils when it comes to gardening. If it wasn't for pruning, we'd run out of space quickly.

Good luck on the oak sapling. They grow rapidly. Been there, done that.

Free is nice. As long as it fits into your scheme of things.

I wouldn't call the colors in that photo dull, but I would say it doesn't look natural. I was kind of surprised on the color, though.

We pointed out the deer in the woods to a couple approaching us. The woman said "Yes, deer are everywhere in the woods". Glad I never ran into her at a party.

I had the butterfly weed which I found most vibrant (of course I got some for free (your favorite word) from my parents' new lot). Asclepias tuberosa! Then I bought some seed from Park Seeds to grow different colors of it. The problem with this variety (and probably others) is they do best in full sun.

Huh? I might have held my phone at an angle? What does this pertain to or do I need to go back in time?

Why buy macrophyllas when I can propagate the heck out of what I already have? I will buy any new stuff that seems exciting though.

Wow, that was an expensive pump replacement job, but then what isn't expensive today? Gas over #4 a gallon?!?!!!! I replaced our sump pump twice since we've been living here. I think around $150 for the pump and the labor was provided by yours truly. HAHA! Sorry to hear your old pump was only a bit over 3 years old. Probably American made junk? Just kidding.

You have a nice looking pond going there. Have you thought about making a permanent one? I bet it would go well with your natural looking backyard.

My first "prop" box.

A bit full?

water rooting some other stuff (I rinsed most of the water rooting cups today

Little Honey oakleaf hydrangea

Mexican rock fig is a bit scummy (good thing I checked it today)

Weigela - hopefully I will put it in a pot this week.

variegated rubber tree (Tineke)

dappled willow (I started with 3 cuttings but increased it to 8 or so)

the first 3 have already rooted. Willows are amazing!

we're fine paying hired help now..

I don't remember when we've used film..it was decades ago..

I didn't realize your great grandchild will be so far away..

if you left ceramic and clay pots in the backyard in Indiana you'd be putting broken pieces in garbage bags for the trash..I think I saw a picture of your pots years ago..you have some nice ones..I'd use them..you're strong enough to move them..

yes you need to be selective when things are free..you don't want to take home a bunch of junk just because it's free..

I planted Asclepias Tuberosa seeds (orange blooms) years ago.. they didn't come up..

you wondered how a photo had half in focus half not..I thought maybe it was the way you held your phone?..

if you bought macrophyllas you'd be paying for instant gratification..

D has replaced sump pumps..but this time he opted to pay..

a pond sounds pretty..our water disappears eventually..for a pond we'd be digging deeper..installing a liner and pump..not worth it..I don't think we can dig..we have too many trees..

it looked nice but felt a little chilly today..Saturday and Sunday our overnight lows are 38? 39?..ugh..my houseplants are still in the house..they won't even be out by Mother's Day!..we're cooler than average..

I took one picture today..a plain hosta that has odd leaves..it was kind of cute so I took a photo..

Huh? You said: "we're fine paying hired help now.." I don't have a problem hiring help that is beyond my abilities now (tree removal, painting 18 foot ceilings, installing doors, building a new deck, etc.), but I was talking about the simple stuff (weeding, raking, planting, pruning, etc.) that may be too difficult to do in a few years. I worked for an elderly woman weeding her flower beds. She had to take care of her invalid husband and she was probably close to 80, while I was still in HS. Weeding is a simple task, especially if one is healthy and able to bend over or get on their knees.

I clearly remember when I stopped shooting film - it was when I got my first digital camera around Christmas, 1999. I thought the digital camera was a toy, a joke back then. Even this expensive toy was amazing when I downloaded my first photos. I never shot film again after I enlarged the window showing the photos I just took. It was complicated back then, though. The card reader was around $80 and had to be connected to the parallel printer port and Y'ed off the IBM style keyboard. Memory cards were expensive, too. I remember telling my wife that the 256 MB CF card for $100 was cheap (after I bought my second digital camera - Nikon 5700). Now, a person can buy a 64 GB (250 times the memory of the 256 MB) card for like $25. Oh, well times change.

My two oldest grandchildren still live in coastal NC, whereas their youngest sibling settled into Columbus, OH after graduating OSU a couple of years ago.

I doubt I would lose all my ceramic and clay pots to an Indiana winter. If I have them emptied and turned upside down, they should be fine for years and years.

