I check on my babies every day too! Mine are all up except 'Tropical Storm'. When I check my notes it was the last one up last year too. Hard points, firm crown, BUT NO GROWTH!!! Come on...come on!

-Babka

Walking the line early morning (meaning 8 am). I see who is getting early sunlight, how the pattern is striking the area reserved for the hosta under the pecan trees, and then I move a few pots around to help me better remember their names. Easier when arranged like a good hand of bridge.

My last old timer to come up, the one which I hoped would be my lost Brother Stefan from PDN, seems to resemble Lederhosen, purchased at the same time. So now I discover TWO wrong selections from that one order. Instead of 2 plantaginea and 1 Lederhosen, it was reversed. Lovely plant though. Even though it had my DH, the madman on the riding mower, cut its tops off before I arrived to pot it up in MA.

In the evening walkabout, I'm looking again for sun pattern, namely too intense on some plants, those pots can get really hot. Today I huffed and puffed until I moved the whiskey barrel containing a large bird of paradise to give more PM shade to the hosta neighbors. I found ONE slug beneath a ligustrum leaf in the pathetic Stained Glass pot, as if it needed more problems. Tomorrow I plan to wash its roots and give it some intensive care, for its days appear to be numbered. Meanwhile, its understudy stands ready in the wings. If it is healthy I might pot them together.

My wild birds are beginning to ignore me as I stand there meditating over the hosta. Do they appreciate how concerned I've been to avoid use of poisonous chemicals because I love having them around? So many babies this year. It's wonderful.

That was almost poetic.

I guess I never thought that other people did this too.

Christine

Even though the garden is at its best when its quiet and you can just soak up it in its entirety, Its funny how at the same time you wish time could go faster, and bring the wonder of the plants future forward to today... I honestly can't think of many things that make you WANT time to pass faster :)

I too enjoy going outside early in the morning with my cup of coffee and sit on the deck and watch as the sun comes up and how the sunlight blankets the leaves and this before the day's work begins. To me it's the most peaceful time of the day. After I finish my coffee I then walk along the beds to see which others are coming up.

Scott

I stroll around the yard every morning, coffee in hand, but not early enough to see the sun come up -- goodness it is too cold that early! The groundhog excavated my nearly new and not quite up Brother Stephen yesterday -- planted too close to his entrance hole. I potted it and hope it will bounce back from the trauma. Lots of sprouts are stalled, waiting for some warmer weather. Significant frost forecast for tonight -- tomorrow's stroll may not be so pleasant.

Originally from Michigan so used to the cold. Boy your lucky your Groundhog only digs your hostas up. I have some old varieties planted you know those green ones that he eats to the ground along with Echinacea and daylilies and shares them with the deer as well. Thankfully the bears don't eat the hostas as the side yard where I have the collection planted is protected by an electrified fence but they manage to get in and knock down the bird feeder for the seed. Luckily they haven't stepped on a single hosta-yet.

Scott

Wow mention my friendly neighbor hood bear and what just came into the yard and overturned the trash cans-the bear. Saw him walk away and touch the fence and just shook. Wheres the hail???

Scott

If one has to have a neighbourhood bear its nice to have a "friendly" one, and one who watches where he steps!
Jan