Hi folks Glad you find this list useful! I realize it's a bit of overkill of information when you might only be looking for suggestions for a few roses, but like Seil I enjoy comparing notes with others to see what survives (and decide if it's worth trying a rose that died one more time). And Jacqueline, the point for me in a list like this is to see what to grow to be as lazy as possible, since anything in my yard has to be hardy enough to thrive without spray or fussing. Enjoy the first rose season, Nummykitchen, and don't blame yourself if roses do die - I fear the HTs that have died in my yard may be as long as the ones that survived, but you never know till you try. Ispahan, glad to help and I hope this isn't too much info to process for what you'd asked about. Like you I spend a lot of time double checking information on HMF, but it's always nice to hear from someone in a similar zone with their experiences too. As for Black Lady, I dearly love that rose and it's tough as nails. It truly is that elusive burgundy dark red color all the time in my yard - no pinking out like some dark reds - and it's thoroughly hardy and disease free as far as my strains of blackspot go (we don't get mildew much here). It's one of only a handful of roses I have multiple plants of in different beds and it holds its own on a nicely compact plant of around 3' or less (both sites have some part sun). My only quibble would be the relatively small flowers compared to other HTs - no more than 2" across or less - maybe between an apricot and a plum size on a good day. I can't vouch for the fragrance with my nose, but I certainly don't detect much of a scent. Still, it's a good rebloomer and entirely trouble free from me. Tantau is another breeder I like a lot, though they do stretch into some roses that aren't good for my zone at times. Glad this is helpful and you're welcome to ask for more input on anything else I grow. Cynthia

Wow, thanks, everyone, for your ideas. I'm fairly new to roses, so most of the ones you named are unfamiliar. I am making my list for rose shopping next spring and I will certainly look for the ones you mentioned. aisgecko, 'Fairy' sounds like a real winner. I have a partly shady spot where I will try that one. Hadn't thought of putting a rose in that spot, but what a marvelous idea. Most of my garden area is full sun almost of the day. 'New Dawn' is one that I had considered, but it was gone when I went back to the nursery. Will try to catch it next year. carla17, how do you manage that many roses? You must prune all day! Those beetles are nasty, aren't they? They were all over my sunflowers last year, too! Wonder if sevin dust will help. I looked at the roses forum, but it was a bit over my head! Felt a little intimidated, but I suppose 'rookies' are accepted. Noisettes sound nice. I will 'google' to see what comes up or ask some of the 'rose forum' folks where to find them. YOu can see that I am pretty much hung up with J&P! alicia7b, 'Radiance' sounds like a good one...fragrance near the patio door is always welcome! I will certainly look that one up and see what color it is. Thanks for the great ideas. It's great to be back in the South with so many friendly helpful people!

