Well, a rainy day and time to get back to the forum. Thanks for the encouragement, all. Hi Mabel. West Paris is a pretty friendly place, judging from all the folk who stop by to talk gardening or strangers who see me in the General Store and comment on the garden. (I do spend a lot of time out there and the garden is right on the road so the "new guy with the garden that moved in over at Mrs. L's house" has become a topic of conversation around town, I'm told.) Thought I'd take a couple of minutes and post some pictures that I posted earlier on another forum I participate in. The garden is progressing pretty well and I'm generally happy with what got done this first year thought there is a whole lot of room for improvement and better planning. (I do tend to be overly critical of my own work, although too forgiving of other's. A bad trait for an engineering manager, I suppose, but that's me, I guess.) I did manage to get most of the weeds in check these past couple of weeks, so that's something to crow about. I centered the garden between two Red Maples and around the enormous lilac that falls dead center between them. Here's some views taken a few weeks ago: The west side: Finished the fence and only a little of that soil is still unplanted. Fall crops like kale and late snap peas will go there. One of the broccoli beds: (harvesting every day now!) And the east side: Following is a picture of the lilac that is at the core of the garden, taken earlier in the season. As I worked on the east side of the garden, the first half I focused on, the breeze from the west made the scent a constant fixture. I'd like to eventually cut it back to about 2/3rds its current size to make it a little less overwhelming and a little less shade-casting. This is where the main gate on the road-side will be. I still haven't gotten around to building a proper garden gate, but that is on top of my (ever-growing) wish-list. Wayne

I won't be able to come. We will be in Oregon that weekend. I was hoping we would be leaving the following Sun or Mon, then I could come, but we're leaving on the 12th.

J.D. it's beautiful at all times of the year, but try to come early in the year when the climate is fairly cool, or bring an ice pack to wear under your hat to cool you down. Well, I got the giant lirope out of the 30 year old strawberry pot! It is now awaiting planting with various colorful sedums and other dry soil plants. At least it will be something that won't have to be watered everyday.

Marion you have a yellow franni, pity we didn't live closer we could swap colours. Hi Kathy I lived at Bluewater for 5 yrs its 35kms north of TSV before we moved here and I had lots of different colours they seem to have more up there in the tropics than down here, I bought my best colours from the Sunday Market at the TSV Showgrounds.I am sure you will be able to get what you want when you get back. No it is not a soursop Greencroc, I know what it is here is a clue "If you asked 99% of the people in the world what their favourite food was " you will find the answer, have another go...Cheers..MM.