I was up in eastern British Columbia this Spring and saw many square miles of bark beetle infestations. I was in Colorado from Steamboat Springs to Pagosa Springs this summer and saw the same thing there. I crossed the Continental divide 28 times in one trip from Montana to New Mexico. Yellowstone twice, going and coming. The destruction is devastating! I was also in Yosemite National Park where they do a lot of controlled burns as well as in the Calaveras Grove just north of there. We stayed in Oakhurst near Yosemite and Angels Camp near The Calaveras Grove of Sequoiandendron gigantea. Heat and bare ground are necessary for seed germination for these trees. That's why they burn, in addition to reduce fuel build up caused by fire suppression. The forest Service has numerous pamphlets outlining the benefits of controlled burning. They even admit it took a while to soak in. Their new goal is, diversification in both number of species, and varying ages in the same stand. Bark beetles have always been around. Good forest management might be able to minimize the effect on our forests. I can't see spraying as a viable option in the long run. We also visited the Redwood forests near Eureka, California and the forests around Mt Hood in Oregon for a week. We did some real traveling this year! Now I get to play catch up in the garden! Mike

The general description reminds me of Windflower (wood anemone) or Starflower, both of which grow in abundance in the woods here.

I look at good legislation in our industry as an insurance policy. I have been involved in interior design legislation for many years in many states. It does protect the consumer. Many people put themselves out there as interior designers and they have no degree, no experience, and just woke up one day and said "instead of going to school and learning to be a brain surgeon - I am going to be an interior designer - because I can do that TODAY!". I am in Boise Idaho now opening a Western office for my accredited interior design firm. I only meet decorators that call themselves everything from Interior Designers to contractors. The public has no idea and are paying these people more than anyone charges in the rest of the country. So I walk in and am focused on education of the the consumer so that they understand what we do. I do not bash the people that are doing additions and remodeling of homes by using an unlicensed handyman and having their husband install lighting. I take the approach that I always have of educating people about what we do. No one would hire a doctor, dentist, architect or engineer that has no degree, no professional licensing or expertise to work on them because they have a "flair", but that happens in interior design everyday. I am not advocating for the government to be more involved in our lives. But when houses burn down and families die due to improperly loaded electrical systems in a house, or codes are not followed that protect our children from being shocked when they plug something in - tragedies are not acceptable. Many people do not pull permits when working on a project in Idaho. They hire who they hire and then cannot sell the house with an occupancy permit because nothing can pass inspection. This is real life danger of health and safety. It matters. Interior designers know this. It is only part of the vast training that we receive in an accredited FIDER Interior design program in a four year college, and makes us able to pass the NCIDQ exam, and allows us to have a professional membership in ASID. It al matters. It is not trying to steal parts of the market that others work in. It is not trying to grab market share. It is performing in a profession that actually touches our families and protects our investment in a home. I will not accept that we have no business being licensed or legislated as experts. We are experts. Most states residents appreciate our expertise and want us involved - not a decorator that can make things pretty by wasting money on textiles that do not hold up to families and their pets, specify furniture from stores that make consumers pay retail for products that are made in China, offgassing and making our children sick. I write text books for interior designers - because this all matters. If interior designers do not stand up and spend time educating the public and doing work for people that understand the difference - they dilute the industry. I will always work for excellence and professionalism.

Nikki, I also don't like to use chemicals, but every two weeks won't do much to this plant. I was tempted to use Roundup, but my knotweed was in a bed with some nice mature plantings and I didn't want to risk harming them. The way I got rid of my small stand was to dig up as much as I could of the root masses, and then diligently - meaning nearly every day - dig and pull up any new shoots that appeared. I did this daily treatment for two summers in a row, and then less often the third summer. So far this spring I've only seen two puny shoots, but I know I have to keep on top of it or it'll once again take over. That said, this is a *very* nasty weed, and depending on how much of it you've got, you may have to resort to Roundup. In any event, I wish you good luck!