Now that's the kind of porn I can REALLY get excited about. It almost makes me want to buy a digital camera. Almost !! But then I think to myself, "Helen, you could sure use that money for a new rose bush or another shrub or some more flowers. Now I want raised beds. No, not the plain ones. I want the expensive fancy schmancy ones made of landscaping timbers !! LOL But I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed your porn show !! Keep em coming !! Helen

Thanks for sharing these! I am particularly jealous of fully blooming gallardia and those great "cherry brandy" rudbeckia. Gives me hope that mine will look like that some day - just WS this year and still toddlers (4-5 inches tall) I also loved the columbine in your Part 2. Which program are you using for uploading photos? I have to relearn how to do this and would love some advise...

Jim, you made such an excellent choice! I love your roses because they all are known to have amazing fragrance to them! I try so hard to get roses with fragrance, but not always do I luck out... Zyperiris, I would definitely get Gemini from Jackson & Perkins...You will have better luck with them having fragrance at J & P because not all Gemini have fragrance...I love the scent of mine (smells like honey and and peaches)...Advantages of Gemini are that they flourish and look beautiful even in 95-97 degree heat; they are rated exhibition form roses by the ARS and are highly resistant to diseases and are very vigorous! Fragrant Cloud makes...delicious rose petal jelly--haha! man, when I eat that stuff I feel like I'm eating plums, super-saturated kick-pow jam, it's got flavor intensity to the max. It's got a very strong nice perfume, but my favorite perfume will always be Mr. Lincoln. Disadvantage of Fragrant Cloud is that it is very, very difficult to color match whereas Gemini looks beautiful anywhere you plant it! Special Occasion is a very beautiful rose but!!!!!it's got a split personality. It has a classical very lovely shape from young to maturity blooms, but once it's past mature it becomes an antique Souvenir bloom (google search Souvenir de la Maison) and you'll know what I mean. If you don't like the curliness and petticoat shape of this type of antique rose, you may not like Special Occasion... You see Special Occasion is a long-lived blossom, it takes forever! for it to fade and thus it has a split personality-- a breathtaking classical hybrid tea, but once its past its mature bloom stage, it becomes a cute petite OGR. It is now currently sold by Vintage Gardens. Mine was supposed to be exceptionally fragrant, but in my opinion it is only medium in fragrance so far...Also with Special Occasion it is OUCH!if you pick it up by the blossom neck-it's like a bristle brush of very tiny miniscule thorns...

oldbat: they look great in person. It is really hard to capture the light they put off. My friend told me that she felt like she was sitting in a high end bar or restaurant when we were sitting at the island last week. They really create a warm lovely glow. They also are the only hanging lights in the entire room which is basically the house since it's open concept so it really defines the space. Here is a photo of them with a low light filter. I have a good bit of stuff to go. I have the butcher block at home but I haven't had the time or the muscle to move it yet. I also have some cabinets for above the big one and sink area. Glass needs to go into the uppers, etc etc.