Behind the Red Sox curtain...

We are now 6b but perhaps the HH know something which we don't.

VV, Loved seeing all your photo's and as always your information and humor. Next time you are heading east, send me a shout so I can send you an invite to the Island Paradise as I was so sorry to have had to cancel your first attempt. Patti

Like any rejected suitor...once bitten, twice shy.

I will certainly be in communication, when next I have the good fortune to travel your way. I would really like to see how the winterberries have fared - and of course, to meet you in person...

I guarantee you that my inconvenient medical malfunction was not intended to disrupt your trip to Nantucket. The timing of your trip would have had you visiting us just when my life was totally upside down. I would have been a lousy hostess. Though I would certainly have preferred spending time with you and your wife then with my team up at Beth Israel.

I am more embarrassed by my poor growing to the Ilex than by my rudeness. The deer just have gnawed them to near death every winter. I caged them for a while in the winter, but they just went after them in the summer. However the Hamamelis have done much better though they got eaten back the first year until I moved them all to inside the deer fenced part of the yard. We adore having them in the depth of winter for some color.

We are up in Vermont now, which after renovating the kitchen and bath and enclosing the old garage as part of the house last year makes it a real pleasure. Now that it is actually insulated with high ceilings and lots of light it makes it possible to spend more time up here especially in the winter. You are welcome to visit here again. Glad you made it to my families old farm where Mount Auburn Cemetery is now. Loved seeing the shot of the turkey strolling about without a care in the world even in Nov. I would love to follow you around when you are next doing a botanical tour of Boston. Here is the Brook today and the greatly improved kitchen. Patti

I am sorry to hear that the four legged felons have decimated your hollies, but so it goes.

I remember fondly our stay at your Vermont digs - that is a pleasure for which I can never repay you. If following me around, and listening to me pontificate upon plants is all you require - well, then you will have the riches of the Vatican.

We enjoyed the shelter you offered back in 2009...

So it goes, but I will evidently win the battle as I must have an army of Ilex verticillata. I am thinking of fencing in a larger area around a stand of them for a few years and inviting all my hunting friends to come for the deer season. 100 hooved rats in our square mile is a tad dense. The garage in your picture is now the part of the house. Thanks for posting them, better shots than I have. Loved the collection of Ilex berries that you brought to adorn the porch. And your special chocolate bonbons that you gifted to us rivaled the best like our favorite L.A. Burdick Chocolate, so plenty thanks enough. Patti

Deer are not a problem here....have not seen any since the epic snows of 2011.....very frustrating trying to garden with them eating everything in sight......your kitchen came out perfectly, Patti....I love the black & white combination.....matches the collies!

Kitchen came out great.

Noone believed me that deer eat rhodis but after we put in the "horse" fence for our dog, the chomping holes stopped happening.

Deer eat quite a bit & it depends what is left in the woods. There is an over population.

I was just cruising back through this thread, and realized that in my gusto for posting pictures that I completely overlooked a post by Robindog about a son who is a landscape architect in CT. Good for him!

Besides being employed by an engineering firm, what kind of projects/work does he do? Does he get to spend enough time with plants that he'd enjoy a trip with you to the Arnold, or Mount Auburn? I suppose that there are more than a few places in CT to see a plant or two...

I have gotten to know the trustee from the CT chapter over the past few years. He's a very nice fellow - Bob Golde, from New Haven.

I'm sure Garret must know him....right now, one of the projects my son is working on is Rails to Trails right in New Haven.....this section goes through the Yale campus.....he's also the firm's playground specialist, but he works on hardscape for just about anything. He does love plants.....so do his little kids.....so maybe we'll get to the Arboretum one of these days......

The path around conifer hill at Arnold is my favorite winter walk, but there are amazing plants everywhere there.

That is even more interesting, Robindog - sounds like he enjoys his profession.

