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I like many of them too. For me very few plants or flowers are ugly.
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I love how eclectic Frank Cabot was. My taste is very similar to his. I am eclectic by nature.

He had guests houses in his garden. He had a Japanese tea room. I loved his Japanese garden!

He had magnificent sculptures in other parts of his garden.

He had beautiful water features in some.
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Glad,

They are unique! Which ones did you like? Would you plant them if they grew in your area?

What would your dream garden be? I watched The Gardener documentary. That man had a true passion for gardening!

I believe that his property was 3rd or 4th generation. He traveled the world for inspiration. He was a fascinating man.
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I actually like many of those ugly flowers. Most of them would never grow here and I could do without the ones with stickers!co

https://balconygardenweb.com/ugly-flowers-youd-like-to-grow-in-garden/
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Look at balconygardenweb.com and read the article on 15 Ugly Flowers You’d Like to Grow in Garden.

I love flowers but I totally agree that these are ugly flowers!
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Golden,

Zinnias are beautiful! I love the bright colors too.
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Years when I was a child a neighbour a few doors down always planted zinnias along the walk to their house. I have never forgotten their lovely bright colours and can still see her out there tending to them.
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I love my zinnias, unfortunately japanese beetles love them too.
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Ariadnee, I read a book once, satirical in nature, that had a line “she was so tacky, she planted zinnias in the front yard” Maybe I’m not classy enough, but I’ve always planted zinnias anywhere I felt like it. They remind me of my mother as she and I often planted the seeds together when I was growing up. Love their vibrant colors
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Yesterday it was almost warm-ish here so, started to clear out a section of the garden and get it ready to put in a few bulbs then when it's warmer out plant zinnia seeds. I've become a much more casual gardener, lower back surgery has been the primary reason. Otherwise, this is the third garden I've worked on. It's in semi-shade, soil tested borderline high for lead (old houses here-lead paint 'n pipes leaching into the soil) so no herbs or vegetables can be grown for consumption. Instead, I'll check the local box stores for hosta on sale or other hardy plants to fill out the yard. Moved from Philly-which is a great region for gardening to central Pa., being at least a growing zone behind means a change in how and what is grown. As well as very poor plant selection at family nurseries and stores-in quality and selection. So, I keep it simple and enjoy what does grow.
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I'm noticing more crocus flowering willy-nilly in my lawn, I guess the little @#$% didn't eat them all.
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❤️🙂

"What’s a gardener’s favorite Beatles song?
Lettuce bee."
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I thought about it, but I just couldn't get motivated. I missed planting when I've stopped before but the pleasure of gardening gets smaller every year; when weighed against the costs of potting mix, containers, seeds and plants and the struggle to keep anything alive in my inhospitable yard it just doesn't seem worth it.
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I started vegetable seeds
Do.it every year doesn't always work out but I like trying

Anyone else started vegetable seeds,?

What are you growing? 🙂
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I don’t mind grasshoppers either. They are kind of cute. Ladybugs 🐞 are really cute.

We have an insectarium that I haven’t gone to. My daughters have gone and said that they enjoyed it.

My oldest daughter loved frogs and lizards when she was little. She even loved snakes and asked for one. I said no to that request! My youngest daughter doesn’t like any of that! LOL 😆

My oldest daughter tried the chocolate covered ants and crickets at the insectarium. She liked them and said they are the food of the future! Lots of protein in crickets.

My youngest daughter grosses out with all bugs.

One of my nephews had snakes. My youngest daughter did have pet mice at one time. I was surprised that she wanted those. The older one had hamsters.

My mom hated my hamsters but she told my daughter that her mice were cute! Hahaha She adored her grandchildren so she accepted all of their pets.
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I have a thing about big bugs, they really creep me out! But I don't really mind grasshoppers that much, maybe because they are jumpy instead of creepy?
(but I've never encountered them in plague like numbers either)
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Speaking of creepy, crawly, stingy things geez, about 45 years ago a woman I worked with was also a realtor. She told me she was showing a house in a new subdivision still being built, so there were lots of weeds and such around. She was walking towards the front door, and a grasshopper flew in her mouth!!!😫😫🐸🐸

I usually don't really mind bugs as long as they mind their business and leave me alone. But, grasshoppers are something else again. I definitely learned what not to plant if I want to.keep the hoppers away. In an old house the previous owner loved mums and planted gobs of them! Well they attracted gobs of grasshoppers! BLECH!!
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Golden,

I can’t even imagine walking my grand dog downhill! As you say, they pull on the leash something awful.
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Ana - wise move

Need - huskys are pullers. That's what they are bred for - pulling sleighs. I found it was no fun walking the part husky pooch we had. He pulled all the time He was a lovely dog, intelligent, friendly and affectionate, but he pulled while on the leash.

One time I was walking him near the bush and sat on a log for a rest. I had slung the leash around my waist. He heard an animal in the bush and took off and momentarily I had visions of myself bouncing backwards through the bush as he pursued this creature - but thankfully he stopped when he felt my weight.

That same walk I had started downhill and it was dreadful straining against him so we didn't go down too fast. My legs were sore. Uphill on the way home was another matter. He pulled me up the hill and that was fine!!!

