Well, Tina, we have had a pretty long hot "fall" (and late summer too) compared to our averages. Hence the reason most of our trees are green as a gourd still. But, we got down to 28 degrees last night for our first freeze. That is about a week ahead of average. Go figure. Hard to outguess mother nature year to year I guess. Right now I'd trade a little of our fall color for some good soaking rains. We have just been really dry the last 3 months or so.

Flora, I thought they might be G. ikariae, when I bought those first few bulbs back in the 60's they were in a bulk bin just labeled snowdrops. I thought I was just buying the common ones, when these shiny green leaves came up the following year I thought to myself these don't look like snowdrops, good job I didn't shovel prune them LOL. When they finally bloomed I went looking trying to identify them, I thought they looked very much like the ikariae in the book Shrubs by Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix so if you think they might be too, they probably are. Glynis, this is the second H. foetidus I've had, the first one I had for 4 years and then it up and died. This one I've had for about 6 years, I haven't let it set seed maybe that's why I still have it. We'll see I want to collect seed this year, hope I don't lose it. I have another little odd ball a girlfriend grew from seed she collected, it has small green flowers and blooms a little later, could be a cross or... I moved it last year so don't think it will bloom this year. When it does I'll post a pic on the Hellebore forum, see if I can get an identification. I said I wasn't going to order any more Hellebore seed but I see Ashwood Nursery is now selling seed of their doubles, I'm weakening LOL. LOL Kathy, "Some people would complain if you hung them with a new rope" I'm going to remember that one. As far as winters go Vancouver is having the warmest winter in their recorded history so we on the island probably are too. Right now most years the ground would be frozen. Thanks all for taking a look, I usually don't have anything to show at this time of year and when I finally do it's just old hat, I'm so far behind everyone else when things bloom. Annette

Beautiful setting. "This area is still a work in progress". Yes, we all struggle for just that perfect setting. You have done well and your determination to achieve that shows in your work. Great selection of cultivars. Weeping White Spruce = Picea glauca 'Pendula'. I am glad to see the ADT and gas meter fade from the scene. Dave

Omar, the silvery thing is one of the Mountain Mints Pyncnantheum muticum. It's very nice and does well in a monrning shade afternoon sun spot which is always hard IMO. Roselee, I got the original Tithonia at the Texas Discovery Gardens. Last year I had it and one of the cultivars and spider mites really ate up the cultivar and the specied did fine. The ones this year are from seed I collected so I could share seed again this fall. It's a heat lover so I started the seeds in the spring. I like the little pitcher clematis as well, I just hope next year it has more than three flowers! RC-as for rain it's been weird. Wet Dec-April, not a drop in May and then random pop-up showers in June. I've been lucky and been underneath several of those pop-ups. Temps are at least 10 degrees lower than last year as well.