@loribmt You have great gardens. My daughter lives in the city but she has a courtyard with a small section built up with dirt in it so she started gardening last year and was surprisingly successful at it. Of course she thoroughly researched growing the vegetables she planted before she started. So this year she started a tomato plant for me and a cucumber plant. They are in those burlap type of pots but have grown very well. The tomatoes are tiny but abundant. The cucumbers have not shown themselves yet nor have my daughters so we are thinking there may have been something wrong with the seeds or seedlings -- I'm not sure which way she started them.
The picture was early in the season last year.
JK

Do you eat the sunflowers' seeds? If so, how do you extract them and do you have to do anything to them before eating them. I love the taste of them but can only find salty processed ones in the store. My brother had a Shetland sheepdog who went nuts for sunflower and pumpkin seeds but we have 'deshell' the seeds for him first. That was a real labor of love given the human time it took to make a little pile of seeds versus the canine nanosecond it took McDuff to swallow it.

@loribmt, @contentandwell, @callahoo, and all...My work, Lori, you have a wonderful garden! When were your pics taken? Your seasons are so different from ours, I have to work a bit to stay up with what's happening in the beautiful Nothern woods.

My outside plants have done fairly well this year, on their own. I've not done much outside due to our Florida heat and humidity, and my body. But, doing pretty well. We've had good daily afternoon showers, and storms for the last month and a bit. It's been great, except for the occasional flooding into my den from the patio after a heavy storm, with full gutters! The condo folks need to clean the gutter of leaves/pine straw and whatever. I'm in a flood zone so before the large gutter was added for my place, I flooded inside several times, and definitely when we had hurricanes and several days of heavy rain. No hurricane this way yet...September is usually when they come our way. Goody....

I'm finished potting and repotting my rescue inside plants. I got the succulents healthy and happy, planted some in a pot I thought was good for his office decor and gave one of my Mayo docs a gift! A rescue! We had talked about his one money tree that's doing well. He said his mother gave it to him tells him when to water it...After that discussion, I fixed the litle pot for him and he really likes it. Told him to ignore it for a week and water a bit , then only once weekly and don't drown. It's happy...I felt so good saing a dying plant, making a pretty little gift for a special doc who's really helped me tremendously. Made all 3 of us happy!

I have a few pics for you. I did rust, scrape and clean, then spray with a clear Rustoleum protectant, the 3 cordon steel planters for my patio, on the storage wall. Sending them now. That's the first time in many years I've been able to complete such a project due to health limitations. That's what Mayo has done for me. I have a life again, still limited, with restrictions but enough energy and desire and ability to follow through. I'm also helping my son reorganize his home for his life in pain and limited movement. It's a good thing I can do it. Slowly, carefully, but it's getting done.

I've cleaned out 3 bedroom closets, filled bags for donations, have a car of clothing to sell, and thrown away a bunch of stuff. Wow! that's really an accomplishment! Tossing is so therapeutic and I love the feeling of space I'm getting. Goody! I'm doing what I can and resting when I need to rest. Finally, learning! It's been years since I've been able to do these little, important things to improve life. My Mayo doctors have given me this ability with the diagnoses and treatment and rehab and I'm soooo thankful. This is really an improvement in quality of life. I don't have my life back as it was, but that's ok. I have a life again.

Hope you enjoy the little additions and pics. These are my rescue plants, all recovered but one bird's-nest fern with root-rot and I couldn't help it, my favorite of all these plants. But, all others are thriving! Several new orchids, succulents, money trees, and others. Still need to report figleaf and some patio plants that have overgrown the pots. Love the new pots these days. Updating my look is fun.

Love all your pictures. Keep it up. Lori, you're looking good, Lady. Remarkable recovery!
Blessings to all, Elizabeth.
Pooh! I have to send from my phone gallery. I'll do that now and figure out how to get them to the laptop so I don't have this problem! Pooh...