I also live in an urban area in MA, and I've also noticed that I just don't see the pest problems that I used to see where I grew up (about an hour west/south of the city). I haven't even seen any tomato hornworms (thank goodness!), and I've never seen a Squash Vine Borer. Slugs are often a problem (beer traps are my best friend), and like you, I get aphids occasionally. My neighbor has Japanese beetle traps, so I assume he's had problems in the past, but I haven't seen any beetles myself. I did have some powdery mildew problems on my curcurbits last year, as did my next door neighbor (I assume it spread), and I handled it with a diluted milk spray. I actually have seen a groundhog in the city, but he was just sitting on my front walk and alarming the cat, and hadn't made an appearance in the garden. The squirrels, skunks, and raccoons don't seem to bother the garden. I expect that I would have bird problems if I ever got any berries established, but that's still my plan. Mostly, I'd say that you should plant what you want, and deal with the problems if and when they arise.

Oh, I know what you mean. I'm simply craving color...inside my home and out. I do have fading hyacinths and full-bloom red tulips on the back porch to cheer me up, but there is still too much brown and gray outside. I've picked up a few plants this weekend. Some purple and white (each) wave petunias were the only things with blooms. It's just still too cold to get what I want. In order to satisfy that crazy color craving I hit the quilt shop, glass shop (I do stained glass) and took a long walk through a botanic garden. Happy projects to come! I LOVE spring!

weirdtrev; thx much for rply. I am growing pie size pumpkins (a little smaller than the typical jack-o-lantern") so I guess I am doing OK. I see fields with waaaaay more pumpkins than I'm getting but that must be simply because they're planting a lot more vines. my vines grow very vigorously (easily 10' or more) so I was expecting more pumpkins particularly with the number of flowers on each vine. Question: should the vine be trimmed at some point during the season? I will try your suggestion of burying the vines. I am growing the pumpkins in the area between young fruit trees so it's not grass; just whatever weeds are there. I am mulching the mound with the same wood chip mulch I use around my fruit trees. again thx for help. Mark in MN

Your UNDULATA MEDIOPICTA is beautiful. I think we sometimes stop looking at them closely because they are everywhere. But the common ones become common for a reason (or two). I have a spirea bush out front (I know, not a hosta, but I have been thinking this very same thing about it lately) that is also common...you see it everywhere. However, it is an amazing shrub. The leaves start budding out red and as they start to mature they turn golden yellow with the red tips on the new growth. Slowly the leaves turn green and at that time the purple flowers appear. Then in the fall, it is a beautiful mix of yellows and oranges and reds again. No wonder you see it everywhere. The same with UNDULATA MEDIOPICTA - it has beautiful variegation and twists and turns in the leaves that make a beautiful full mound. It is strong growing.