Shortly after my wife decided that she preferred to live on her own, I went to board (for 4 years) with an old lady in her 80s who'd been known to our family for years ... Dad was pallbearer at her aunt's funeral (that she'd cared for while bedridden) on the day that psych. hosp. called to say that Mom died and I, age 13, went to tell him. Bessie, never married (fiance soldier killed in W W I) had been a pediatric nurse, was a lovely spirit and in good health in her 80's. I don't think that I ever heard her say anything sharp or nasty about anyone. Everyone in the village loved her ... but they tended to head for the hills when they saw her little blue Falcon coming down the street. I thank her sweet spirit for heading off my feelings of bitterness against females at the time. She spent several years in a retirement-nursing home, couldn't see or hear well near the end of life, but had she lived another 4 months would have achieved 105. She was missed by many. And, I hope, quite a number may have chosen to alter some of the things in their lives for the better as a result of seeing her, a quiet Christian, in action. I am thankful for Bessie's ministry in my life. ole joyful

I don't think that your questions are connected. Question No.1- I have a bit of the silt-like stuff floating especially near the plants. It makes the pond look quite dirty and yet when I pull it up with the plant (usually one of my oxygenators like canadian pondweed) it seems to disappear, and the plant then gets thrown back in. I don't know if yours is the same. Also in my shallow end of the pond I find that it settles and when you try to pull it out it all just floats into little specks again and can't be removed. I have found that it does disappear in time or settles onto the bottom of the pond. There is nothing wrong with that as long as it doesn't get too thick on the bottom. I now use my net to try to get the silt-like stuff away from the plants. As I pull it out I realise that it is changing into the slimy algae. When it does this it can be removed easily. The stringy blanketweed around the liner is often used by the fish for food. All my tadpoles are living in it at the moment so I don't take it out unless I check it all first, but it is easy to remove. Take out any that you don't want. Eventually most of it should disappear anyway. As to your second question about the fish being at the bottom and not eating much. Mine are the same at the moment. I think it has a lot to do with the weather and the temperature of the water. Last week they were up all week and in the shallows but this week when it has got a bit cooler they are back to staying in the deepend and not eating. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Another thought which might make you worry is that a preditor has been by, maybe a heron has flown on over and scared them. If so you are lucky to still have your fish but it is something that we all worry about. Alison Here is a link that might be useful: Visit Alisons website

Hmmm....well, I live in Indiana, so I can't say how Pacific tree frogs are, but I have tree frogs here in Indiana.......and I love them! I would rather hear them than traffic or people! Our tree frogs lay their eggs in the water. I have small stock tank ponds. They make hundreds (or more) tadpoles, but only a couple seem to survive (they just disappear). I'm thinking they will have very little effect on your pond, and I would welcome them! In fact, they are probably good for the pond. But let's see what others who live closer to you have to say.