My youngest sister can turn trash into treasure, but that is not for me. It might take her hours of work to accomplish that reversal process.

I bet you needed a lot of heat to get A. tuberosa to germinate. They are roadside "weeds", but nonetheless very beautiful.

My dad dug up several in their spare lot and planted next to their shed.

So brilliant the closer you get

On our walks

again, when you get close up to them

yellow ones I grew from seed (they are all gone today due to too much shade)

tropical ones that won't survive our winters are still beautiful enough to buy and set out

At the Kennesaw Mountain visitor center last year, a giant milkweed that had already gone to seed.

I wonder which milkweed this one is? Google lens says it is a redring milkweed.

I have this next one down as a clasping milkweed

giant tropical milkweed (when we were in Thailand)

This was close to the beach of the resort we stayed at. The Latin name is Calotropis gigantea

Ah, I see what you are talking about now on the photo that looked like it was shot with a special "tilt-shift" lens. Anyway, I liked the effect of that photo and wished I could do it more often in the future. Have you ever thought about how photographers get the "miniaturization effect" on a seaside or city street scene? A lot of times it is with a tilt-shift lens where only the middle of the photo is in focus where the foreground and background are blurred. I'll find some samples to explain it better than I can.

https://photoshopcafe.com/miniature-photoshop-tutorial.htm

I did a screen shot of some of the things described in the above link:

Yes, buying macrophyllas would be instant gratification (which I've done many times in the past). I think I learned from my mistakes to slow down on buying beautiful plants (or not).

Sometimes it pays to have someone else to do the dirty work, right? This is in regards to the sump pump. I wonder why they don't last for decades, though.

You don't need a pump for a pond, but it helps circulate the water (especially if you opt for goldfish). A pond doesn't have to be deep, either. You might have to add water in the hot dry days or let it dry out and let the rains fill it again. You could create a bog garden for some interesting plants. You can always have an above ground pond as well. Some pond shells are available if you don't want to build a form and put in a rubber liner (I did that at our last house).

I hope your temps are on their way to summer averages this week. I know early May can be chilly at times. I still have one room that needs almost all the plants vacated before my surgery day (the 21st), so I don't have to worry about watering. With my "down in the back" condition, the days are quickly escaping me. I may try to move some of the lighter weight pots out this afternoon. My wife thinks I can't do anything and should go to the doctor, but I think it will cure itself in a few days (like in the past).

I had to click on your "one photo for today" to see why you thought it was cute. It has potential with the semi variegated leaves. Is it a volunteer?

I found this helpful for storing pots in Indiana for winter. The last paragraph is a waiver of all the previous advice?

just saying we're less concerned about spending money now for the convenience of having someone else do the work..

I have a niece, her husband and son that live in North Carolina..other than those three all of our immediate family lives in Indiana..we have quite a few relatives (more distant) around the US..

my failures with seeds were probably because I have shade..

I photograph plants and people..what I attempt is pretty straightforward..

we would need to contain the water to have a pond..to keep it clean wouldn't we need a pump?..sounds like work to me lol..

yes our chilly temperatures are disappointing..my plants are still in the house..

I've had lots of hostas with odd leaves..I think they're called an anomaly..they typically don't last..the next year the hosta goes back to normal..

I wouldn't leave clay or ceramic pots out in IN..too iffy..I don't have many of those types left.. most are small..and the few medium ones have nonhardy plants that can't stay out..

just 2 pictures..a squirrel hanging out on top of the big chair..and a nibbled hosta..probably a rabbit..

Spending money is a great hobby. HAHA! I decided NOT to replace our basement AC/furnace after receiving a quote of $9,000 from our regular guy. He replaced our upstairs unit several years ago for $4K and our main floor (the biggest unit) for $6K maybe 3 to 4 years ago. I was shocked at the $9K but maybe I shouldn't be with all the price increases on so many things in the last year or two. Anyway, I rarely ever need heat in the basement, but AC is nice if and when I need to do any kind of work in summer. For now, I'll just keep the door open to let the fresh air in (plus bugs and other critters). Maybe I will get one of those mini-split systems for occasional use down there.

I'm sure most families have relatives around the US and other countries. That's life and the "global economy". So many of my HS classmates stayed in the little town to work and raise a family. It's a hard life for most of them unless they were born into a wealthy family.

