Hi everyone, Just a quick drop in to say a big thank you for all of the beautiful birthday cards! I love them all! It's been a busy summer so far and is going way to fast. Bella is at such a fun age and we've been spending a lot of time doing fun things with her. Lots of visits to the dairy to see her beloved cows, we went to Build a Bear last weekend and made a 4th of July bear, visits to the park and Dairy Queen and today we're going to the zoo. My garden is cluttered with sandbox, water table, wading pool, tricyles, all mixed in with lots of flower pots. I've gone overboard again with the containers. No big surprise there, right? This has been a great summer for the garden, lots of rain and not too hot, just right. Yesterday Jenni and I worked at ivy removal again in her garden. I know I promised you all pictures but I had trouble with my picturetrail account when I tried to add them. Maybe it's time to try again. I want you all to see what we've done! V, I have musa siam ruby. Is that the same as your red banana? When I first got it the leaves were more green than red. But now that it's warmed up they are really red. Very cool plant! Saucy, love your container gardens and reading about the bees too! Deanne, as usual everything I've seen in your pictures is just spectacular! I especially loved the pot you painted to match the begonias. Thanks for the pictures of Sue's garden too! Sue, I didn't notice the boot but do really like the way you're wearing your hair these days. Your garden is wonderful as always! One of my favorites! Cynthia, thanks for the glimpse into your garden too. Your agaves are beautiful. I'm acquiring quite a collection of them too, thanks to the influence of you and Denise. Michelle, I love hearing about your special times with Kenzie. The Secret Garden is really coming along and looking so cute. That gate is such a great find! Marie, I'm so glad Skyler came through ok. So much for him to deal with. So great of him and Sarah to do the cancer run. She looks beautiful in her new haircut :) Reed is growing up so fast and is such a cutie. Kathy, Aiden looks like such a happy baby and is cute as can be. I made your birthday card my computer background picture. Very, very cool! I have to run. Time for the zoo! Hi Martie, PM, Cindy, Denise, Anita, Chelone, Mary (Who else have I missed?). Brenda great to have you back posting too! Welcome Leslie! Happy Friday! Eden

I hate to say it too loud, but the weather has been gorgeous, high 70s. My dad had a brutal day in the hospital yesterday, where the cardiologists gave my mom the hopeless talk, yet this morning he's better and hungry for breakfast. Between airport runs to pick up my charming SIL and hospital visits, I squeezed in a nursery run for some Prairie Sun rudbeckia, a bizarre sort of multitasking. On the science front, we've ID'd the green metallic beetles, what we call Japanese beetles, but I'm sure they're not the same beetle Woody is currently contending with. Ours is the fig beetle, Cotinis mutabilis. There are dozens on the grapes, which thrills Duncan but creeps me out, very X-files-ish. I've linked a photo for comparison to Woody's Japanese beetle. On the project front, the blinds for the bath house were delivered and waiting when we got home from the hospital late last night so will probably get installed today, which thankfully puts that time pit to rest, and I can take down all the stuff I've jury-rigged for privacy. Saucy, sounds like fun having Sarah as your gal pal for a week. If life wasn't so crazy at the moment, I'd take advantage of a certain West Coast airline's "fly all you want the month of Sept anywhere in the U.S." buffet for $600 to don a party hat at your Sept party. I'd visit East Coast relatives and idylls, NYC and Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, the Highline, see Wash D.C., Longwood in PA and the new Terrain store, visit my brother in the south, maybe meet V in Lurie Park -- but one doesn't really do such things, does one? Michelle, I echo the other comments, that your potager in the mist is so beautiful, deer-damaged or not. PM, who knew that cameras just needed to rest when they get a concussion? Glad to hear you've sorted it all out. Chelone, you in Bushman mode cracked me up. My hair has similar issues at the moment. If only we could stick our heads in the monitor and Anita could work her magic! Must be hard to get motivated in August to start moving heavy equipment, so good luck with that. Kathy, must've been mid day for the cleaning reward to be banana splits, otherwise I'm thinking a nice syrah perhaps... Deanne, I know how you feel about the musa, with my Agave potatorum doing the same death act. Guess I'll collect the seed, sigh...BTW, the Tower Hill photos were awesome. Sending cool thoughts to Cindy, Drema, and 'bug in the awful sweltering heat.

Hello Everyone... I don't even know where to begin... Ok, I do know... ;-). Mike. Welcome back!!!! We/ I missed you.. I guess I missed your text to me. When you were MIA. ;-). I sent you one and I didn't hear form you, but I knew you would touch base when you were ready. I wanted to give you time, my friend. Soooo glad to see you posting again. That makes me happier than any bloom on this thread, but getting to the blooms .. OHHHH MMyyyyyy!!! How beautiful. Fragrant.. I have never seen such beauty. Congratulations!!! WES.. Always love your pics... Rosey, yours too... I wish I had some blooms right now. I have nothing.. ;-( Robert... I had to laugh at your room. I need to share with my DH so he won't send me off to some tiny island and say I'm missing... Lol. Everything you have is lovely... Fenius... Gorgeous.. I'm so jealous... Kandhi... New tree from FC? Can I ask what you ordered.. As I drool on the keyboard... LMAO!!! Sorry, but true... I always love to see your Jasmine pics.. Lovely!,, YES.. My Tuberoses came and they are potted up and I see some activity.. That makes me happy!!! Kemistry... Ohhhhh my!!! Getting the plume itch!!! Lol. I have had that itch for a long time, my friend.. I think Penang Peach is a must have. You will just love it for its fragrance as well as her beauty. BUY IT?? Mike... Glad to hear my Gardenia is going to bloom for you. This variety is an old heirloom type and is so large and fragrant. You will love it, I'm sure. Just glad you are doing well, my good friend!!! I have been busy keeping these people from stealing my pictures an using them on EBay to sell their Plumerias.. It has been a headache, but I finally got them to take my pictures down. I complained to the listing company on eBay and also filed a report with them. My friend who saw this has posted about them and the link on thenPlumeria forum as well as the Adeniums forum. They used my pic to sell their trees.. My greenhouse with the plumeria inside and then they took a pic from John at Jungle Jacks nursery and placed it next to mine... GRRRR... Ok, I'll stop. I have been working hard and as you can see it is late, but I wanted to stop by and say hello to you all.. I love this forum and all that post. You all are a great group and I just wanted to let you all know... Wes... I didn't know Paul liked granite? ;-). Must be in the "genes". Lol Take care, Laura

You will soon want to push the two sofas together so that their corners touch, so that he doesn’t crawl into the corner and pull down the lamp. Or, remove the lamp. Our younger, really active baby had this Activity Garden. It didn’t have all the bells and whistles the newer ones have, but it was good for him because it let him focus. His favorite thing was just to open the gate, walk through, close the gate, check the mail, open the gate, walk back, close the gate. We got it from a rummage sale, and when he was finally ready to part with it we eased the pain by giving it to the church nursery, where he could show the babies how to use it lol. He’s 20 and that activity garden is still a favorite in the nursery! (Because it doesn’t have too many books and crannies, it is easy to keep clean.) edited to add, we got a train table that was a nice, stained and sealed wood, instead of a highly-kid-centric design. The Isle or Sodor-design top could be wrapped in wrapping paper for a change of pace. It stayed set up for years, transitioning to Lego, board games, puzzles, by day, and coffee table by night, because it matched the family room decor.