Kordes roses are very healthy ... I see Kordes Flower-Carpet series perform best in both dry and wet weather. Here's an excerpt from below link how how hardy & no-spray Kordes roses are for cold-zones: http://www.denverrosesociety.org/education/Kordes_Roses.pdf The ADR is both one of the highest awards a rose variety can attain, and one of the most severe trials for roses worldwide. It is a three year evaluation of new varieties in 11 locations throughout Germany. The plants are given no protection in this challenging Northern European climate. No plant protection sprays are used. Of the 102 varieties which have received this designation since 2000, 42 were bred by Kordes. Fairy Tale™ Roses are Kordes’ answer to David Austin. Among them are: Cinderella Fairy Tale™ 2003 Healthy foliage; light-pink, abundant, very full flowers; excellent for hedges/ Grimm Brothers Fairy Tale™ 2002 ADR; healthy foliage; brilliant, very double, orange/apricot flowers with a yellow reverse; blooms in clusters; slight fragrance; Lions Fairy Tale™ 2002 ADR; vigorous, glossy, extremely healthy foliage; upright and elegant plant; cream white flowers age to apricot/pink; slight fragrance; Pomponella Fairy tale™ 2006 ADR; vigorous, healthy foliage; proliferate bloomer; dark pink, round buds open to cupped blooms borne in clusters; species rose scent; Vigorosa Roses are a group of vigorous, continuous-blooming, healthy, landscape and ground cover roses in a range of vibrant colors. Fragrances are slight. The catalog lists Apricot, Fortuna (pink), Toscana (raspberry red), Salmon, Ruby, Innocencia (white), and Sweet (crimson pink). Frilly Toscana looks especially interesting. Climbing Max is a collection of the most beautiful and disease resistant climbers recently created by Kordes. They are: Kordes Aloha/Aloha Hawaii™ 2003 Very double blooms of apricot, orange, pink and red come in trusses of up to ten blooms with a delicate, fruity fragrance. Amadeus™ 2003 Classic, brilliant, blood red blooms come continually in trusses of 5 to 7 with a slight fragrance. Gold Medals from The Hague, Lyon and Geneva. Kordes Golden Gate™ 2006 ADR; Double, golden yellow blooms come in trusses of 5 to 10 with intense fresh citrus scent. Prix de Parfum winner, Paris. Jasmina™ 2005 ADR; has an abundance of violet-pink flowers with a rich, sweet fragrance. Laguna™ 2004 ADR; has deep pink, very double old-fashioned blooms with intense fruity fragrance. Kordes Moonlight™ 2004 Semi-double, copper-yellow blooms in clusters of 4 to 6 have rich fragrance. Rosanna™ 2002 Brilliant, double, salmon-pink climber with deeply cupped blooms that come in large trusses. Slight fragrance. Gold Medals from The Hague, Lyon and Geneva. Veranda™ Roses, also known as the Flower Circus series, are a group of compact floribundas for gardeners with limited space. The plants of this series range between 2 and 3 feet when mature, making them perfect for small spaces and patio containers. All have slight fragrance. Flower sizes appear to be those of large mini-floras. Balconia™ Roses are low-growing, trailing plants, ideal for hanging baskets and planters placed on walls. All of them have a uniform spreading habit, appealing blooms in interesting colors, abundant one-inch flowers borne in clusters with good repeat, and abundant semi-glossy to glossy foliage. Besides Raspberry, the plants come in white (Innocencia), salmon/pink (Electric), Hot Pink, Apricot and red (Toscana). Fruitilia™ Roses do double duty. In addition to lovely garden blooms in the summer, these varieties will produce sprays of rose hips for fall and winter cutting. The hips vary in size and color from plant to plant. All of the Fruitilias are productive and easy to maintain with a long vase life, and are available in a choice of colors including coffee, orange and red. Freelander™ Roses are cutting garden roses, bred for a long vase life. Fragrances are moderate to strong. Some of these are: Caramel Antique Freelander™ is a large-flowered, elegant, buff-yellow variety with a vase life of 12 days. Cinderella Freelander™ is a moderately fragrant. Abundant, glossy foliage, good fragrance, and a vase life of 8 to 10 days. Corrie Freelander™ is a relatively carefree plant with spectacular hot pink blooms carried on long stems. Vase life is 12 days. Fantasia Mondiale Freelander™ produces large, double, apricot/pink blooms on long stems with semi-glossy abundant foliage. Vase life is 10 days. Ice Girl Freelander™ is a vigorous, white rose that is extremely weather-resistant. Has intense fragrance, hybrid tea form and a vase life of 6 to 8 days. Magma Freelander™ is one of the leading cut roses in European markets. It is an eye-catching yellow/red bi-color with hybrid tea form and a vase life of two weeks. The Kordes Hybrid Teas listed below are both beautiful and healthy. Berolina 1986 This rose is hardy and robust enough to survive almost total neglect on our back fence. It has long-lasting, high-centered, lemon-yellow blooms with a slight red blush. Beverly 2007 This is a recent Kordes release, and is on the Macon wish list. The color is a luscious mix of several shades of pink, and the centers are high. Its intense, fruity fragrance won the Perfume Award at Baden-Baden in 2008. Grand Amore 2004 ADR. This Gold Medal winner has been in my garden for two years, and is already a favorite. It is a very vigorous, hardy plant that produces large, high-centered, bright red, non-fading flowers contrasted with dark green foliage on long stems that just beg to be cut. La Perla 2008 This rose is for you if you aren’t interested in showing all of your hybrid teas, but want a vigorous, hardy, gorgeously old-fashioned rose. Parole/Buxom Beauty 2001 Depending on where you order this rose, it will be called one name or another. It really is a buxom beauty, and a true show rose. The large, deep-pink blooms with a burgundy edge are consistently high-centered. The plant is very disease resistant and has shiny green leaves, long stems, exceptional hardiness and vigor. To complete this prize package, its rich, intense scent won Perfume Awards in Madrid and Nantes. From Steve Singer at Wisconsin Roses, budded on multiflora. Valencia 1989 This rose is a high-centered, very large-flowered, apricot show rose. It is also a true garden classic, being very showy in the front of a border, as it is not a tall plant. Mine is on its own roots and has been totally hardy and floriferous for 10 years. Winner of the Henry Edland Medal for fragrance. If you are growing roses along Colorado’s front range, chances are there is already a Kordes rose or two in your garden. Mine include floribundas Nicole, Iceberg (Schneewittchen), Sunsprite (Friesia) and Gold Marie; climbers Summerwine, Rosarium Uetersen, Ilse Krohn and Dortmund; Red Ribbons (Mainaufeuer) shrublet; grandiflora Vera Johns; and hybrid teas Bride’s Dream, Folklore, Helen Naude, Liebeszauber and Sandra. All are hardy and disease resistant. Credit for this article goes to Palatine Roses, which supplied the literature. Carol Macon, Consulting Rosarian" http://www.denverrosesociety.org/education/Kordes_Roses.pdf