Magnolias are very expensive.

Got me conjuring up visions of loveliness.


Around $30 if I order a start from an online nursery but I am leaning vine of some sort or a Camellia.

I do like the dwarf Koren lilac. The only reason I am not considering of the Rose of Sharon is that I already have three red perennials planted.

http://www.naturehills.com/product/camellia.aspx

or maybe Hydrangea Edgy Orbits.

I dunno. I done spinning my wheels for a while.

Koren or korean?

I'm mildly irritating to myself.:)

Korean Lilac!

http://www.naturehills.com/images/pr...actree_big.jpg

That's very pretty.
Have you ever seen a smoke-bush? I love 'em. I don't know if it would do well for you. Says they grow 10-12ft, but I think they're slow growers.
More info and pictures: http://urbanext.illinois.edu/ShrubSe...fm?PlantID=378

I don't know all that much about plants, but I'm gonna try to get my dad to turn their front field into butterfly wildflower field. I might make it a father's day/birthday present. Buy him the seeds and help him get them in. Despite his hard exterior, he really loves butterflies.

Yes I saw one online. They would make for a great pastoral scene with a barn in the background ..maybe a little mist on the foothills.

I think that is a wonderful gift to give! I think it is thoughtful. I would love a flower growers kit myself so I think so.

Have just survived three whole days of my mother's negativity.
Argh.
Some of it still rankles.

She was nice to me - I can only recall one occasion where she said something that hurt, but I swear she moaned about everything else.

Everything was stupid, or badly planned or had something wrong with it, or induced a tut or a comment or a complaint.

Okay, not everything.
But it started with the fact there is no dedicate coach station in Cardiff, we were just set down at a stop. That issue lasted til we got to the B&B. Then she was muttering because we were offered tea or coffee and shown a map of Cardiff with all the attractions on while we checked in - she wanted to drop the bags off and leave immediately. It sort of carried on like that.

The tiny little Tesco Express on the Bay was stupid for only having two people serving and too crowded. The traffic lights were stupid for staying on too long (when we were in a taxi) and changing too soon when we were on foot. The people in the pub were glaring at us because we were sat in "their" seats (from their accents they were tourists too, so I think that's unlikely). There wasn't a Wetherspoons near the theatre so she had to wait for me in Lloyds. She couldn't work my camera outside because it was too bright or in the Doctor Who Experience because it was too dark.

She thinks we're doing this again next year, when JB is in panto in Glasgow. NO. I will go alone, and have a better time by not having to grin and bear it. We do get on well, but I can't be doing with someone always looking for the next thing to go wrong.

I am also going to post in the happy thread, because I did have a good time. I just had to get this off my chest.

How old is she, SG? Could it be the early symptoms of a neurological peoblem e.g. dementia, alzheimer's? Irritability and argumentitiveness can be signs of underlying confusion or awareness/frustration that their mental facilties are changing.

She's only 64 this year. I know she feels she lost some of her memory during the menopause, but she always been a pretty irritable person. I suppose this weekend was a more extreme example and it probably was because she was somewhere unfamiliar.

Much as she implies that Dad holds her back, always wanting to stick to the same routine, she definitely has a limited comfort zone herself. That has probably become smaller with age. I did notice she wasn't as aware as me - I can walk and talk and notice things and think all at the same time. Mum has to stop to do things, and missed some quite obvious things that I had to point out (opening times clearly displayed, street names, bus stop information etc - and she has better eyesight than me). Her pettishness was more marked at times like that I suppose.

Maybe I will relent and consider Glasgow. She's always been so organised and paid such attention to detail before. If it's just a case of slowing myself down then I can deal with that.

Ooh no, don't relent...... not unless she'll be really hurt ....having mum in tow has gotta cramp your style when you're on the pull, no?

She may be more irritable than usual because of recent stress and upsets as well SG.

I am PO'ed because I burned a beef pot roast that was supposed to be my dinner for the next 3 days. Had my head stuck in a book and didn't go check on the meat in time. Its the end of the month, too. So, I get to eat ramen for the next 3 days. *grumble, grumble* :(

you can't just cut of the burned bit and add garlic/similar to the rest?

It was a round steak, not an actual roast, and its burned all over. :headshake

bummer