The robbin has returned home all fat and chirpy. I want to thank all who participated and kept her hopping along. Special thanks to Tina who started, planned and provided the start up seeds. The robbin would have not existed without her. I just took a quick look at the contents and want to especially thank those who sent me special thank you seeds. That was a very nice and unexpected surprise. I'll find special places for them. I already had special plans for the snow man marigolds and they are SO cute. I'm starting those seeds today. Thank you thank you!!! A super special thanks too to whoever put in the Anasazi beans. What a treat. Now questions: 1) How do you start the 4 o'clocks. I have "just planted them" twice and never got anything. Tell me what to do so that the third time will be the charm Any tips or clues on the "formosa lilies"? It says constant moisture, like at the edge of a pond or just moist with good drainage??? Or whatever???? 3)Was there anything in there that you were really wanting but did not take???? If it came home, chances are excellent that you can still have it. Just let me know. Thanks again to all Beth

Sounds really great, Kim, thanks! For those of you looking at the wildflower seed mixes on the list, but wondering what in the heck you'd do with them, Trudi (the wintersowing Queen) had an idea I thought I'd pass along. She sows the mixes in a big flat lasagne-style roasting pan and wintersows them. In the spring when it's time to plant out, she cuts the seedlings into little "brownies" about 1" square and plants the plugs about 12-14" apart in the spring. Some of the seeds, and consequently the plants, will be very close together, but apparently this makke no difference....she says the end result is delightful. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can go to the wintersowing forum or just get a big aluminum roasting pan at the Dollar Store. They are about 3" deep and have a domed plastic cover, also 3" deep (or tall). One pan for $1.00. Prep it for wintersowing by poking holes in the bottom and sides of the pan for drainage, and also the top for ventilation and also watering. A 1/4" diameter hole every 5". Put in 2 1/2" of seed starting mix -- whatever you normally use, and water really well. Let drain. Add more soil if it compressed -- you want it 1/2 fromthe rim of the pan. If it takes too long to drain, put more holes in the bottom, and also the sides, down close to the bottom. Sprinkle the seed mix into the pan and leave it outside with the vented cover on it. In March, start watching for seedlings and make sure the pan doesn't dry out. It will have to be watered every 2-3 days unless you get rain. Depending on the varieties of seed in the package, and where you live, they can be planted out late April-early May. Just around the time of your last frost. Thompson-Morgan sells Cottage Mixtures by color. All blue, all pink, all yellow, all white and maybe more colors. Seems to me anybody could do this using the list drippy sent out along with the wintersowing "brownie" method of Trudi's. A Yellow /White mix of yellow strawflowers, shasta daisies, white scabiosa, Salvia "white Knight', plus yellows: Hellenium, Coreopsis, Daylily &/or Gallardia and whites: Columbine, and Agastache, would make a very large color- coordinated garden that would be pretty, bloom all summer, and provide gorgeous cutflowers. Plus about half of them would come back next year! Sheesh! I wish I had more room here for it! (If you actually try it, you can't use all the seeds from all the packs I mentioned or you will have way too many plants. But I bet you could use 200-300 seeds in the flat -- just mix them all up!) Lime

I am sorry to hear that Joy wasnt able to get her seeds out,of course it is understandable,but I am happy to hear she will get a cheer package!I am glad the first big swap I ever did is with people like you guys!Thanks for making this so positive for me! Lisa,when DH's gramma died,we thought it would be hard to go through her things,but we ended up having a blast! We felt her presence with us the whole time we were laughing at old pictures and trying on jewelery,we know she was right beside us giggling away,celebrate her life,she was a wonderful woman that thought of others, so I am sure that she would want you to go through her things and relish in the sweet memories when she was with you here. Patty thank you for all of the hard work you have put into this,it is so appreciated!:)

I am so tired tonight but still want to ask for prayers and hugs. The week before we came down, I had four days of extreme pain with an infected tooth which was removed the day before we flew down. Morning of our departure we had 12 inches of snow and had a difficult time getting out. Wait, you have not heard it all. Got here, happy to be out of the snow belt. Tooth thing really good but get a cough and cold. After two night of not much sleep, go to a doc. He gave me the wonderful codeine cough thing and an antibiotic for the rest. Wake up next morning with my face twice its size. Allergic reaction or drug interaction - I had told the doc down here that I had been off of another antibiotic for only three days. He said not problem. I guess it was. So, off of the new antibiotic (duh!) and onto prednisone and benedryl - I could have done my own diagnose on this one. That was Fri. Sat and Sun were horrible but not nearly as horrible as Monday. Monday am, hubby comes into family room and does not look good. Tells me there is something not right. I have my hand on the phone to 911 - I know he has had a stroke! The paramedics were here within 15 minutes. 6 of them! I will tell you I was so scared for my DH. DH spent almost the entire day in ER, doing tests, being observed. The docs and nurses and assistants were wonderful. Finally saw the neurologist at about 5 in the aft. He had seen all of the immediate test results and had confirmed stroke. It was in the lobe which affect speach and fine motor control - a nasty one for an attorney to have. However, no cognitive harm. He has done remarkably well in the last 24 hours and we are confident that he will continue to improve though it will take work. He has already stared with a speach therapist (I love her) and will have therapy for fine motor control. He has no problem with walking - we walked the entire hospital this aft. so tired tonight - drove home through an amazing storm with close to zero visibility. Amazing to look out the balconey toward Miami at this hour and see the lightning stikes-the entire sky lights up. I am on Marco, BTW and I am going to bed. MK