I love the color of these buttons...they are the same color as my bridesmaids dresses...Oooo... so long ago...LOLmore of the "septic tank" garden...my "mound" up at he entrance is starting to color up too...

There must be someone with flower pictures...This spring has been very good for them...pretty soon we will all just pass out from the heat...

I'm still planting my flowers. I just put all the pics on my facebook page. I'll have to post them here tomorrow. I'll need a bigger yard to compete with yours!

I can never tell the difference between a weed and a flower so I hit everything with roundup.

well....a weed is a plant out of place...so in your case...you have no plants...sad yard...you kinda sound like my husband...he asked me the other day if I was going to weed eat the butter cups in the barnyard down...I just laughed and said... but I like the little buttercups...life is like flowers...its just a matter how you view it...

Oooo...I was playing around and took this at night...

Night photography is fun, but ohhhhhhhh, that date stamp....save it for the real estate work.

I don't want to scare you, but there was a large bear hiding in the flowers. Be careful!

LOL...thats Rex...AKA... Mugzy...Sponge Bob...and a host of other names I cannot share...or I will be censored

OK...some more flowers...but pretty soon they will be shot with the temp in the midwest hitting consistant 90+ degree Daylilys can take the heat pretty good...

Here's a bit of proof that we also try to grow some "flowers":

Dahlias don't much care for our climate here in Vermont, where the winter temperature may occasionally dip to -67°F . . . . so we have to dig their rhizomes (or tuberous roots) up each fall and protect them over the winter. They reward us by growing very fast to over 4' tall:

And they produce long lasting blooms that may be 7" (or more) across. Better horticulturalists than we might produce much larger ones, especially where the growing season is more than 60 days !

So while Dahlias are very tedious and frustrating to deal with; Dahlias can also sometimes produce massive rewards . . . . just like in Real Estate !

Oh yes...Dahlias are a challenge...very nice Vermont...your yard does have that rural feel...LOL

Okay Miss Ditty, these aren't really "Flowers" per se; but they are living things. We watched some advertisers on TV suggesting that growing tomatoes "Upside Down" would make it all so . . . so . . . so much easier to harvest them because you wouldn't have to bend over to pick them. So, we've got a few experiments in progress attempting to grow "Upside Down Tomatoes" just like they showed us on TV (but without sending any valuable money).

All are home made contraptions or other modified gardening material. Here's one that's growing out of the bottom of a hanging pot made of Coconut Fibre:

That's more of our "Rural" Neighborhood (devoid of neighbors) across the road.

And here're a few other candidates hanging from the Pergola at our Office Entrance. It looks like conventional Pots allow the Tomatoes to keep more moisture around their elevated overhead roots:

Hope the neighborhood still has that "rural" feel ! Not quite as seen on TV.

LOL... Ive seen 5 gallon buckets used...I have faith... they will bear fruit... I sowed potatoes eyes above ground and just used mounds of straw...it worked and I did not have to dig...who knew...

Beautiful. Vermont & Ditty, nice digs.

monarda purple cone flower are blooming now... and I do not know why I ever mowed up along the highway...its a thing of beauty...

LOL...the less you do the more you have...

Here is my freshly cut grass. The horse does love it after I cut it. Not quite as dramatic as the others, but we love it.

Dayton...whos fuzzy horse is that? PS... his saddle is on backwards

It belong to my son. Spiderman rides it when his cow collection gets away. I'll get that saddle fixed, that could be dangerous.

My son also grew the grass at school. He gave it to me for my birthday last month. I am kind of surprised it has lasted this long.

That all depends on which direction you want to go

Oh TB...still waiting to see your gardening pics...

Ditty, gorgeous shots. I can imagine what they would look like printed out. Have you heard of this site? : blurb.com

You upload your photos and they put them together into a hard cover book. My daughter is a amateur photographer and they do a fanstatic job - good as anything in a book store. You could do one with all your flowers.....

