For all the whining I do (and cursing) when lugging the umpteenth load of hand gathered rotted leaves/worms from the woods to amend the non-draining clay around here I keep being told by articles and people that our soil has great nutrients. Getting the soil to the point where the plants can spread roots and take up the nutrients is the challenge. Given that my patience seems to decrease in direct correlation with the aging process I can't wait for years to have that "fine tilth" everyone tells me about and the repeated instruction to start composting myself is beyond me. The raccoons that ripped apart the wild bird's metal suet cages would scoff everything down in minutes. Besides...my father looks at me like I've lost my mind when I mention "composting". So I lug bags of it from Lowe's and do my best with it. This is my first year gardening and doing it at my father's house to keep my relative sanity while spending days there watching out for him. I don't think financial sales is this hard and the much anticipated rewards of seeing beautiful things spring to life will hopefully make all the work worth it. Got my fingers crossed, anyway. Started a new Butterfly Garden last fall in memory of my late Mom. The miserably invasive Chinese Wisteria has so weakened trees that many of them keeled over in last high wind storm we had. One, naturally, is perched precariously over the Butterfly Garden. I wasn't here the day supposedly experienced tree pruners did their job and they hacked off limbs willy-nilly...and left the precarious limbs over the butterfly garden right where they're still hanging. Way too high for me to reach on a ladder particularly since I tumbled off the ladder a few times last fall while pruning trees that hadn't been touched in years. The precarious limbs are the "other shoe waiting to drop" but I've still got my Butterfly Garden and high hopes for a summer/fall of great, varied blooms and hopefully see some butterflies stop by for some nectar and even lay some eggs on host plants. I better see some darn butterflies after all this...LOL. The darn vines didn't die or even miss a beat when the trees keeled over. When I went out back last week to do monthly cutting and yanking of vines I saw them moving on to other trees they couldn't reach before bigger trees were downed. To be honest, I'll keep Jersey conditions over scorpions, red fire ants, poisonous snakes, etc. as long as I can keep chasing the deer, rabbits, groundhogs & chipmunks away from everything I try to plant. This spring had tulips for the first time in 20 years in front of my father's house. I spent less on the bulb themselves than all the bulb cages and Repels All spray to keep moles/chipmunks from eating them underground and deer/rabbits/gophers from eating them above ground...LOL. But those tulips were glorious and already looking over tulip/hyacinth/iris reticulata choices for planting this fall! I'm a Jersey gal and couldn't think of living anywhere else. Grew up in mountains of Bergen County where Jack in the Pulpits were everyday wondrous plants I marveled at while spending carefree summer days wandering the woods. Been in Monmouth County since mid-80s and it's beautiful although quickly becoming way too overdeveloped. I've had the experience of asking for information about certain plants and people often suggest things that are deer ambrosia. Won't work here...spend enough time trying to keep buds on Azaleas long enough to get some semblance of bloom in spring! But I could be in Minnesota or somewhere they have to contend with deer AND bears. I always tell myself I could be living in a drainage pipe in Calcutta which makes anything I have to contend with here bearable. But there are times when everyone's had their fill of something or other and they need to blow off a little steam. Thanks for the vicarious rant...and the opening to have one of my own. :)

gatraffic,I meant to tell you all your palms look very healthy and happy.There was an old post where I took a picture looking out my front door.You asked me if I lived across the street from 78 or Bankhead Hwy.I meant to offer you a invitation to stop by next time your down this way.I've been out in the yard planting every since I got off work today.My mother tells me I've gone palm crazy,LOL. I thought about it and I didn't plant any palms in there pots.I got thinking about it an figured like Greg said,you would play heck digging the palm up if you ever had to move it.Plus I just don't think it would be good for the long term health for the palm. When I found the article I didn't know what to think at first,I had never heard of planting anything in the ground in its pot if its going to stay in the ground from now on.My second thought was I didn't like the look of the top of the pot showing above the ground,there were pictures with the article.I just wanted to see if any of you had heard of planting in this manner,or is planting in this manner and what results you were getting.Anyhow it was interesting and totally different from what I've been taught. I know one thing,I'm dieing to go back to HD tomorrow,even though I've already spent nearly 100 dollars already.I guess I have gone palm crazy.LOL :)

Karen, what a haul you made and along with what Luvs brought you, it was wonderful to see everything! Such special treasures to remember a fun day meeting Luvs and sharing something you both love. I see you got an acrylic light-up tree! I have two of them and just love them. I really like those cylinder candle holders too - they have a much more unique design than mine. The Welcome sign that Luvs painted must have made such a sweet impression on you - having something she actually made and with the purple flowers, it is definitely for YOU! Even the word "Welcome" seems special when it was given to you on the occasion of your first face-to-face meeting. Luvs, for you to even THINK of painting things for us, shows what a sweet person you are! I don't think you procrastinate, you are always posting pics of things you've done...and they are all super! DD

After reading the posts, I had already tried Sprayway, Stainless Steel Magic, Mr Clean Erasers(once), vinegar and water. But never Pledge. As I only had the orange Pledge I thought what the ****, I'll try it. I used the Micro Fiber towel ( Yes the ones from Costco for cars). It was wonderful and quick. My French Door frig, my dishwasher and range look great and all in five minutes. I call my husband Shrek as he never thinks about using the handles, but now I have a quick fix. Thanks to those that suggested it.