I was thinking that 18 tons of mulch would be a nice gift. It probably wouldn't fit under the christmas tree, but I could put it next to the black walnut outside...I could hang a string of lights on the walnut tree.

Robert

10 yards of crushed granite (I don't know how many tons that is), 40 rolled steel garden arches, and a yard man to help me finish it all.

Connie

Yard man for a month.

Carla

Rainfall.

Failing to get rainfall, a gift certificate to High Country Gardens for some xeriscape plants.

Yardman everyday for a month. Crushed granite (ALOT) and stepping stones. Two fountains. Retaining wall blocks.

Mari

Lightning to strike down the hackberry trees that are growing along my fence. Just imagine -- roses not in pots!

And free labor for 30 days...oh the places I'd go!

A really good pair of pruning shears and a REALLY good pair of gloves (as I plan to volunteer at the Sacramento Cemetery Rose Garden this winter). But I may just get them for myself before Christmas...

Good to hear from you, Melissa, I was wondering when you would post again - I always enjoy reading about your place in Italy.

So glad you're back, Melissa, I've so missed your posts.

My most heartfelt wish is rain. After that, more rain. A really beautiful old fountain would also be lovely.

Hope to hear more from you. And Maurizio, for that matter.

Ingrid

Have to agree on the request for rain. Painfully dry up here in Northern CA.

Last year for Christmas I gave roses to my SIL and MIL. I picked the roses for them and sent them cards with pics and growing info of what they were receiving from Santa. If I received a gift certificate from Palatine or ARE for Christmas I would be utterly thrilled:)

Kate

I hope for ground I can grow in instead of containers. This is due to toxic rubble land fill.

And it may happen; the power company will give us notice in December as to whether they will claim our place under eminent domain laws.

Ingrid and Tosca: It's nice to know I was missed: thanks for the welcome back! I was in Florida for two months and went into hibernation as far as the forum was concerned. Failed to offer good wishes on a lot of birthdays, too. But I was present, though silent, and the garden is definitely still around, and growing. Well, sort of. We've gone over three months with about half of inch of rain in that period, and no rain in the forecast. The garden is still hanging on, and at least the temperatures are dropping. Lately we've been transplanting things. This is earlier than usual, but the plants are so dry and so miserable that I figure they'll probably gain from the transfer. I'm weeding and mulching, and staying in touch with a lot of Italian gardening enthusiasts, whom I would say are a relatively small but rapidly growing group in this country. The weather's pretty (though dry), and all in all I'm a pretty contented gardener.

Thonotorose: Your situation sounds grim. Good luck.

Melissa

hi, Melissa,

I got my present already, just in time for fall leaves. A used, 30 year old, MacKissic 12pt7 chipper shredder. New blades, homely, but beautiful in my eyes.

Nice to hear from you again; I hope everyone gets rain.

Gean

Felco #2

Randy

The large bag of Milky Spore, 50 ft of 8' wrought iron fencing (fake would be fine), someone to cut down and chop out roots of weed trees and six cryptomeria to replace them. Arbors and trellis are always welcome.

Rain. A year of normal rainfall, no JB's and no blackspot would be really nice. I would settle happily for just the rain and an end to drought :-)

Carol

I want a yard woman for a month. No, three months. ;)

Rain here, too.