VikingPrincess

Snickers, I think we'll take it if you still have it!

ooh that is pretty!

"One of the great misconception about getting an animal from a shelter is that they are "damaged goods". Sure, some of the animals have been physically or emotionally scarred; but there's no guarantee that an animal you buy from a breeder won't be. Some of the puppy mills around keep animals in horrid conditions. Regardless of where you get an animal from; there's always a risk of neuroticism or other behavior disturbances - but a good home and caring owners often do wonders for a neglected animal. In the case of dogs, they just want to be part of a pack - and will seek your acceptance by behaving appropriately with a little training and time. If you're into recycling, why not considered a "recycled" pet from a shelter? You'll be getting an animal that has likely been immunized and spayed (or will be) included in the price. The dog or cat would have also been screened to a degree to see if it is able to assimilate into a new home. <> The staff at shelters have often had the opportunity to observe the behavior of the animals brought in, so they can tell you if the pet appears to be house trained, would likely fit into a family who has young children or would be better with a single adult owner. I can't really think of a more environmentally friendly way of acquiring a pet than one that's been tossed aside by another thoughtless human. When you obtain a pet via these means, you're not only cutting down on the demand for "new" pets to be bred, but you'll also be saving a life of another animal." -from Green Living Tips, full article: http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/226/1/Recycled-pets.html

I had them in an open jar till they dried, and now have them in a bag. I had gone back to try to get some that were more mature but as I said, by then I couldn'.t find the plants Thanks for the help, hopefully I can get some to grow next year close to the house. They are really pretty!

petee, what kinds of vegs can be successfully grown in deck containers? i have grown peppers, tomatoes, and lettuce but that is all. I'd like to do a bigger selection next year.

Thanks for your response, lavender. The book I used is Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. The leaves and flowers were consistent with the diagram in the book. The book did not show the actual color, just said it was violet-blue. Google pages showed it to be pretty purplish. Mine was a vivid indigo blue so I wondered whther I had the correct thing, although everything else seemed consistent. The pods were still green, I did remove them and have them in a baggie to see if I can plant them next year closer to my house. A couple of weeks later, I went back over to dig them up but they were gone by then. I had only seen 2 or 3 small vine lengths in the masses of other weeds, but there my be more next year, I imagine. Do the pods have to be a certain maturity before you remove them from the plant for seeding?

I found a pretty little wild vine in our fields and my wildflower identification book shows the closest thing to what I saw was called "Cow Vetch" (Vicia cracca). However the book and Googling shows the flowers to be bluish purple (more purple), and the flowers on the plant I had were a beautiful deep Indigo color. I didn't have a camera handy, so I just pulled part of the vine to take to the house. It had little 1 inch pea pods attached to it and the flowers looked like teeny tiny sweet peas, so I feel it must be from the Fabaceae family. Also had vine tendrils too. Does anyone know if this is cow vetch? Here is a pic of cow vetch (is not a pic of my plant)

http://www.essentialsfree.com Arm & Hammer is offering a FREE sample of "Essentials" but you have to pay the shipping cost. The product is an environment friendly product made by recycling, reusing, and ingredients that are earth safe.

Liquid Fence is made of "putrid egg solids" and garlic. We sprayed it on only once on our tulips and now on out hosta, I think it's best to spray it when you know it won't rain for a day or so, and it lasts 30 days. From the 'net: Deer and foraging animals can be highly desructive, even... More eating to the ground newly planted rose bush and azaleas. Try Liquid Fence on your flowers trees, hedges, vines and all lanscaped ares. Guaranteed to work. Made from harmless organic ingredients, including powdered eggs and garlic concentrate, Liquid Fence is kid safe and pet friendly. It's rain resistant, odorless to humans when dry, and can be applied once a month to repel deer and rabbits. Doesn't repel birds, bees or butterflies. Available in ready-to-use sprays and concentrates. Money-back guarantee by the manufacturer. Details on package.

I have had wonderful success with Liquid Fence. Every night I see the deer in my yard, munching on birdseed but they never touch my tulips, hosta, all the things deer find yummy. You can get it at DuBois Feeds. It totally REEKS if you get it on your hands so beware, but you can't smell it in the air once sprayed on your plants.

OK, thanks all! I'll just keep them and enjoy them, they are really pretty.

Found this fella in my garden today, I don't remember planting it, but it sure is pretty. I had no idea what it was but I Googled and found it to be Ornithogalum umbellatum, or Star-of-Bethlehem. All the websites say this is an invasive plant and is toxic. Should I get rid of this? It sure is pretty but I don't want it if it is dangerous or a nuisance plant. Any experiences with this, and how in the heck did I get one?

Yep! That's it! Thanks, Lavender, I know I can always count on you and Petee.

I asked this a few years back, I think but I forgot what the answer was LOL My grandma had this bush beside her house that I would like to plant by mine. It is in full bloom everywhere right now, and the flowers are red, maybe slightly reddish-pink. If you say it, I'll know if it's what I am thinking of, I just can't think ! Petee, your daughter had some to give me but hubby couldn't pull it out, remember? Thanks for any help!

My grandpa always planted the Big Boy tomatoes, and I still swear by them for the best yummiest sammiches ever! They're really meaty and flavorful.

Thanks!!

Ooh, tipcat sent me some last fall, is it too late to plant them now?

None of the bushes I have are tame, they are all wild.

Thanks much, Petee and Lavender. I could never cut all the diseased ones out because there are literally hundreds, and some grow so thickly together that I could never even make my way back through to them. This, th disease keeps spreading. Even though it is an airborne virus, my blackberries remain OK for the time, but they are susceptible too.

About 5 years ago, my wild black raspberry bushes contracted the dreaded Orange Rust virus. They say you need to destroy the affected plants to keep the disease from spreading but I have hundreds of bushes here, we could never dig them all up. They do still produce nice berries, though. Are they safe to eat?

We have wild blackberries here, and I can tell you, the need lots of water to thrive. During years when the summers are not so wet, we end up with small dry berries that are very seed-y. During wet years, we get plump and juicy berries as big as my thumb.

I am so very sorry, kittymommy. =( It hurts so much to lose a beloved pet. I send you hugs and love. One thing you can do is create a page for him at Catster.com, that way people can always remember him and you can visit his page whenever you want. Catster has some wonderful groups for owners of kitties who have passed. Take care.

My cousin in Sweden sent me a photo of his Balsamin, remember the flowers that I was trying to grow from the seeds he sent me? I never did get them to grow, I think i waited too long to plant them and they dried out. But he said he will send me more this summer. He said that ths balsamin is considered somewhat of a weed in Sweden but proliferates rapidly and in all directions. It's pink and quite pretty:

So sorry, debhar. Hugs2ya...

Clarko suggested we have a page to showcase or pets that have passed on. I think it's a great idea! Feel free to post pics of your beloved pets that have crossed that Rainbow Bridge. If you need help resizing the pic, please PM me. Pics should be no more than 500 pixels wide.