a narrower angle of the LOTV

These do look like the wild ones in the wood near us Lori , we're not lucky enough to have the Trilliums growing with them though !

maybe you could put one of your trilliums among the LOTV? will try to find seed for the white t's this year...if I can, (I learned to share as a child...;-)would you like to try trillium next time, Amy? BTW...in the upper right corner, just below the rock ledge, there is a patch of wild gooseberry canes...they have thickened up since I took away some of the scrub that was shading them. they will be blooming soon and I hope to be able to try the berries if I can get to them before the birds and squirrels.

That is kind of you Lori yes please everyday I look at the progress of my Arisaema ,they are doing well :o)) Perhaps the birds and squirrels will leave the Gooseberries alone if they are sour and they can find something sweeter leaving you to make Gooseberry pies and jam !

Between Rufus and the hawks...the poor little squirrels are thinning out! The idea of diet gooseberry jam/jelly sounds reaaallly tempting. I'm experimenting with stevia. I bought a plant last summer but it didn't survive the winter. I think I may try again this summer and make sure the plants are well established and protected next winter. It really is a good sweetener and it doesn't lose it's sweetness when cooked..so it would be perfect for gooseberry jelly.

I hadn't heard of Stevia Lori , do you extract the sugar before using it or use the leaves whole in your cooking ?

I have used a powder made from the leaves....it is very powerful and many times sweeter than sugar, so a little goes a long way, but in that form it gives any thing you use it in a green tinge! I bought little tablets for my coffee..first time I've seen it in that form. and it's more expensive than splenda or other sweeteners. It has no calories though, and is recommended in diabetic diets because it is stable when baking...hence, I can have cake!