Here's our Lone Lupine, a gift from a Friendly Acquaintance . . . . Melissa from Glover, Vermont. Actually I had to trade a HorseRadish Plant for it:

The spike of flowers on this Lupine is almost a foot tall, and growing taller. We've tried to grow these from seed before, but our soil is too rich and moist while they like poor, but well drained soil. This one may be seen by more people on this Forum than it will from the road out front:

This one has a few more rows of flowers to open up at the top; but I figgered I'd better take a photo before some Moose traipes by and eats it.

WOW...stunning...flowers really do like the cooler seasons...PS...Vermont do you have ticks? and or chiggers?

How is it that If I let my yard grow like that its weeds? You have one lone flower in a patch of weeds.

I keep a couple acres mowed Dayton, out there close to the Road for the FlatLanders to see. There has to be some limit. At the end of the mowed areas is where we start naturalizing . . . . Just like Lady Bird Johnson.

Besides they haven't passed an Ordinance or ByLaw that says we have to mow everything, yet ! I let the Deer and Moose take care of the bulk of what's left over.

Besides, "Weeds" are just plants that just haven't yet had their 15 minutes of Fame and Glory.

So Dayton...embrace your yard of plants and one day they may surprise you...or you may be cited for a unmowed yard...Ah... the beauty of rural property...To mow or not to mow...that is the question...

Thats what I planned to do, give the yard back to nature. Now with only .10 acre the city would get on me. I tried to cement the entire yard but my wife put a stop to it. I even offered to have the cement painted green. No go.

LOL...Dayton...with 0.10 acre... all I would have to do is start my mower and turn it off and the yard would be mowed...

Here are some of the beneficiaries of my mowing. This Wild Turkey Hen and her b
Brood of 11 Poults likes to wander around at the edge of where my mowing stops (because of a small Brook) and the naturalizing begins - a perfect place to teach the Youngsters how to catch bugs.



The Hen is also teaching them how to fertilize the Lawn . . . . so I do get something out of the deal. They try to help by eating some of the grass too; but hardly make a dent. Turkeys are omnivorous, so if us people were smaller, Turkeys would eat us too ! I'm glad it's the other way around !

And Dayton, without my leaving some areas un-mowed, the poor Bugs would have no place to hide !

I just noticed that the Yellow Iris that line the Brook are just coming into Bloom; they and a few other perrenials line both sides of the Brook.

Here's updated photos of my flowers on my 5,000 sq ft lot. Not big enough for horses or wild turkeys, but I do see green parrots at my bird feeder. My night blooming jasmine has been blooming the past few nights. Oh they smell so wonderful!

Yea Ben...more flowers...I can almost smell them...PS...hows the weather? We got about 2 inches of rain last night...Happy 4th...

I need HELP! Anyone know what kind of Cactus this is ? Resurrection ?

I received this Cactus from the Family of a Lady who was a Client of mine in nine (9) Real Estate transactions; including the one which was on behalf of her Estate after she died.

About two months ago, we thought the plant had also croaked. It started keeling over like the "Leaning Tower Of Pisa", to a fully reclined position. We thought "We killed it !"

Then two weeks ago. it started putting out these little pear shaped flower buds; and here we are, with actual desert flowers coming on board. And the whole thing now seems to be resurrecting itself and straightening out and starting to stand up straight again! Is this normal behavior ?

So we have been given a 2nd Chance; an opportunity to redeem ourselves. Any advice on the identity and care would now be much appreciated. We want to report back to the Estate that their trust and confidence, in selecting us as a repository for one of her living things, was not misplaced! This is Real Estate related . . . . as are all things in Life. Thank you in advance.

This may help:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2077130_care-indoor-cactus.html
http://www.cactusinfo.net/outdoor_cacti.htm

Good luck with your new responsibilities!

I know it's not a Flower; but it is the End of the Rainbow. I've shown this easterly view from my Home/Office a few times up above, so I figured that the same people who like Flowers might also appreciate this:



That little "PVT" Road points Due East, so the Sun rises directly above it on both the Autumnal Equinox and the Vernal Equinox. Thus, our location here is like a perpetual Calendar.