While I'm a landscape architect with Louisville's Metro Parks, most of my current work consists of bicycle/pedestrian facilities (like Rails to Trails). We are designing them along our historic parkways, and on what might be my capstone project - the 100+ mile Louisville Loop, a shared use path to circumnavigate our community.

Maybe Garret and I can get together and commiserate...

These are important parkways where the passersby can enjoy the beauty around them. I will look more carefully at rails to trails installations.

It is important work especially to all of us that love the outdoors.....Garret works for an engineering firm in Cheshire, CT....Milone & Macbroom....I'm sure he'd love to talk to you VV & compare notes!

Nothing to do with the job, but we moved here from Cheshire 40 years ago.

Well, doggone it - I drove right through there on I-84 both coming and going to the Boston conference. I'll try to remember to give a heads-up next time I'm in the vicinity.

Cheshire is a lovely town, but that's where the westbound congestion starts on I-84....I avoid that highway completely! My son has over an hour commute each way.....brutal this time of year.

We need to have a DG get-
together when our out of town DGers can come

Yes - I can imagine staggering in like George Bailey on Christmas Eve...

I think Bill is planning one.....

yes in early june I hope - louise will be helping set this up :)

She's getting to be an expert.....!

Ha!

I had this great image to add to the thread, in resurrection of the initial image. See below.

Imagine my surprise when reminded that mention has been made of a planned get-together in early June.

Guess when VV next is scheduled to travel in your general direction? June 6-7, 2014 is taking me to Millville, NJ. Not exactly next door, but much closer to you than central KY. Hmmm...

Tell me if there's another thread underway that I should pay attention to.

I don't think a date has been set yet, but Bill & Louise are in charge....would love to meet another member, & Bill's gardens are amazing!

VV I was thinking the next weekend although nothing is set in "stone" yet (I crack myself up sometimes).

Sounds like Sunday the 8th might be good - what would work best for you and we'll see if we can accommodate the honorable botanist from Kentucky.

I have to go to Bill's house - again?

Those weren't the "great image to add" that I mentioned previously, but all of a sudden (since I finally found where I stowed it) - it is so much more appropo.

Can I wear this to the gathering?

As long as you don't have a Yankees sticker on the car.

A Mets sticker will be fine!

Many changes since then VV - trust me.........

Rock my world - you finally added some Viburnums?

yes there are some viburnums - although I've had some difficulty with some unseen insect pest that eats the leaves every spring off blue muffin and a couple others

Our viburnum were here when we arrived 40 yrs ago. this had been 'conservation' land for 30 yrs & then the owners were allowed to build. Ours is not the only house, but we don't cut trees or shrubs unless necessary. Kids loved it, although they missed the weeping willow which could be climbed in CT. Climbing trees here were pines which are full of pitch so we asked them not to do so.

I wonder if wha has the Viburnum Leaf Beetle infestation. That would be bad.

There are a number of fine species that VLB doesn't eat. May have to ply you with them.

can you see the leaf beetle infestation insects because on my vib's affected I do not see them just the damage, it is like someone is eating the leaves from the inside - the second flush of growth that shows up later in the summer in not affected.

tempting to put down some chemicals to stop them - right now I am siding with the bee's on that front.

It always helps for us to see what you are seeing - take any pics?

VLB doesn't affect me. It is a pest of the upper tier of states (so far). I bet that there is a regimen of control that doesn't require a long-acting systemic, which would be better for bees, but requires you to apply at the correct time.

The long acting systemics are the nuclear bomb solution to a mosquito bite. Got the mosquito, but expect a bit of off-target effects.

I think I showed pictures to you before - I will try and pull them out from the files.

VV - RU has been scheduled for June 8th - if you can make it that would be great - the Japanese Maples should still have their spring color!

and who knows maybe a viburnum will be blooming

I'll believe that when I SEE it...

So - June 8th is a Sunday. I have an HSA board meeting in Millville NJ till midafternoon on Saturday June 7th.

I'll have to see if I can figure this one out...