Gratuitous shot of Hosta plantaginea. And now my nominations for this year's Bizarro Garden Awards.
For Worst Bug, I nominate the Japanese beetle.
No contest this year, the earwigs haven't been half so bad, but the stupid Japanese beetles have ruined the rose and chewed on Clematis 'Betty Corning' so horribly, I go out on Japanese beetle assassin runs every afternoon to squish them. Jerks.
Plant I Love to Hate: Potentilla. I don't know why, there's nothing inherently wrong with them, but I just hate them.
Worst Plant Name: "Pinky Winky" Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'DVPpinky'). Come on, that isn't even the Teletubbie's name which inspired it. And I really don't want to be reminded of that point in my life, and neither does the boy, who used to watch the show when he was a toddler. Also nominated: rapeseed. 'Nuff said.
Worst Weed: buckthorn. In sun, in shade, here, there, everywhere, buckthorn.
Worst Neighbor: I admit this is hearsay, but when it comes from several reliable sources, I find it credible - Helen Yoest's neighbor. The one who called the police on the Garden Writers' members visiting her garden in the afternoon, who yells at the neighborhood kids, who threatened to sue Helen ( Gardening With Confidence ) for using a picture of the neighbor's dog on a blog. I'm so glad I have good neighbors.
Most Fun Mom: My mom, because she is the life of any party. Louise, mom of Kylee of Our Little Acre ; she's such a doll!
Gardener Most Likely to Get a Nasty Letter from PETA: Susan at The Bike Garden, for suggesting a shotgun for solving her squirrel problems. I completely sympathize.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner: I want Robin of Bumblebee Blog to come to my house and cook for me. Anything. Her homemade cookies and her homemade wine are fantastic, I can only imagine how good everything else is.
Anyone Can Host: I'd like to party at Ranch DuBois, Mary Ann's place in the Gardens of the Wild, Wild West, with killer views, Cash the Wonderdog, and a dip in the cement pond. Rumor has it, the rhubarbtinis are not to missed.
Gardener You Most Like to Party With: everybody who attended Buffa10. What a fun group! From those who didn't attend, I have to nominate David Perry, for his reportedly killer rhubarbtinis (see above) and Zen philosophy.
Garden You'd Most Like to Party In: Gordon & Brian's Bird Avenue Garden in Buffalo, but not in the rain (been there, done that). The cabana/bar is great and they party all night. See any of the posts listed here, scroll down to the heading "Bird Avenue Ballard/Olinski Garden.
Best Gardener Who's Not Online: Trudi Temple. She's the gardener I want to be when I grow up.
Favorite Dog: this is a tough one, but I have to go with Cooper at Ledge and Gardens. He's a puppy, and I can't resist a puppy. Special mention also goes to Coco at A Study in Contrasts for her similarities to my late, lamented mutt Coco. But really, I love them all.
Favorite Cat: sorry, I'm not a cat person.
Favorite Chicken: I don't have one, as I can't tell them apart.
Cutest kids: mine. Hey, I'm their mother, I have to nominate them.
Mad Hatter: Helen of Toronto Gardens looked adorable in her hats at Buffa10. So did Dee of Red Dirt Ramblings in the hat she wore Friday. I also nominate Edith Hope, who wrote a great post about hats.
Best Garden Hat: my popup yellow and green number from Midwest Gloves and Gear.
Fits in a purse, doubles as a diffuser.
Best Garden Shirt: Any of Tony Avent's Plant Delights t-shirts. Carol, of May Dreams Gardens, wore her garden tool shirt at Buffa10, and Cindy, of From My Corner of Katy has some fun ones too.
Extreme Hoarders: this category was created for Carol, of May Dreams Gardens, with her fabulous hoe collection.
Oldest Garden Gloves: a cheapo nitrile pair I got on clearance at Target. I don't use them exclusively, as they are not my favorite.
Favorite Garden Gloves: I love my Ethel garden gloves. Comfortable, keeps out dirt well, and has a fairly sensitive touch.
Funkiest Garden Art: Elizabeth of Gardening While Intoxicated and Garden Rant, for her metal body parts and pink flamingo, the pink flamingos at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as brought to my attention by Monica the Garden Faerie, and the Bongo Congo family at Fairegarden.. Best Cartoons: what they lack in artistry, they more than make up for in their wry, apt humor, Joseph's cartoons ( Greensparrow Gardens ) hit the mark every time. Susan's ( The Bike Garden ) chicken cartoons are wonderful too, and The Artist's Garden's Mrs. Grumpy cartoons always leave me laughing.
Hoe d'culture: my best and favorite tool is the one that never gets lost or gets left out in the rain - my fingers. I use them to pinch off new growth, pull some weeds, squish the above-mentioned Japanese beetles. Very useful they are.
Most Creative Use of a Squash: Nan Ondra for her post with the ' Yugoslavian Finger Fruit.'
Silliest Wildlife Encounter: Priscilla the Peahen at Clay and Limestone.
Feel free to disagree, correct, or add as you see fit.