Dear All, thank you very much for your suggestions and tips for growing drought resistant/tolerant vegetables and varieties. I am busy in reading all your posts and simultaneously taking notes on the varieties to order. Its looks i not have all those varieties recommended expect couple of tomatoes. I am going to look at my seed stock filled in 3 big storage boxes before I place order. Jay, Thanks for your suggestion on NuMex chillies. I am going to order couple of varieties, by the way which is your best flavored chilly? I too often see that doughnut hole around our property in radar. I hope growing condition will turn better for this year. I love see my garden looks like jungle! Last year was really bad tomato year, but we have good harvest in the fall from fourth of july and sweet million. I will look for those new tomatoes you and Dwan suggested in seeds catalog and online. I am growing only dixondale this year but I love to hear back from you on your new and drought resistant onions. Thanks for all those points, I still feel a newbie when I read post here, so much to learn! I will keep experimenting with new varieties and note down good performer every year and tally those with climate, I guess may need many year to chose best for my garden... long way to go. Dawn, Wow that is awesome list to try! Growing less water drinking vegetable is to cut down water bill while not sacrificing yield. I also learned that water use efficient (less water drinking) vegetables and/or varieties have more flavor and taste and high nutrient that their counter parts which consume more water. This I also noticed last year with eggplants and chilli. Paula's Mild Jalapeno which was grown under less-frequent-watered-bed has stronger flavor than one that grown in bed which received more water. I try short DTMs and start as early as possible. This is already pushing to start my starts this weekend. I need go thorough each and every variety your suggested. By the way, I have not much success with broccoli and cabbage in the last years. But I am trying again this year with some row cover to check my luck. I will check Willhite and SESE. Yep that is true, most herbs did pretty well last year. Fowler Bush Bean sounds good. Dawn, you are right, I almost forgotten about the wind and hail tolerant variates, you know how much garden trashed by wind and hail last year. Carol and Dorothy, Thank you, I am envy on your rainfall pattern. Even thought you may not be growing drought tolerant varieties, but you always very nice trips and tricks to deal with problems. Dorothy, I am glad to know new salad mix of violets, burnet and swisschard. Carol,I know guys love eggplants, I bought few new types of eggplants from India, please let me know if you want some seeds or I will grow few extra plants for you and share with you later. All these are Indian types (drought resistant), but not sure how they will do here in OK. George, I will try you Fowler Bush Bean as well as Woody Mountain Crazy Bean. How is their flavor of these beans in comparison to blue lake? Yes yard long are must to grow, we had great harvest last year with out much care or watering. Any good recommendation on yard long bean with respect to flavor and production? I glad to know you are belong to SSE We love yard long beans, Priya makes curry and subji with very tender long beans and they also great for still fry. By the way, is there any difference between yard long and asparagus been? By the we not have any problem with large animals but bugs, the only two bugs I am afraid of with are squash bugs and borers. Seedmama, Thanks for offer, if you have extra, I love to have some. Hmm Bean called "Tepary"? you know the meaning my village local slang for "Rough and Tough" Lets grow that one as well. Thanks again for all these wonderful suggestion tips. Cheers -Chandra

Hi y'all. Is today a flashback to 2011. That's how it feels. Just not fun today. I hope this is the worst of it. We had a heat index of 115. I saw that Okmulgee was heat index of 117 at one point. We still are at 102 heat index. 2011, right? Looks like rain/storms are heading for the metro, but mostly the northern part of it. More than likely we will not get any. I've come to expect that here. I have fans blowing into the 2 chicken nurseries and the main coop. I can't seem to get a good angle for the main coop. In other chicken news, Stormy laid an egg in her little chicken nursery brooder box. She was clucking and carrying on. She is ready to go back to the main coop...which is good, because last year she did not want to give up her babies. She finally went into the brooder box with the babies. The babies are so confused when their mothers are no longer interested in them. So...tomorrow I'll put Dolly and Stormy back with the main flock and put all the babies into the old coop/nursery. It's always so dramatic and I don't enjoy the process. However, I have 2 more broody hens. I'm hoping I can find some blue or green egg layer chicks at Atwoods to give to them. The garden...I didn't hang out there today. I had several other things to do. I did go to my neighbors' house around 7 am. They have a field behind them that has crazy amounts of wild blackberries. I didn't know that was back there. It's lovely. As a child I would have taken my dolls back there or read or whatever. It was so nice. As an adult, if it was behind my house, I would probably take a book and read. I only got 2 quarts of berries. She had picked it pretty good already. If I had a partner, I could have gotten more. Someone to use a cane or stick to pull down the branches while I pick. As it is, I got pretty torn up even though I wore long sleeves and gloves. I did pick the okra and water the back garden because it dries out so quickly. There's a ton more tomatoes and green beans too, I think. I just didn't get to them. Rebecca, sorry you're sick but glad your fever broke. Dawn, I hope you get to go plant shopping. And hope you're having fun with your little girls. Nancy, happy that you got rain! Larry, yes, we are insane. Amy, masks freak me out. I hate things on my face. I need to wear glasses, but they bother me so much, so don't. Even sunglasses drive me nuts. I had to wear a mask at WM in Norman the other day. It's like I can't function...can't find my debit card, can't work the CC machine. Can't bag my groceries at the self check out, drop stuff. I get why people wear them, though. But, we went to Moore to grocery shop today. They've gone back to one way in, one way out--but do not require masks yet. They probably will though, and I'll be the weirdo stumbling around into people because the mask throws me off in so many ways. And people are calling you out if you're going down the aisle the wrong way. It's all so disorienting...and people are scolding you on top of it. Moore WM was packed. I wonder if it's because people are refusing to shop in Norman.... I have work tomorrow. Start back to teaching class. Probably won't have many kids. Then canning more peas and possibly beans.