You should try seeds again. It's worth a few dollars for supplies and seeds.

I think my love of flowers is what got me more involved with photography than anything else. My daughters didn't want me to take pictures of them when they hit a certain age. I still took some, but not as much as when they were babies to pre-teens.

No, you don't need a pump to keep water clean. Sediments would settle to the bottom of the pond. Every few years, you may want to pump all the water out to remove all the built up sediment and debris. You would want to add BT to keep mosquitoes in check unless you add fish to eat the larvae.

Well, it is Mother's Day so maybe you can start moving plants outside this week.

Plants are an anomaly at times. I always associated anomalies with computer glitches and other man-made stuff. HAHA!

Oh, here is an idea on cold hardy pots. Lowe's carries or used to carry heavy wall glazed pots from NORCAL. I think NORCAL stands for Northern California? Anyway, I have plenty of those and they never broke due to weather. If I dropped one on concrete, then they may crack. BUT with all that protection, they are heavy! Some of my collection that I leave outdoors year round. I have a bunch indoors, too.

I bought these plastic ones for our 2022 convention

Years ago, I tried sorting them

Another heavy duty glazed pots are Vietnamese. I had two water bowls for my Japanese Iris and carnivorous plants. No drain hole and they never broke. The only problem I had was a dog digging the plants out of the pot problem. GRRR! That was my old favorite dog "Duke". As mad as I was, I still forgave the mutt. HAHA!

That squirrel didn't get the "OWL" message, did it? Cute photo. Maybe the hosta was frost damage, but I can see damage from a rabbit, too.

Photos from yesterday's stroll through the back lot.

Another photo of the same pan that had funky colors a few days before. Different time of day and it looks a lot better.

volunteer impatiens sometimes are a bit overbearing

Kangaroo Paw fern and Blue Star ferns on both sides

variegated bird nest fern with scale insects. I must get my alcohol sprayer out on this fern.

Tiger Stripe fern with a decimated begonia in the same pot.

Sophie or its twin

I got this from Walmart last year and it wintered over very nice

one of my own seed grown canes

another seed grown cane in the same pan as B. heracleifolia

Shaun's Dream and Fedor

last year's rex from Walmart BUT I had to down pot it as it looked sad in the great big pot

Same thing on this begonia (big pot from Walmart last year but needed downsizing over winter)

Yellow Gem rubber tree (from Walmart, but it loses the pattern if the light is not bright enough).

I had to cut all the leaves off this calathea this winter as they were too ugly to keep on the plant.

Gryphon which has been a very popular begonia at a lot of nursery centers

Old Blue has had a few chilly nights but it should be okay

two canes propped up on this small tree for support

another one of my seed grown canes (I named this one)

one of many ivies I let grow in the ground. This one has been very slow to spread, though

I like its splashes of variegation.

canes with maculata in front.

other canes grouped for support and some shade from neighbors.

more

a small pot of syngonium

a Chinese species (chungii x)

my big pot of mixed dracaenas, BOP grown from seed, very tall cordyline plant.

Persicaria Red Dragon is not weedy.

Cracklin' Rosie and pony tail palm

bracken ferns can be aggressive growers

sensitive ferns are only sensitive to frost

autumn ferns spread nicely

I can't remember the name of this alocasia

I like it though

I don't think Gloriosum philodendron likes it so chilly.

side view of it (notice the heavy wall glazed pot beside it - it has a small June hosta in it)

my native pawpaw bush is getting bigger (finally)

But it is short compared to the native azalea it is next to.

I don't know this plant but I like the tiny lily-of-the-valley flowers with a light scent

top side of the same plant (I believe it is a blueberry relative)

two of many relocated autumn ferns from the front yard. I should dig a proper hole for them, but if I water them where they sit, they will eventually root in place.

this one is a much bigger clump

the funeral tree philodendron in the same tiny pot over 30+ years now. I wonder how big it would get if I moved it to a much bigger pot? This pot is probably 12 to 14 inches.

these bracken ferns came from a spore as the mother plants are 30 feet away. See how fast they spread?

ARGH!

Italian arums are showing their seeds so the foliage will soon disappear leaving behind red berries.

