That is just wild, I just can't get over the # of people using this in small gardens. It isn't like they don't realize the size these things get.
Ric and I have a Leyland cypress hedge along the one side of the pasture and we thought long and hard about it before we put it in. We live out in the country and our neighbors aren't that close. Blocking their sun was one of the things we thought about. We planted it so that it won't ever encroach on their property. They have a large garage and work on race cars at all hours of the night. We put the hedge in to block the view, lights and sound that come from their garage. Very nice neighbors, he is a truck driver so it isn't unusual for him to come in from the road late at night and go out to the garage to work. Nothing like sitting in the Hot Tub late at night sipping some wine and have the neighbor come out throw on his bright lights and fire up the race car.

What an intrusion to the romantic ambiance

Oh man, 130' high! No way that'd get so tall in America. There are some nice ones and it is actually a nice plant. The only reason I dislike them is because everyone and their mother plant them in new home developments where the contractors have zero imagination and they contribute to the landscape looking dull and boring. Not to mention they look terrible when browned out. Near a local vendor in Emigsville, not far from my work, there is a beautiful Leyland hedge. There might be about 15 plants. They are about 35' tall and look really good.

Has anyone started their seeds yet? I'm itching to get my hands dirty.

I'm trying bell peppers for the first time this year, and peppers generally take awhile, so I might start that soon.

My big problem is that there's no more room under the grow lights. Last year, I was able to reserve one of the grow lights for seeds, but all that space has been taken up by the houseplants. And I didn't even buy any houseplants last year! How did they multiply???

I haven't even thought of seeds. If I want datura, I should start right now. I think you should start your peppers early. Probably Sunday, while it's warm-ish, I'll make one small pot of yellow datura. Maybe. I'm not really sure I want them this year.

My houseplants tend to get bigger and take more room. can you start rotating them with less lit locations? I got some Epiphyllums hung by a basement window last weekend, happy about that. Not happy that I couldn't say NO to a couple plants I didn't even ask for But they are growing fast and I'll have a cool bunch in my dogwood tree next summer.

All my seeds were finished being sown a couple weeks ago. Mine are 80% perennial though. The first batch was sown beginning of December and I had two different kinds sprout already. They were Eryngium yuccifolium and Cichorium intybus. I haven't checked them since the really cold air came though. Hopefully they are alright.

Wow, you're already done? I don't think I'll be wintersowing alyssum seeds for another month or so. Those milk cartons I got at the seed swap a couple years ago are going to come in handy.

Jeff, I'm amazed you still have room to add anything in your yard. But I guess even with all the shrubs and trees, you add summer flowers.

I looked at Pinetree's seed catalog last night. But this may be a year for me to just let the nursery grow my starts. If anybody wants just a few items from Pinetree, let me know. I've ordered from them for ages, they are a smallish place and I try to support them.

I may try datura again this year - I still have some of the purple/white swirly seeds from Gita. Since Sally has seemed to have success starting datura early, I'll add it to my weekend to do list. Not sure when I'll get anything else started.

Every year I get volunteer datura from the compost pile. I don't know how it happens, since I use up the compost from the previous year.

Sally, it's best if you just don't think about it, that is where I fit all this stuff

I checked those two different seedlings and they all got fried in the deep freeze. Hopefully they come back or maybe there will be some ungerminated seeds left in each pot.

They have bonsai that have been in training since the 1600s, and one that survived the Hiroshima nuclear bomb! It was presented to the US as a sign of peace.

I couldn't take the pressure of being responsible for a 300 year old plant!!!

Oops, I just realized I posted my bonsai response in the wrong thread.

Sally, me neither! I can't imagine being the person responsible for root-pruning and repotting that bonsai. In fact, just typing that out made me slightly nauseous! Eeeeek!

That tree was started in the early 1600s, so it's actually closer to 400 years old. It was kept in the same family until it was donated.

I actually have some root pruning and repotting to do with my own bonsai, which are much, much younger. Some of them need to be repotted while dormant, so it's a winter yardening task. But I forgot to pre-mix my bonsai soil while it was warm! I'm not looking forward to sifting and mixing soil in the cold weather.

oh, right, this is 2016...

Wow, a bonzai that old is almost priceless, sort of like a Picasso. I don't think I could take that pressure either Sally. The stakes are just too high...Lol

I can't think of any yard thing I want to do in the cold. But I have days off coming up. This time of year is for house hold jobs this is when I have gotten painting done, or plowing yet again into the basement junk and tossing something.

The other site looks really hosed this morning- in that I cannot post a reply at all. It keeps going to some other page. I don't like to criticize but ...

I noticed that as well, Sally, when I tried multiple times to post last night. Hope you enjoy your days off.

Well, there's one thing we can do- just spend a little down time outside, listening to the birds and feeling the sun
We haven't taken the dog for a walk together in a couple weeks either.

Maybe we'll drive over to Blackwater Refuge, drive around, have lunch somewhere new. Or some other park we've never been to, something without the dog lol.

I could do some pruning. (Do you feel my lack of excitement there) Mark would let me try the new electric chainsaw or electric pole pruner.