Supposedly, if you get them planted out early enough, some Foxgloves will send up a flower stalk or two in the fall. I WS'd the plain old Digitalis purpurea, which is the biennial Foxglove. Planted out 8 or 9 little seedlings in the Spring, they grew very fast and became huge clumps by the Fall. But none of them made any flowers. Can't wait to see what they look like in June! The Lupines that reseeded in the garden last year didn't bloom, they have always acted like biennials. Perhaps some of the perennial Digitalis and Poppies will bloom? And annual poppies will most definitely bloom.

I don't remember what kind these are. They were, for the most part, covered well with oak leaves over the winter. There are some discolored areas on the leaves touching the ground but these are very strong, healthy plants! They never died back during the winter. Maybe I'll divide the clump of 4 and leave the clumps of 2 alone. I can see if it effects blooming. I did notice that I've got more smaller clumps happening in the flower beds also. When I ws'd them, I did an entire tray and had seedlings everywhere. I don't remember where I put them. Maybe I'm on my way to a "cottage" garden this year! Thanks for all your advice!! LC Grace

Tiffy, my foxglove have stayed green all winter since the first seedlings went in the ground 3 years ago. They get buried in snow, get hit with a few nights of below zero temps as well as teens and single numbers without any snow cover. I can tell you this though. There is nothing prettier than seeing the snow begin to melt at the base of the foundation of the house and presto, last years green leaves of the foxglove are right there saying "hello, can you move this snow faster, melt it faster, warm up the temps already. Time to grow some new leaves, a bunch of stems and get those buds and blooms going already." Even if we get hit with more snow, it's a pleasure to walk on the front door and see that green there and now that those plants will keep on growing and keep on blooming year after year after year. I have no idea what kind they are. I got the seeds in a trade several years ago and where labeled "foxglove cream and pink mix". Apparently the seeds where either labeled with the wrong color or a hybrid and it does not come true to the parent plant. Either way, I love the colors I have. Next spring there will be a foundation of the house hidden by the blooms of at least 15 foxglove blooming. I've never dead headed them before. First year I had no blooms or stems from the seedlings, second year each had one stem. This past spring into early summer, each one had 3 stems and all of a sudden 2 more stems popped out of the plants and bloomed with a smaller show. that was a surprise. Blooming in November? Has it been really warm this fall for you? I've never seen that either? Fran

Your roses will be "bald" for a little while, until they put out new growth, which they will. I would not use nail polish to seal the cuts. I'm not sure if it might be toxic to the plant and cause some die back. If you want to seal the cuts, just drip candle wax on them when the sun isn't shining on the stems. Any time the sun shines on them, the sap flows stronger. If you can seal them when they are shaded and the temps cooler, the sap isn't flowing as strongly and they will seal faster and easier. When I cut the root stocks back on my newly budded plants this summer, I had some "bleeding" issues. I tried Elmer's Glue, which is water soluble and non toxic, but the sap flowed too strongly and washed the glue off. If yours aren't flowing that strongly, Elmer's might suffice. If it doesn't, then candle wax works perfectly. It isn't so hot it burns or kills the tissues and it is non toxic. Sealing the cuts to prevent any sap loss (bleeding), helps push new growth faster due to the higher sap pressure. The Old Garden Rose types you should probably look at for your climate are Teas, Chinas, perhaps Noisettes, as they are more "tropical" than HTs and floribundas. I don't know what the issues might be bringing them into Hawaii, but if you can find growers who are willing to ship there and the transportation costs aren't outrageous, you might find them suited to the climate and enjoy their looks and performance in your garden. Good luck! Kim