Leslie...I love your dragon! That's really unique. Harry....I'm with you....I like all those things you like and I hate plastic objects too....they look cheap and my roses are too good for plastic! I love your yard and your flare for adding just the right touch with garden objects. I also have birdhouses, benches, birdbaths, statues and a few signs. I can't imagine my yard without them in it. I have seen some yards where people went overboard with things and it ended up looking more like a yard sale. The theme in my main formal rose garden is "angels". I have a couple of wrought iron benches, 2 rose arches, a water fountain and several angel statuary. I have laid the path with homemade stepping stones and gravel filler. I tried several times to get the whole garden in a photo, but its way too large. I think some garden ornamentation is classy, and some is just plain messy looking....so I can see all viewpoints. Celeste I call this statue "Empress Josephine" since she was a great rose-lover & collector of old roses.... Here's one of the angels that watches over my roses..... clematis arch #1.... arch with Baltimore Belle & clematis..... garden sign.... Fountain.... angel....

Georgia Peach, if you have those red-handled pulls on your electronic garage doors, it helps a lot to keep the hummingbirds from being lured into the garage if you paint them a different color or cover them up. I've only recall one hummingbird persisting in the garage, and open doors and lure feeders didn't work. Eventually I was able to net the poor thing, but it was so sad to watch. And when two speeding chasers flew into my house one day, it was a bit too wild. We had vaulted ceilings, and the way they would frantically pummel it was alarming. Luckily, I was able to lure them out with a feeder at an open window that time. But the idea that they will see the great outdoors and just zip back out hasn't held up in my experience. The truth is closer to they will attack the highest point of the ceiling until exhausted. Then they will perch, sometimes within 5-6' of the open slider or window to regain their strength. Renewed, the little bird-brained darlings will, more often than not, fly back up to the ceiling for another bout. So frustrating!

As of 10/06/12 There are still a number of hummers filtering down from Ontario Canada. I still have 2 regular immatures here at my place. One is using a feeder well but the little female still doesn't know how to use a feeder. Last evening an adult male showed up to one of the feeders and proceeded to knock junior off the feeder perch. He is probably one of those coming down from Ontaio Province. That one probably just stopped to rest and refuel for the night and will probably be on his way today. If you are still having hummers please post your report on Journey North. Penny Here is a link that might be useful: Report sighting to Journey North

I have also noticed lots of Red Admirals here around Allen too. The Gulf Fritillaries are also laying eggs on my passionvine - much earlier than last year. I've also seen Pipevine Swallowtails laying eggs on my pipevine already. Lots of little butterflies too! I remember last year we were asking, "Where are all the butterflies?" And this year we are celebrating their larger populations. It may be a hot summer, but in the butterfly world, it is starting off to be a great season!