Flowers don't impress me much, your pic impresses me though.

Thanks . . . . I tried to re-set the Thread Title; but I was too late.

Wow! Like your cactus and your rainbow!

Wow ! ! !

Look at all the Cactus Plants in the Windows !

I never knew a cactus could live outside in the winter. A few years ago somebody gave me a cactus. Maybe 5 inches tall. I thought I killed. So when spring came I gave up on it. My wife was digging on the side of the house to do dome planting, so I dumped the dirt and cactus carcass mixed it all to gether and moved on.

By summer cacti were growing and alot of them. I thought thats cool. By fall they were getting rather large. Come winter we had alot of snow, and it was colder than a Vermont summer day, it was too cold to make maple syrup. Anyways I figured that was the end of my cactus crop.

Come the spring when the sap started dripping again, those cacti started growing. They have been there close to 4 years now. At first I thought I was a good cactus grower, but he failed to grow in my house. Then I figured he just needed to be out on his own. Now i'm convinced its just a miracle and I actually healed a cactus and restorded its will to live.

Gorgeous!!!!

This is supposed to be Viagra Headquarters in Toronto, Ontario:



Never having been there, I wouldn't know . . . . but why's the parking lot look so empty?

Anyway, this could be the place. I wonder why they can't plant any flowers to make it look less austere?

It's Spring here in Vermont, so some of our mushrooms are beginning to make their presence known. I know that mushrooms don't really have the beauty of regular flowers; but they taste better; and I'm a semi-vegetarian. Here are a few Morels, which some of you may know better as Morchella Esculenta . . . . they will go very well with a New York Strip Steak:

I'm going to harvest these two with a sharp razor and try to preserve the mycelium so that it might give us a few more. With mushrooms, the bulk of the plant is actually underground, and the part that rises above appears only when the parent plant (the mycelium) feels the need to reproduce . . . . kind of like a flower.

If there's interest, I'll show pictures of these same Morels as they get sautéed (with a bit of olive oil and garlic) and show up nicely on the semi-vegetarian dinner plate. These guys are almost 5" long, so they'll have quite a presence next to that Beef Steak.

Was there gold at the end of that rainbow

The most beautiful flower herb or bush that I have ever seen is the bridal wreath bush. It’s got lots of foliage. And it fills up the garden with its own beauty. Check this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/coldrok/4483659677/

Okay, before the Black Bears come and raid my Raspberry Patch I thought I'd share some pictures:

These are ready to be popped in the mouth or laid out on a bed of Vanilla Ice Cream.

From a distance, the Raspberry Patch isn't much of a drawing card:

But inside, the Bears can sense that there are hors d'oeuvres on almost every branch:

So I have to go get some "Plain Jane" Vanilla Ice Cream to go with the Berries that the Bears don't take.

Love the viagra pic.

I know you're going to say "don't fight" it, but, how does one keep the pesky deer away without just outright shooting them.

I've had my share of voles eating the roots of my flowers & plants but now the deer - the past 3 years they've been eating the English Ivy like crazy - doesn't even have to be snow on the ground (it's summertime!!!). They've destroy my - oh, those big-axx flowered vines that people grow on fences, lampposts. My red sedum is wire-fenced on all four sides and on the top. When worse comes to worse, they have eaten the Lirope.

Other than a bullet, completely fencing everything in, or removing anything - any suggestions - other than "stop fighting it?"

I think Coyote Urine is sold in bottles to accomplish that result.

A little dab will do'ya . . . . maybe just on a fence post or the bark of a tree in the area.

Conversely, if it's urine containing the pheromones of the wrong sex Coyote, it may fail as a repellant and draw suitors ?

Oooo, I'd love to have some morels! We used to go out on Ft. Sill, along a creek bank, and pick morels. You had to get a nice warm, spring day when the redbud trees were blooming and the humidity was kind of high. They'd pop up almost overnight at that time of year.

Darn ticks got so bad, though that I'd have to wear a hazmat suit if I wanted to go pick any -- so I haven't in a few years.