Knock Out Roses are starting to bloom but I see a lot of roses in full bloom around the neighborhood and on our shopping trips.

deer or rabbits (pulling down the supple branches) are stripping the top leaves of this mulberry tree (that I continually cut to the ground)

Weedy invasive Mexican hydrangeas. I will probably be fighting these forever, but I will allow some to reach full size for blooming.

standing water in my rectangular planter box because I forgot to release the stopper before our recent rains. This box really stunk from decaying organic material. It was good as new yesterday.

Mallow sawflies are having a field day on some of the hardy hibiscus. I must spray the leaves and sprinkle systemic around the bushes very soon.

volunteer ferns around our stair case landing. This is one of them (dies back to the ground in winter)

This looks like a hybrid fern.

Japanese painted fern (one spore did the trick?)

Flying Dragon Orange trees have LOTS of little fruits.

these two arborvitae bushes are over my head and the hydrangea Phantom behind them is at least 12 foot tall with an equal spread. I want to trim all 3 ASAP. I have to fight the blackberry vines that have taken over where I need to enter, though. I hate wearing jeans (haven't worn them in 3 years or so) but I may have to don a pair to protect my legs and a flannel shirt for my arms.

tiger lilies are getting pretty tall, too. I think the tallest one is close to 7' by now.

indoors

one of two begonia cups of seedlings from our class in March or February.

This cup has some mushrooms growing in the soil. GRRR!

my albo syngonium from Pike's is sprawling everywhere (I would show the entire plant but then I'd expose my messes as well)

Callisia 'Pink Panther'

begonia cuttings need to be potted up. If I go to this Saturday's meeting, I will take it as is for sharing. I will take two of each cutting before I go, though.

Art Hodes from two leaf cuttings (entire leaf)

Art Hodes from stem cuttings (laid on top of perlite)

I have Date Palm tree seedlings now.

I coiled up my rambling vines of rex begonia vine to get them off the floor.

these two vines are going to the door

I got this rex from Walmart a few weeks ago

Golden Arborvitae cuttings are looking perky

the cuttings in my new prop box look okay

yes everything we need (or want) to live costs a fortune these days..

photography is a great tool to monitor plants and gardens..

can you imagine how much debris my pond would collect?..I'm not into the idea of a pond..too many problems..

I did some things outside today but we didn't move any plants..maybe tomorrow..

your pot collection is huge!..

the syngoniums look better in the photo in this comment..

Gloriosum does seem to have some cold damage..

it's amazing that huge philodendron has lived in such a small pot for so long!..

I have a big crop of Painter's Palette too..both of us have a lot of plants that are growing fast..

I have a few peony pics..

yay!..my plants are out 😀..a few pics today..

my favorite view of Empress Wu..this is a different J maple than the 1st pic..

Coast to Coast..

Elegans..

Digital photography makes it possible for anyone (with some initial outlay) to be on the same level as professionals (if they apply themself). It's good to be alive to see this kind of tech going on today.

Ponds are work for sure, but they also add to one's garden and yard. I may try it again one of these days before I kick the bucket.

I thought the syngoniums looked better in the most recent photo shoot, too. Something was really wacky about the previous shoot's color.

I cut all the damaged leaves off the Gloriosum plants. I still have 3 indoors that I need to move outdoors before Wednesday. Surgery is Thursday and prep day is Wednesday (I doubt I will want to do much heavy work).

I hope to redo all my bigger moss poles in June. I've learned a lot in 2 years.

I weed whack the Painter's Palette plants I don't want. Killing them is hard to do since their roots seem to hold on for dear life. It will be difficult to weed whack this patch since tiger lilies are among the hundreds of plants.

Not that I need any more tiger lilies or Mexican hydrangeas either.

Your peonies look nice. I watched a few YouTube videos on getting the most blooms and growth from peonies and they all agree - LOTS of sun. I know this but I've ignored it at this house. I must look for some old prints of my peonies at the last house. They were glorious but the photos were not.

Your hostas are doing well, too! I saw some big ones at the surgeon's office yesterday.

My shadow in this photo.

Watch some videos on YouTube about hostas at Mike's Backyard Nursery perennial bed. I think he is in Ohio. I am sure there are other growers who have very impressive hosta beds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zkh805x3GY&t=312s

I have a HVAC guy coming over (from Costco affiliating services) in a short while to give us an estimate on doing the basement heat and air. Once he is gone I can get back to working outdoors. I have to write a paper for our begonia club today as well. I got hit up for this two days ago and yesterday was not good (very poor sleep, visits to the surgeon's office and to a pre-op group). By the time we got home (we stopped at Walmart to pick some things up), we had been gone for nearly six hours.