They have such a lovely personality. I understand you dd being concerned about him catching insects. Once my springer aroused a nest of wasps and was stung all over. Fortunately I has a plastic bath for him outside that summer full of water. He jumped into it and the wasps floated off him and he was fine. A sting in the mouth would not be nice.
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Golden,

My daughter is supposed to be coming over a little later today and I will ask her about her situation.

When I spoke to her on the phone, we only spoke for a couple of minutes, so I don’t know much.

You know how she loves her pooch so much. That’s her baby! I think she was most upset that he tried to eat the bee or wasp, whichever it is.

Her dog definitely has strong prey instincts. I had to tell her that I cannot walk him when she leaves him with us when she goes out of town. If he sees a squirrel or bird, he wants to run after it. I take him to the dog park to get his exercise.

He pulls so hard on his leash. I feel like I will fall, I don’t feel safe walking him. I don’t know if all Siberian huskies pull as strongly on their leashes or not. He isn’t good on his leash. He’s sweet as pie but he doesn’t listen to me so I stopped walking him.

I wasn’t familiar with this breed of dog. They aren’t common here in the south.
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Golden, I ditched my favourite wild cherry shampoo and conditioner for the same reason you ditched that top.
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need - I wonder if it is wasps your dd has. I have had more wasp or ground hornet stings than bees though one flew in my hair a few years ago and in a split second I debated the wisdom of a bee sting on the scalp versus a bee sting on the finger and decided to pluck it out of my hair. I got a finger sting but was able to pull out the stinger so it wasn't too bad. A few summers before that I stepped out of the house wearing a very flowery loose top and a bee flew around the corner of the house straight for me. I batted it away. A few minutes later entering the pharmacy the mall the same thing happened. I didn't wear that top again. I think they were attracted by the colours.

ana - That's an old plant. I'm not sure I have some that old. I may have a few of the originals I moved up here with 40+ years ago.

A wasp inside your bra - ouch, indeed. Worse than a grasshopper in my undies! I didn't know that about spider plants. Looked it up and they are not toxic but mildly hallucinogenic to cats. Mine ignores them most of the time.

I cut a bit out of it and slid a paper plate over the pot containing my dracena. It worked and now Rocky isn't interested. She does lie down in a big pot sometimes curling around the plants but hadn't destroyed anything. They all have different personalities.
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Ana,

Being bitten inside your bra. Ouch!
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Thanks Golden and Glad, I had no idea dracaena would root in water. I garbage picked the plant. A moving neighbour left a few plants, a whatnot table and assorted bags of junk by the dumpster of an apartment I lived in about 40 years ago. I couldn’t afford extras like plants so I grabbed them. Still have the table in my bedroom. Wow, it’s my longest surviving plant!

Last time I mowed a wasp nest, one flew into, and couldn’t find its way out of, my tank-style sports bra. Ouch! As if I need extra swelling in that area.

My cat is a determined acrobat. I’ve poked sticks in the pots, pop cans, tin foil, etc. She smacks stuff out of her way! Her favourite is new spider plant growth. I heard they’re hallucinogenic to cats. My obsessive fuzzy stoner.
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Ana,

I guess they could be wasps. Not sure.
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glad - pine cones are a great idea. I had a wasp sting on a finger a few years ago weeding around one of my creeping junipers. Under your shirt - nasty!
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The last time I was stung by a wasp was about 12 years ago, cutting back my Karl Foerster. One had crawled up inside my shirt! Sneaky little buggers!
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To keep those kitties out of your plants, I have found that covering the soil with pinecones works wonderfully! It looks nice too. I used to have a six foot dracena and the pot, of course, was huge, a great kitty box in the eyes of my cat, then. It was purchased in the produce section of the store as a three inch stump to root. Yes, dracena root great in water!
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Ana - it's too late for that cedar now I pruned it so the remaining 1/2 is above their feeding height and the only other plants they seem to go for a bit are the shrub roses which can stand to be eaten. I learned not to plant cedars in the front. We have lots of snow in the winter and that's when they come to feed so it would be hard to change the underfoot texture. Don't know what happened to them this year. There must be must enough food in the bush this year, or they have moved somewhere else.

Good idea about the dracena. My kitty wiil eat a little off a spider plant only and just once in a while but there are so many spider babies that that isn't a problem and they are safe for cats. She always eats a little grass when outside in the summer.

Speaking of dracena, I have been able to propagate them by putting a shoot in water and letting it grow roots then planting it in soil. Once a side "branch" broke off and I thought I would try it. It has worked for me several times. I was surprised.. They are such lovely architectural plants.
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NHWM, any chance they’re wasps, not bees? During the summer we have to guard our drinks and food from wasps. The worst: yellowjackets nest underground in the autumn and I have twice mowed over a nest. So many welts! Now I mow wearing loose or thick pants and long sleeves. They’re the donkey-holes of the insect world.

Weird idea re: the deer. Are they fussy about where they step? What if you cover the ground around your tasty trees and shrubs with those mylar emergency blankets or crinkly cellophane? Our evil kitty is a plant murderer and that's what I’m currently trying. I have a tall dracaena with a 2’ sprout that my cat keeps pruning. So I encased the sprout loosely in cellophane. Would deer maybe hate the sound if they stepped on it? Or bubble wrap?

My husband and says I get a lot of kooky ideas. That sometimes work.
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