They eat the Leland Cypress, other evergreen trees too. We've lost alot of plant life to them. Only thing they haven't touched are the natural ferns I transplanted over the years - but I guess I can probably kiss them goodby since I probably just jinxed myself. Daffodils - yea, nobody likes to eat those.

I've tried that whitish stuff you spray on, plus some stinky orangish stuff (all of which gets expensive) - works a bit and works with rabbits (but they already ate my tulips years ago); we tried some kind of urine (oh, I hope it wasn't coyote b/c those are here too) but it didn't work well. I'll try the moth balls.

Anyone know if moth balls are bad for well water?

I am just amazed Vermont's flowers haven't been eaten.

Basically, mothballs are illegal to use for anything other than according to the label on the box they come in. Here's a good reference to what's wrong with using them to keep animals out of your vegetable garden:

http://www.ehow.com/about_5562939_mothballs-dangerous-vegetable-garden.html

Mothballs are specifically noted as something that should be taken to a hazardous waste site to dispose of, so they won't contaminate groundwater:

http://adem.alabama.gov/programs/water/nps/take/cleangw.pdf

I no longer use mothballs at all - the vapors coming off of them can cause nausea, dizziness, and all around breathing problems. Google them and you'll find out more than you ever wanted to know about those little white balls.

Unfortunately, when you google ANYTHING, you learn alot more about something than you really want to know!

I just read the link - I guess that's out - don't want to poison my well by any chance at all. Our lawn already is overgrown with weeds (for 16 yrs and counting) b/c my husband won't put fertilizer on it b/c of the well and the Chesapeake Bay Act. Weeds love it here, grass doesn't stay long.

Weeds and deer - I've got lots of those if anyone wants some.

I never new all those things about the moth balls.Guess if my mother had the internet she probably would have not used them when I was a kid. Now I will never know if it was the moth balls or drinking out of the garden hose that caused this twitch in my left eye.

I heard if you safety pin the skin around your eyes, the twitching might stop.

I have thought about getting some of those metal studs that the younger people have in the eyebrows. Thought maybe that would add some weight and control things. Being a new agent do you think that would be a turn off to clients?

I suppose if you were trying to attract high-profile rock stars or ex-Hell's angels now retired, it may be an asset - yeah, give it a try!

I've heard that too big a stud in your eye brow can through off your GPS too. But if it builds your confidence, or you think it makes you look more knowledgeable, go for it !

I have a Seller around here who has a Daughter with a Dragon tattooed on her forehead, and that built her confidence to the point where she had nerve enough to apply for disability because the self-imposed facial oddity has now made her un-employable . . . . and SSI agreed with her. When the Mother sells, the Daughter will have to find a place to live alone.

Another woman here has a Spider Web tattooed across her forehead; but she works as a Waitress and some Patrons think it's a hairnet . . . . that's a little deceptive. At least she's working.

Mind you I'm not making any kind of judgment call . . . . just acknowledging the diversity I see in my travels among the Human Beans.

I see a lot of fodder for social security reform here . . . and it has nothing to do with taking $$ from elderly people.

Maybe I better re think the stud deal I would not want to mess up the GPS and get lost in the desert. It probably would affect cell reception also.
The tattoo on the forehead is interesting.Any thoughts on how big it needs to be to get on the SSI? Might be better money than what a new agent can make.

I haven't taken precise measurements; but this is one of those that a normal person would see in, let's say a check-out line, and you'd make a point to quickly turn away to gather your thoughts and not stare while thinking . . . . that's what a normal person would do.

But when I'm the Listing Agent and spend time in the house, and have to speak with the person eyeball to eyeball, I often find my eye ball being drawn skyward and looking right into that dragon detail instead of the eyes that are located about 20 millimeters below . . . . and I'm thinking "Why don't you comb your hair down over that thing? What were you thinking? Ever thought about plastic surgery? How often do you get that thing refreshed. When you're in a coffin, will it be open casket? Will the Mortician be given proper instructions?" And I try not to let those thoughts interfere with the words that might be coming out of my mouth.

