Beautiful pictures and outdoor space. I wanted to make a recommendation for working with a concrete slab patio. Sorry if you already know this technique. I have an old house and my laundry room floor is concrete. I cleaned the floor, etched it with the correct chemicals, painted it a solid burgundy. I took a clean pizza box, cut it apart, and cut a piece of foam to fit into the bottom of the box. Glue to foam to the top of the pizza box. Pour some paint into the bottom of the box (a contrasting color). Pour a couple of other colors side by side in the middle of the contrasting color. Take a stick and draw it through the colors, making a pattern through the paint. Dip the foam into the patterned paint and start stamping. I left space between the stamps so that the burgundy showed through as if it were grout. Now I know it's not granite and I usually only like "real" things, but it really warmed up the room. I know that some people in the "garden junk" forum have used the same type of technique to make brick patterns on concrete patios.

Goodness, I have to bring this forward for folks to see Color Revolt if nothing else. I've lusted after that plant. It is good to note that a certain hybridizer keeps showing up in the things you find beautiful. Some hosta which are soul satisfying unbeknownst to me turn out to be connected to a person who posts here just like everyone else, but what we don't know is he is a mildmannered man until he goes into that phone booth...and comes out as the caped crusader to leap tall bushes in a single bound, etc etc. I think he must put some kryptonite into the leaves of some hosta he coaxes from the gene pool....like Rhino Hide, which I had to have....and gave it as a present before I realized I could grow it here.....and now I see that my secret love, Color Revolt, is another one of his. Sometimes superman is just like the guy next door. Awesome.

Sorry for the delay. Thank you for the comments :) Cnetter - I picked and ate a steamed cauliflower tonight for dinner that was delicious because I picked earlier (broccoli too). When I plunged it in water in the kitchen sink to wash, a million earwigs came out. Yuck! Lilacs - my garden has been enjoying the rain too. I should take pics again as it seems everything is twice the size in just the past ten days or so. Michelle - I like the raised beds for their ease and also for the look. My dream for the garden was to be French Potager style but the flower seeds I planted didn't work out like I'd hoped. Better luck next year eh! Digit - Thank you for your thoughtful comments and the time to browse. Parsley- anyway to get those greens in! You can't taste it with all the fruit. Parsley pesto - no recipe just to taste: olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesean cheese and a little basil. The long skinny eggplant is 'Ichiban Hybrid' and the round one is 'Satin Beauty'. It's been really prolific this year. I've eaten a bunch and there are quite a few ripening with new ones forming. I did cut some of the dill for drying, thank you. My new oven has a dehydrating setting, so I'll try it and see how it works. I finally got two cukes today. We ate some green beans, a few carrots, and a purple pepper as well as gypsy pepper. I used a cherry bomb pepper in a saute. Something is eating my cabbage. I suspect earwigs; they are everywhere ick. I'm going to make some cole slaw tomorrow before they get it all. I planted swiss chard, spinach, leaf lettuce, beets and more carrots for a fall harvest hopefully. Happy Gardening :) Charlene

It used to be that when you clicked on "Edit" of "My Page" there was a box at the very bottom that said 'Home Page' and you could put a link to your site such as a blog or home page. A friend had made a home page for me with a few pictures etc. which is linked above so when "My Page" was clicked you had the option to click on the 'Home Page' or blog of that person, but now there is no such option on my "My Page". You can still put it on the "Optional Link URL" box, but as you say that takes a little time. Just wondering if the 'Home Page' option on "My Page" had disappeared for everyone. Click the 'Edit' button on your "My Page" to see.