>>to me window shopping for plants is entertainment..I don’t think either of us ever gets bored..<<

I can quickly go through a nursery these days. Seen it, owned it, own it, ugly, TADA - I'll take this one.

>>astilbe photos..same to me..

big one in back..

the baby..<<

That baby sure looks different - maybe it will look like that while young.

>>you’re right..I think I let my macrophylla dry out..I’ve heard the term hydrophobic and this ”soil” has this tendency..I watered it yesterday..took this pic this morning..

soil looks dark since I watered..<<

Sounds like you got it to uptake some water then.

>>if you buy any hosta I think you should grow them in a pot..<<

I didn't get to the sale yesterday. My granddaughter had her dance recital in the morning. My friend said we could go to Farmer's Market one day soon in Forest Park (we went there 30+ years ago and thought it was too far to go for veggies). I wasn't into hostas back then.

>>the 4 of us are close in age!..I turned 68 in January..it IS hard to believe that we’re this old..<<

And getting older by the minute. May as enjoy as much as you can while you can. I got bad news from my mother yesterday - her younger sister is gone. OUt of 11 kids, 3 remain - my mother (kind of middle of the pack) is the oldest one and has two younger siblings - the baby of the family (a brother) and the next to the youngest (a sister whose twin brother died a few years ago).

>>husband says his shoulder feels better than pre surgery..so it was worth it..just needs more time to gain full range of motion..<<

That sounds great! I hope he gets full range sometime this summer to help you out with lifting heavy rocks and logs.

>>I miss being younger Lol..but we’re all doing ok I think..<<

Yeah, I miss it too, but if I ever could go back I would want whatever smarts and money I worked for to remain with me. What a pipe dream!

>>stepping back from begonias is reasonable..was a huge amount of work..<<

It's like everything in life - you can collect everything under the sun, but you can't take it with you.

>>not vacant long..I bet we see new neighbors soon..<<

The way of the world - one moves out and another one moves in.

>>have trillium and arisaema everywhere..<<

Your trillium looks great! You should divide them and spread them about (or sell them). The arisaema are weeds, but a pretty weed in their own way. I saw so many yesterday, that I quit taking photos of them for the rest of the year.

>>my ferns this morning..<<

Nice looking!

>>the world is a mess..incomplete projects everywhere..<<

We keep struggling though, right?

>>false Solomon’s seal..<<

I had variegated Solomon's seal at one time, but they disappeared over a few years. I was hoping they would colonize.

>>still small but Painter’s Palette is back..<<

You will be sorry! Not really. THey aren't tough to get rid of, but they can produce a lot of seed. I let my Clerodendron bungei sit on the ground last year with no saucer under the pot they are in. Now I have a dozen or more sprouts popping up around the pot, some as far as 2 to 3 feet away. I must dig those up and stay vigilant on keeping them from spreading.

>>do you know this?..plant app gives several choices..Cow Chervil..Longstyle sweetroot..Clayton’s sweetroot..not sure if it’s a keeper..<<

It looks delicate, but I have a feeling it may spread. I would agree with your plant app. The app I used comes up with the same results. It is not always right, but it has helped a lot.

>>screenshot of our forecast..can I put my plants out?..will probably do it today..<<

Summer heat is around the corner. I think we get to 84 a couple days this week.

>>the stores are stocked..my first stop..<<

It's good to be stocked. I do have a problem deciding at times. I picked up one petunia and two Mandevilla at Walmart Friday. One was red to replace the one I bought earlier that had its main stem broken clean off (squirrel or high winds?) and a pink one. I plan on those planted at the mailbox.

>>my Home Depot purchases..identical labels..no names..I don’t think the variegated one is an alocasia..they’re not perfect but I’ll enjoy them..(saved $5-husband’s military discount)..<<

The first one is A. 'Hilo Beauty' and some consider it as a Caladium. I will let the botanists battle that out, and buy it when I can. I think I lost my last one. I don't know the second one, but it looks like an Alocasia too.

>>10 small annuals for combinations..2 cannas..a bronze and a Mammy(?)..I have a Mammy that’s 4?5? years old..kind of leggy now but a lot taller..I still like it..2 lantana..2 tuberous begonias..4 asparagus ferns..<<

I had to look up Canna 'Mammy'. I didn't find anything by that name. I did find a Croton called 'Mammy' though.

>>fun day..nice to take a break..<<

It's always a nice to have a fun day/break. We went to our granddaughter's dance recital yesterday. It was enjoyable from tiny tots to probably HS seniors.

>>the variegated ”alocasia” is a caladium praetermissum ’Hilo Beauty’..<<

Ah, you found it. I'm not convinced this is a caladium, but then I am not a botanist either. I will continue to call it EE 'Hilo Beauty'.

>>the dark leaved alocasia has a ”stump” from cutting a big stem..too bad..kind of ugly but I wanted the plant so I bought it..will leaves ever grow from it?..or will it rot off?..I think the 2 stems are coming off of that stump..if that had been a typical green alocasia or colocasia I wouldn’t have bought it..<<

Hopefully you will see some new sprouts come up from the stump (below ground I believe). New small corms develop under the soil as I recall.

Dance Recital yesterday (they discourage photos and videos during the show).

She turns four next month and I see she is already "star material" -HAHA!

She is showing us her dinosaur claw (she was supposed to do both hands, but I guess she likes the other hand on the hip).

I took one photo of the opening act with the HS members. One boy in the whole show. My daughter told me under her breath that I wasn't supposed to take any photos or video. Oh well. I did order the digital video this morning ($35). Some of the older kids did great and the younger ones too. The tots had us in stitches at times.

A hike in the afternoon. The opposite side (the one we are headed to) had oodles of mountain laurel in bloom. This photo shows a hillside full of them.

I still like the pink ones over the white.

Privet looks nice in bloom and smells good (but it can be overpowering if there are a lot in one location).

Ferns in a little shelf below us caught my eye (the royal ferns are close to the fallen log on the left side - not like the deer or Christmas ferns next to it) Normal view 1x

Close up 10X

The fallen log is at an angle as we went down the hill. Rufus can run this with no problem, but I would have a problem getting into this boggy area.

Zoomed in.

A little stream a little lower than that shelf.

May-apples running up a hill.

Dog park this morning

Rufus running with a six month old golden lab.

A seven month old chocolate lab taking a rest after running and sparring with Rufus.

Reminds me of our last dog.

This pair was an older mix and a four month old "mini-Bernese mix".

She is a little dirty from older dogs' slobbers and rolling in the dirt.

Rufus playing with her. It was a good day for him and hope all the other dogs as well.