To answer your question, that dragon must be about 5 centimeters wide and about 2 or 3 high . . . . let's say 2 inches wide and 1.5 inches high.

I don't know if SSI has guidelines for what size tattoo on one's face constitutes a disability . . . . it probably varies with local custom. Never really looked into it . . . . knowledge I've never sought.

Well, our Raspberry Season is now just about at an end; but the Bears don't seem to have discovered our patch. We have about about 24 Pints of Berries frozen. Here's what fresh ones look like basking on a bed of Vanilla Ice Cream:



Loaded with Fiber, Beta Carotene and lots of Anti-Oxidants, we consider it to be a perfect Health Food in a Bowl !

I always wondered where the Bears get their Vanilla Ice Cream ?

Our Fall Strawberry Season is just now getting started.

Jimmy Buffet has a song titled "A permenent reminder of a temporary feeling" that fits this sort of thing quite well.

As promised, here're a few pictures of some Tamarack Trees, just past their prime foliage, and starting to shed their needles. I think Tamarack, along with Larch, are the only forms of deciduous coniferous trees in North America . . . . they're NOT Evergreens.

Here are a couple Tamaracks struggling to survive amidst some White Pine and Fir Trees:

You see, while the Tamarack takes a nap during the Winter, the surrounding evergreens continue growing, crowding out the sleeping Tamaracks. Behind these trees are the naked limbs of other deciduous trees located at a higher elevation who have already lost all of their leaves.

To survive as a species, the Tamaracks have to find new "open" areas to plant their seeds where they will still find sunlight when they wake up from hibernating during the Winter . . . . here's a group of Tamarack seedlings I found in an open area along a road I travel daily:

They're really quite delicate close-up. (That's my camera case for a dark background) During the Summer, Tamaracks are barely distinquishable from Fir Trees; but these gold needles certainly separate them in the Fall. They're about the last of the Fall Colors to appear, and then depart just before Thanksgiving while we await the Winter's snow:

In contrast to the color of the Tamaracks, and located right in the midst of these youngsters, is this competing energetic Spruce, all green and prepared to gather up what little sunlight is available during the Winter, trying to grow up fast and crowd out the young Tamarack seedlings even while they sleep:

It's a cruel competitive world out there . . . . you snooze and you lose! Holds true in Real Estate too.

At least if you're a Tamarack, no one comes along and chops you down to try and make you into a Christmas Tree; so that's a good thing!

That's very interesting. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

I thought I'd share some from my front yard. I can't offer as much detail, but I will offer what I know.

The small red one there is the most interesting. That's a dogwood. We are lucky to have several.
The tree center left is a beech or birch (I think the former) See it still has some green leaves. Look on the right at the smaller tree that looks like a V and has gold and red leaves. It is the same type of tree. They will go brown and leaves hang on until spring so I get to rake once more.

Between two of my monsters and to the left of the bird bath and frog pond you can see into my neighbors yard. The tall green tree is a holly as is the little guy underneath it in my yard. They are protected I have learned. The little guy is recovering from some pruning I might have done. I don't like the prickly leaves.

I can spot Beech because their trunks look like elephant legs.

Up here, the trunks of Beech will provide evidence of generations of Bear' claws (four of them) that scar the smooth bark permanently as they climb up there to gather Beech Nuts.

I think I've sold some land where in order to knock the price, a Buyer criticized the health of the trees by pointing toward the broken limbs near the top, and I countered that by explaining "that was actually evidence to the contrary and proof that the Tree was providing an abundant harvest of Beech Nuts . . . . so much so at to draw up Bears". That closed the sale for the Husband . . . . but caused great fear and tribulation for the Wife.

And Beech Trees do retain their leaves until the next year's leaves break their umbilical and send them tumbling to the ground.

Wow, I'm just north of you and there certainly isn't that many leaves left on the trees. The oaks hang on forever but they're at least 50% naked now. Yes, we also have those trees where the dead leaves hang on until Spring and then we get to rake again. My hubby hates those trees. I like them because they provide contrast and beauty in the dark days and months ahead.

