Hello Maeve and welcome! I'm from central Illinois zone 5. A cold place to grow roses and a short reason. I'm a fairly obsessed gardener, with 300 roses along with hostas, clematis, hydrangeas, and lots of other perennials since I have lots of shade in addition to my rose garden. It seems minis are getting to be my newest love, and they're so cute...I especially adore the striped or bi-colored ones. It's so easy to get caught up in adding more and more to your collection. This forum is just the place to enable you with all the luscious pictures and helpful advice! -terry

Hi Amy, My area is actually in the front left corner of my lot looking out my front door. My back yard is full blazing sun and I have yet to plant the back fence. I'm trying to talk my husband into getting rid of his horse shoe pits,it's the only thing between me and a full sun garden back there! Have a great Day Lisa This is a pic of my town owned land garden. I live on a street alone and they let me make it pretty! Of course, I mean to the right! My husband builds me that little holding area at the end of the street for me to hold plants that are waiting to be potted,planted or given away. This area is on the back left fence in mostly full sun, 90% of the plants were winter sown!!!!! This is my biggest garden, right front side looking out my front door. I would say that at least half of the plants were winter sown! I need a wide angle camera, I can't get a pic of the whole gardes! This is standing in the middle of the biggest section of the garden. Don't be afrai to wonter sow those seeds!!!!

Hello SPM2 -- You can't tell us about your amazing home and then not post a single pic! :o)

I've never been a journal or diary keeper, but was a history major in university who found primary sources like journals, diaries, and letters very important and helpful. Starting in about the 16th century, keeping a journal or diary became common; in those days people would keep journals especially if they were going on a pilgrimage, so travel journals and spiritual journals. Samuel Pepys' diary is probably one of the earliest, best known examples in great part because he wrote in the 17th century (though his diary wasn't published until the early 19th century) about such major events as the Great Plague of London and the Great Fire which made his diary very important as a primary source. Long and regular letters were common, as those who read Jane Austen might know : ) . Victoria kept one daily, from the time she was 12 or 13 until just before she died, filling more than 100 books. Not only were journals customary then, but she was also "encouraged" by her mother and governess, both of whom were aware of V's special place in history. One of my favorite books as a child was the "Diary of an Early American Boy", edited and annotated by Eric Sloane. Noah Blake received a leather diary from his father on his 15th birthday in 1805 and recorded the daily activities, with sketches sometimes, on the family farm.