Tom, The very spikey one was sold as O. engelmanii, and it has large pads when compared to humifusa. The other one has even larger pads, but fewer spikes. It was labeled simlply as Opuntia species. I haven't been able to identify it yet. This year (right now in fact) it has several fairly large ripe fruits. The O. humifusa does get all shriveled and even a purplish color in coldest weather, but come next spring it bounces back and grows like a weed. I've had that one for over 40 years, but when I had the yard relandscaped, large mats of it got trashed. I did manage to save a few clumps, and they spread quickly. It was not unusual to have 500+ blooms on the original clump, as it was over 10' in diameter. The soil under the stones is average, and I didn't amend it. There is weed cloth under the stones. I didn't amend because I formed slight mounds for drainage, and also the front of the house is in blazing sun all year and also has full air circulation so it dries out well. Most of the plants you see are in the third year, but the ice plants are about 10 years old and were replanted when that area was constructed. The Yucca is about 15 years old.

I have two largish dogs (a mixed breed and a golden) and, yes, I do think my house sometimes smells like I have dogs. I clean, I wash linens and dog beds, use scents and odor neutralizers, have air purifiers (for allergies, really) etc., but at some point I think it's kind of inevitable. Like the tumbleweeds of golden retriever hair all over my house in the spring. ;) I also wanted to chime in and say that, when it comes to your home, there's more than just the potential for smell that you have to consider. For example, one of mine just broke a window jumping up and barking at a dog walking by on the sidewalk. The other recently put a big dent in the wall (with her hip) while wrestling with her "brother." These are kind of extreme examples (and I have young, high energy dogs), but, at least in my experience, it's inevitable that a pet will barf on your expensive rug or a dog will randomly decide to "dig" your new sofa, etc. (And yes, of course training is important, but they're still dogs and will sometimes act like it.) If you and your husband aren't prepared to let these things kind of roll off your back -- and it would be understandable if you weren't! -- I'm not sure a pet, dog or cat, is a good idea. Most of us make adjustments in our lives, one way or another, for our pets, and you'd have to figure out whether that's something you're interested in doing. A friend of mine has a really lovely standard poodle (from a great breeder), who doesn't shed. I don't want to get into the "designer dog" drama but I would strongly suggest that you do a lot of research before buying a purposely bred mixed breed dog (or buying any dog from anyone!). I have a rescue and a purebred from a fantastic breeder, and don't think either choice is right or wrong. Just be honest with yourself about your family's wants, needs and limitations are.

You're all very kind! 'Empowerment' was one of my very first hybridizations way back in the 1980's and the original bush still remains vigorous. The rose has always been a highlight of my summer with those lovely and lasting blooms. I was surprised and thrilled to have seen a few nice bushy specimens at Store Store and almost had purchased one for myself, but honestly that just felt strange paying for my own rose, lol. It has superior bloom quality to 'Winnipeg Parks' and puts on a display that makes one stop and stand there admiring ... though, 'Winnipeg Parks' has near continuous repeat, wish I could say the same for mine, both roses having merit, Although, it tempting to leave as much live wood as possible on this rose, I do stress it really does appreciate a severe spring cut back to just a few inches above the ground to encourage fewer and stronger shoots to carry the mass of blooms. One year I hadn't pruned as such and it became a mass of smaller finer stems and the display just did not WOW as usual. I'd also recommend a tomato cage for support. Although, in it's 30 years or so, it has seen winters with scant snow, it has not been trialed under completely snowless conditions, so I do think best to plant 3 inches of the stem below ground just for good measure! Good, bad or ugly, I'd later appreciate others comments, I won't take it personally for the genetic roll of the dice the rose was granted. Kelly, if by chance you're in a humid region, I can't promise of it's health, while it has remained spotless in my yard with high disease pressure, it did not perform as well in Ontario's humidity, so it's being released as a regional rose. Prairie_northrose ... yes, Bylands is the propagator of the rose. Unfortunately, despite my desire to forge forward and again pick up speed with hybridization, this year will again be very lean in that aspect, this yard is just too large and high maintenance to allow me to get on top of things and place more emphasis on what I wish. This lovely rose seedling I had unfortunately lost ... though, I still have both parents, so I must attempt to redo the cross! PNR, please be sure to post photos this summer of your rose breeding efforts, we're going in different directions and it's fun to see the results! :)

I've been wanting to try some more cold hardy cacti outside all year, too. I've had the same doubts about the claimed cold hardiness I've seen on the Internet. Some of the cold hardiness ratings I see listed by some nurseries seem a bit exaggerated to me. However, I'd rather not point fingers at any specific nurseries because I have no hard evidence to the contrary. Plus cold hardiness is not the only thing needed for a cactus to survive the winter. As I mentioned, they do better in the extreme cold if they are dry. Perhaps those cold hardiness ratings I have doubts about are possible if the plant is completely dry. I'm in the Snake River Valley, Idaho. I'm not sure how the precipitation here compares to that of New England. I don't cover my cactus bed. It does get wet and frozen during the winter. So far I've had good luck with certain kinds of Pediocactus simpsonii and Escobaria missouriensis. I have a couple small Escobaria sneedii or leei (the label says leei but the growth habit suggests sneedii) that over wintered OK last winter, too. Also, there are some wild kinds of Opuntia that grow in the valley and mountains.