Vermont's golden pine needles are interesting - I'd say that's what wrong with my evergreens, but, I know it's really the deer eating them.

My dead baby deer (actually the neighbor's but he can't see it) - something drug it about 5 feet last night. I don't even want to KNOW what drug it. It's only 20 feet from my porch. I'm ready to just start carrying my weapon when I walk to the mailbox or around the yard. Scary when you don't know...as I fear a bear. They are around here - one sighted 5 minutes from my house. Okay, I don't want a cougar either, nor a wolf or coyote. Hard to believe I like the wilderness.

Oh! My grammar - that should be "there certainly AREN'T that many leaves left".

Vermont, why didn't you catch that?

Sorry; I can't be everywhere . . . . I was busy tracking down a dangling participle. I'm going to be a righter.

And besides, I knew you'd catch it , and that's all that matters. Others will read it and not even notice; but you did, and that's enough for me.

Let us know when the last leaf falls.

It might be next spring with all of those beech trees.


Hey, what happens to the ground as a forest grows? Does it sink? All of those nutrients and all of the moisture sucked from the earth must have an impact on the soil. Sure the leaves fall and add back to the soil, but there is a lot of above ground growth there...think of the redwood forests.

Philosophy meets biology.

Some would say that there's just as much of a tree below grade as there is above grade . . . . so you can't really judge them by first impressions.

"Some" would say that . . . . not necessarily me.

I am going to try and do 3 mirror pictures tomorrow. We have had a giant rain and some good wind. I'd be interested to see the photos side by side.

The oaks (a hundred or more) around hear that fell during H. Irene all had super shallow root systems.

I was chatting with a retired USN chaplin who lives in my neighborhood. I told him I had learned from a tree expert the roots system is not why they fell over, rather that they fell since they were too rigid and did not yield or bend to the strong headwinds.

Without missing a beat, he noted there was a lesson to be learned in that.

My Knockout Roses are looking great this fall...just had our first frost last night. The Burning Bushes also did well.

Knockouts indeed Summers! Super cool shot of the lake too.

Here is a silhouette of a Cypress tree. It's really an excuse to show this sunset, but the trees are pretty interesting. Every winter I swear they are dead as the turn browner than dirt. Yet every spring they come back the deepest green you can imagine. The water is brackish. The trees spend 1/2 of their time in the drink depending on the tide. At least one is a full timer. Boys climb to the peak limbs in the summer and plunge into the water to experience the thrills of life and to impress the girls. It's almost a local rite.

Also intersting are the root systems in sand and the configurations of knots and old stumps. You can't see that in this picture.

We have a lake not far from us that provides water to those lucky people on public water. It has those narly roots and trees half in the water - kind of eerie looking.

The deer carcass has been drug about 30 feet now. 13, if not 15, turkey buzzards pecking at it all day - they came in late afternoon yesterday. Today, the neighbor's little furry dog has been gnawing on it, and, the neighbor's cat, who I feed because it shows up every day, ugh, it have blood crap on its ear - I suspect it had some deer meat for a snack. Unfortunately, as I leaned over to pour cat food, it rubbed that danged ear on my sweatshirt. Oh, I may have to throw up again....I'll try to post flowers or trees or something next time.

Flowers are lame. Go for chocolates.

Good Bye Summer...taken this past Oct. 2011...before the heavy frost

We've always considered Pansies to be annuals; but in 2009 we purchased some "on sale" at Lowe's, mostly because of the price . . . . and because the blossoms were almost 4" across. Blue isn't even one of our Company Colors . . . . but these Pansies seem to be real survivors.



They've wintered over with minimum care; and who would have thought they'd still be putting out blossoms when it's less than 20°F outside today (November 18th, 2011) and last night's snow flurries aren't even melting !

We'll put a winter mulch on these guys soon; but it's a shame when they want to keep on flowering. Anyone else ever had experience with Pansies this hearty? These are behaving like true perennials.

Today's photo also reminds me that our sign could use a coat of paint . . . . good thing that real gold leaf is fairly maintenance free!