Look what I found 3 days ago while weeding this side of the house.

and in the front yard when we were cleaning up the debris we cut, I found this baby

Then one day later I found this on our driveway.

I think it is the same snake. I hope it doesn't get run over or sprayed with weed spray by our lawn service guy.

a broken stem from one of 3 plants I bought from Walmart (Mona Lavender plant) It already has roots.

backyard alley - Kerria, hydrangeas, rose of Sharon bushes, etc.

We took this petunia out of its pot and put it in this much bigger pot between the garage doors.

a dahlia from Home Depot

the other side of the petunia basket

Mona Lavender temporary home until we found a place to plant them

Calibrachoa went into the ground

as well as the Celosia 'Dragon's Breath'

I don't have any photos of the pink and red Dipladenia plants (they went in the ground around the mailbox)

I've been busy taking cuttings - Weigela (2 varieties so far), oakleaf hydrangeas (Snow Queen before it completely dies from some kind of critter damage and Little Honey), other hydrangeas (broken stems so far), Chinese viburnum, camellias, azaleas, and the last cuttings were double blooming mock orange and coral bark JM.

My first box still looks very fresh

golden arborvitae looks as good as the day I cut it (the 10th)

Indian Pink (I need to get some more of this as I only have one plant) I bet I could take cuttings of it as well as all the woody shrubs.

Dipladenia (Mandevilla) planted at the mailbox

Found the name of this lily I've had for years - Forever Susan

Petunias put in the big pot

1 of 2 Dragon's Breath planted in the ground.

Calibrachoa in the ground. Which reminds me of the mailbox - I was pulling weeds out and the calibrachoa that has survived 4 winters is no more. My wife in her haste pulled it out along with some of the dead stems. I loved that thing and will try to find an identical one before surgery day.

I think the Mona Lavender is in too bright an area as most of the blooms have dried up and fallen off. I will move it soon to a shady area.

My Homalomena 'Camouflage' is pitiful. I suspected a death plug so I pulled the plant out and rinsed off the roots as best I could.

Before rinsing - it looks possible for a death plug, but once rinsed, I could not find one. I put it in a vase with some peroxide for an hour or so while I moved plants outdoors. It is in a clear container with water after I quit for the evening. I need a better pot and media for it going forward.

Setting sun last evening shined brightly on my bowl of 3 rexes on the picnic table under our gazebo.

pics yesterday..my Autumn ferns are pinkish brown when the fronds are new..green later..were yours like mine at first?..more later..

yep to return to our pre-technology days would be tough..

I like ponds..I just don't have the right land for one..

here's to the day when the surgery is over..I'm hoping for a great outcome 👍..take care..

knowledge and experience are so great..I've learned a lot in 45? years of serious interest in plants..

my land is moist..I can successfully pull some weeds..I have a few Painter's Pallets in unwanted spots now but until this year I haven't needed to pull any..not sure if they pull out well..you might need to live with a PP/tiger lilies combo!..

I'm proud of my peonies this year..I've never had this many blooms..without the sun they really like I'm impressed with my results..

the hostas at the surgeon's office are big..I hope they don't get scorched..Georgia sun is intense.. they're surrounded by concrete..to be honest I think there could be better plants for that location..it would be interesting to see if they hold up as summer goes on..

over the years on Gardenweb I've seen fantastic hosta gardens..in Michigan..Ohio..Virginia..to name a few..I saw a garden in Georgia that was great..I mentioned the name to you but you didn't recognize it..George Schmidt..I heard he's passed away..

it's a good idea to get multiple estimates for a big job..you can learn something from each person..

awww what a cutie..is that an anole?..

it seems like you see a snake every week!..

I love your colorful annuals!..you're way ahead of me..I haven't planted what I bought and need to buy more..

