Jim, you may be right. I sprinkled some snail bait. It just seems funny I can't find anything. I can see no snails, no caterpillars, no grasshoppers, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. It may be that my detective skills are lacking.

Liz, I never even noticed you had not said 'fruit' on the subject line. LOL! Cynthia and all, here on the NW side of San Antonio fruit cocktail shrimp plant is just as hardy and drought tolerant as the red shrimp plant. In a mild winter like last year it didn't freeze all the way back where it was against a wall. The tops that did get nipped and fell over kept the stems green so I just left them in place until spring. Once fruit cocktail is established it comes back very quickly and blooms continually until the first freeze. Well, I take that back. In protected places both the fruit cocktail and the red shrimp flowered all last winter. It gets a little over two feet tall and is very thick and bushy spreading itself around nicely from the roots, and though you will get a few plants coming up from seeds blown around it is not 'invasive.' BTW, I never see anything like a seed pod, but some plants have come up some distance from the original planting so I have to assume it is from seeds. Those volunteer plants don't get much water. They wilt, but I'm amazed they survive and perk back up when I think to water them. It is definitely on my favorite plant list! Incidentally, my 'soil' is shallow black clay over limestome. No bugs bother it and the foliage is healthy and green even when the volunteers come up on pure caliche. Like everything else it gets a few sprinkles of fertilizer now and then.

Jim, thank you! I'm breathing a sigh of relief that's the damage is from the blasting afternoon sun, which I can deal with by eventually moving it or in the short term by using another umbrella, and not chilli thrips. This yellow variety, that you passed along, is my favorite. It's always covered in blooms. I think the variety may be 'Lemon Sorbet'.

Congrats Alexa!!!! What a great accomplishment. I'm smoke free 10 years last month. Like FOAS says it gets easier especially once you start hating the smell of smokers ! I posted a very easy "Greek" Scampi recipe on the New recipes thread. I think it would make a great starter. Ina's Scampi is delish too. For the entree I would go traditional surf and turf . The Iceberg wedge with Blue Cheese is so retro, fits perfectly with Surf and Turf. If you want beyond decadent I had lobster mashed potatoes at a sea food restaurant that was to die for! Very smooth, creamy mashed potatoes with lots of fresh ground pepper, chive snips and chunks (no shreds , chunks) of lobster. Now you have me jonesing for lobster! Broiled Greek Scampi 1/2 stick butter 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice 1 TBSP minced garlic 1/2 tsp dried dill ( I omitted) salt and pepper to taste 2TBSP fresh bread crumbs 1 TBSP grated Parmesan 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp paprika 10-12 extra large shrimp, deveined, peeled, tail on ( butterflied) Preheat broiler with rack placed 6-8 inches from broilers Melt butter in large sauce pan. Stir in lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt and pepper. Let stand off heat to steep. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, oregano, and paprika. Set aside. Coat 2 6 oz casserole dishes with non stick spray and place on baking sheet. Arrange shrimp evenly on each dish. Divided butter mixture evenly between dishes. Top with bread crumb mixture. Broil until shrimp are cooked and topping is golden brown ( about 5 minutes) Let cool one minute before handling Baked Shrimp Scampi 2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved Serves: 6 servings Ingredients 2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell  3 tablespoons good olive oil  2 tablespoons dry white wine  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature  4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)  1/4 cup minced shallots  3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves  1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves  1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes  1 teaspoon grated lemon zest  2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice  1 extra-large egg yolk  2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)  Lemon wedges, for serving Directions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined. Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute