My raspberries are throwing a lot of runners this spring - even the Encore of which 1-2 died the first year, so I'm glad it's filling in the row (1 row over and 25 ft away from the TC). That and the Killarney (opposite end but same row as original TC) are sending some up, but most of them are very close to the original canes, even behaving nicely and staying in the row or on the edge. The unknown fall-bearing variety I got off Freecycle is the most vigorous, it's sending a lot out in the other (south) direction, enough to start a new row so most likely it's them, but they all look the same at this age. If there were more coming up to the north of that row then I wouldn't have even questioned it, but there is just 1 between those and the TC, and a couple more to the other (north) side of the TC/Killarney row, and more at the Killarney end. Maybe those are less-well-behaved Killarney ;-) Do TCB throw runners? Or do you have to tip-root them?

You could send some to me... I like monsters. That is one tough and beautiful rose. I am yellow rose shy, and I love old roses. All my old roses are pinks of various shades. I would gladly pay the shipping for two good starts of it. (before you use Round-up, please consider my request) ~Annie

I like this thread.....it reminds me of the History Channel special about EARTH WITHOUT MAN. It was no surprise to me that it was PLANT LIFE that began the assault on the relics of man's presence on earth. If anyone has a chance to see that long presentation, I highly recommend it. But your topic also reminds me how hard it is for us to make a lasting impression of our presence or existance on earth. After 18 years of gardening on my beloved Moccasin Landing property, I sold it to a man buying up all the houses on our street. In short order, he'd bulldozed all the plants and trees and bamboo and woodland corner, turning my secret garden into an exposed tract house. I'd much rather see all my beloved plants climbing into the tree tops, like the Cherokee rose and the wisteria that both reached for the stars. The wild irises clumped and multiplied in the woodland corner. The birds pooped out the poison ivy seeds to restore the stand my son killed off for me before he died. My pears dropped unnoticed to rot hidden in the bosom of the monkey grass covering the whole north side of my lot with a delicious dark cushy green. My hammock hung unused between the two pear trees for years, until it rotted and was replaced. I watched the cedar waxwings on their irregular migrations devour the pear blossoms some April day. But all good things come to an end. Autumn is approaching and we must get ready to tuck the garden in until spring. At least, most of it. After being up here and listening to you ladies and gents talk about many topics, I know you don't necessarily stop gardening just because your hands are not in the dirt. By the way, what do you do in the winter with all your plants that are too tender to stay outdoors? Would you believe that when we go south in November I am taking my geraniums and begonia boliviensis? I will probably take the heuchera that I like so much too. And the black eyed susan vine, the staghorn fern, and the horsetail fern all of which I found at Jones Nursery here in Chelmsford. I love these plants too much to entrust to anyone else. Hubby says it is ELEVEN OCLOCK...oh boy isn't that awful....and I must get up early to paint 3 rooms in the morning. G'night ladies.

We have two introduced species of blackberry. Rubus procerus from Eurasia and Rubus laciniatus from Europe. Both have delicious berries and wicked spines, even on the leaves. Rubus laciniatus has the best berries in most people's opinion. I grew the thornless variety for awhile, called a chimera, but the seedlings came up all over with thorns so I removed them. Raccoons, opossums, and I suppose, rats use them for cover. In elementary school my friends and I made tunnels and crawled between the crowns and made camps in larges patches of the berries. Birds spread the seeds everywhere. They clamber from 8 to 15 ft. tall, sometimes taller if they have something to hook onto. Both can grow in a surprising amount of shade. I'll add a picture later. Mike