I always intended to get an Indian pink..never have..🤦‍♀️

Forever Susan is eye catching 👍..

your wife is a thorough weeder..maybe too thorough Ha!..

death plug is a clever name for the fiber circles that I hate..my inside plants took a hit this winter..only 1 of 3 small alocasia looks nice..Hilo Beauty isn't up yet..I bet it's dead..some looked so sad I tossed them (Episcia, Anthurium)..both had death plugs..the losses motivated me to organize my pots..I collected 12 pots I could part with and put them on Marketplace..only 5 were a nice size..7 were small and were worth about a quarter each lol..sold them all for $25..no ceramic pots..7 were plastic..5 were clay but very small..I also sold 2 peace lilies..after we carried them out I was thinking "I hate to bring those back into the house next year"..they were sentimental so I decided to keep the smallest one..I put 2 of them on Marketplace for $30..sold them within an hour..I'm on a mission to cut back on pots that need overwintering..my shoulder injury makes a difference..2 Marketplace ads for ceramic pots..I think this guy could get more..if I knew then what I know now I should've asked more for my turquoise pots..but what's done is done..it feels great to get rid of things I can live without..

I'm excited to start working on my annuals..

the ads..priced lower than mine..if I could lift them I'd buy these pots lol..I got $20 for my 4..

the peace lily I kept..

the peace lilies I sold..I was going to water them, clip ugly leaves after we moved them outside..then decided to sell them and let the new owner do that..she was a nice lady and loved them..they have a good home..when I said "I liked the pot" of one of them she told me to "keep the pot.".I said "but the ad said pots included" she said "I have a pot I can use..I want you to have the memory"..she knew they came from my parents' passings..wasn't that nice?..

Yes, the new fronds of autumn ferns are often bronze-red on my plants.

I had to go back to 2023 to find new fronds, though.

Your red peony looks nice. Have you thought about staking it? That is one of the faults of peonies - drooping stems. My mother's "red" peony a few years back.

I can't imagine going back in time before computers or digital devices. Cars make it easier than riding horses and AC keeps us cool in the heat of summer. Running water, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, and washer and dryer make modern life better and easier, too.

I have 3 more days to do anything outdoors (and indoors) before prep day and then surgery day. Things we wished were over but we can't rush it either.

We can always mow down any plants in our way (or bulldoze). Gardeners have it easy compared to our grandparents and before them.

I have a feeling I will be visiting the surgeon's office a few more times before I am released, so I can see if the hostas struggle or continue to grow and flourish.

I saw a garden on "Victory Garden" that were famous for hellebores and hostas. I can't remember the name now but it was on our list for a full day of nursery shopping. Unfortunately, it was last on our list and when we pulled in, they were in the process of closing down for the day. It was Piccadilly Farms.

My Blue Angel from 2019 (maybe the azaleas shaded it out by a lot).

We got a second estimate for the heat and AC in the basement. It was a staggering price and a hard sale (from Costco services, nonetheless). What a joke.

Yes, that was an anole.

Thank goodness the snake was not venomous. I know there is a difference between venomous and poisonous, but I don't know what the difference is.

I was hoping one plant of Indian pink would've produced a lot of seeds and seedlings. Not a one in all these years. Maybe it doesn't pollinate with itself.

I always said that my wife is dangerous with a hoe and pruners, but her bare hands are registered weapons against plants too.

Wow. Good for you on selling the pots and plants you no longer want. I donate them or trash them. I have no patience for cleaning up pots or plants for selling.

What are you going to do with your annuals? Pot them up or put them in the ground? I want to get back into coleus this year - so easy to grow and so colorful that no blooms are required.

Wow, those ceramic pots for those prices are too good to be true. Are they cracked, small, or other defects.

The first peace lily looks like two major ones in the same pot. I agree the last two look like they need a good watering. Still very healthy looking and big. That was nice for the lady to give you the pot back on the one peace lily. What did she do to keep it contained for the ride home? A plastic bag?

My big Polly I bought last year (most of the leaves are gone). What surprised me is the flower has viable looking seeds!!

the little black dots are the seeds as far as I have learned.

Bambino (I moved several plants out today)

GRRR! I found this moved off the table to a small table near the screen (where the hot sun will come in, in the afternoon). My wife suggested the front porch which can get very hot in the afternoon, too. I finally put it under the cherry trees in an old cement bird bath, but I think I will move it to the backyard since I can't see it under the trees and I have to drag a hose over to it.

Rex 1 is the most colorful one

Rex 2 is the smallest of the 3, being crowded out.+

Rex 3 is the largest

I have to stick some JM cuttings this evening or tomorrow morning. I don't think they will root as well in water as other hardwood cuttings.

I may have already shown this picture before of several shrubby bushes - camellias, viburnum (Chinese), azaleas, and some hydrangeas.