Here are a couple close-ups of these "Perennial Pansies" if that's what they are ?

It's not so much that they're quite luminous in their coloration; but rather, the fact that they are still alive or have any color at all. They've already been buried once this Fall by 4 or 5 inches of snow. If you look closely, there's still some unmelted snow on the soil in between them.

It's now November 19th, and in the 20s outside . . . . and I haven't seen another outdoor flower of any kind within 20 miles of our marquee for the past month! Meanwhile, these guys are doing better now than they were in July and August.

They are behaving like mums. I've never seen anything like that. Well, there is this...

I found this little flower while raking leaves today.

That's a pretty precious flower, Doin'!

This is one of our beautiful trees around town, but it was a pretty gloomy day yesterday.

can I upload a photo/jpg file directly from my pc, or does it have to be posted online first?

[quote=shana]can I upload a photo/jpg file directly from my pc, or does it have to be posted online first?
[/quote]

It needs to be online from what I could tell

I shot this hibiscus close-up a few months ago.

nice pic

what I love about the hibiscus is of course the colors, and the incredible texture of the petals. they're almost like crepe paper.

So what is that . . . . about 7" in diameter ?

it "grows" to fit the size of your monitor. :O)

That's funny. Nice shot though - it almost seems like you're hanging from a tree b/c you're so high up.

Critters that love my plants....This was taken Fri., Dec. 16th - a little blurry because of the window glass. They've constantly, for 3-4 years now, been eating my plants, all year long - particularly the ivy I have grown directly behind the house (because we haven't built a porch yet and we don't want to mow the hill so I planted English Ivy). One momma is licking the baby on the right. I hate these guys. I haven't planted anything beautiful or new in years because of them.

Stay on topic VA..this is more flowers, not less flowers. Ba da bing! Save hair clippings and spread them around the sensative areas. Have hubby drink a few beers and mark his territory out there. Works for me. I have heard it works fine.

I have to laugh. Ivy is a delicacy for deer.

One day long ago when deer/elk were on our property (I forget which), I said, "Oh, they're sooooo beautiful and noble and elegant and... Wait a minute! They're wrecking the place!" Which they were. Ripping at saplings, bending and breaking them down, eating the cherry trees to shreds. Ran out and chased them away.

Watch out. They LOVE roses-- buds, flowers-- they'll nip them down to nothing. So will Javelina. What I need is a great, big, mountain lion in the neighborhood.

Hmmm, do ya think that would work if Sweetie "marked" the hedges between us & the neighbor? She lets her little yip-yap foo-foo dogs out at 2 a.m. and they have that row of hedges smelling like the monkey house at the zoo! And they're our hedges, no less. (Drives me nuts. No, she's not a good neighbor.)

I've gotta get out & take some mistletoe pictures - they're our "greenery" on the trees in winter, lol.

He may need to aim for the yip-yap foo-foo dogs instead of the hedges. Even if it did not work it would make for one heck of a story for telling.

Love that idea for the foo-foo dogs. Barb43 - Perhaps you could find something online that is a deterrent for dogs.

Hubby's going to drink and wiz outside tonight! Doin' bpose 'says' he heard it works!

I had taken some photos of the flowers I do have - several are encased in green plastic-coated fencing - all 4 sides and the top - it was the only way to protect the Red Sedum because they munch that and then I don't get blooms - but, I can't find those fencing pics - started that two years ago.

Here's my Clematis (purple & white) (2006) BEFORE they ate it all. Every year it just looks worse and worse. In very early spring, I am going to cut them to the ground. I may end up having to remove them totally (although that's hard to do with these babies-they just pop back up again). Wanted to add these photos to stay in compliance with the thread (tee-hee!). 'Course, they never touch the Iris - thank goodness.

Spring bloomed & leafed out on us early this year. Here is a tree in the front yard of one of my HUD houses. It was almost finished blooming by March 22nd.





And this is one of my HUDs that's closing tomorrow. I took this picture last week to use in the ready-to-close inspection.