I'll back up pineresin on this; snaxs's cladogram does not say the same thing as the TOL cladogram. The two trees are not the same, with one showing a lack of resolution (trichotomy) where the other shows resolution (dichotomy). Again, little point in arguing with somebody who keeps insisting they can read a cladogram when they apparently can't. Meanwhile I'm still trying to figure out what that blinking "Resin's water lilies" refers to.

I agree Ken. I am not as by the book as I always say. Believe me. I think pruning in this 'style' which is simply 'pruning' is very worthwhile. I'm straight... Fredsbog, I'm examining a new book for me called 'Conifer Cold Hardiness' and the basic overall synopsis is that tissue of buds and wood needs to be hardened off before it is subjected to "winter winds." Furthermore, a chart is listed for cold hardiness and Sequoiadendron giganteum falls into a maximum threshold of -4 F or -20 C (USDA Zone 7) for this particular Genus. This book will help me to elminate the barbaric USDA zonal system. I already have in my hands and from Stanley and Sons (2) Sequoiadendron cultivars which they call 'zone 5' and I'm going to try them out here myself, but this doesn't look very promising according to this literature. At best, these babies need a lot of protection. I still have a lot to read yet, but here are notes and a conclusion from this book: "Conifers exist in a wide range of climatic zones with the highest number of species being found in temperate zones. Some coiferous families (Pinaceae, Cupressaceae, Taxaceae) are distributed over a wide range of climatic zones, whereas others (Cephalotaxaceae, Arauariaceae, Podocarpacae) are absent from colder zones. Southern Hemisphere conifers inhabit only the warmest climatic zones and their measured maximum from resistances are less than those of species from the equivalent zones in the Norther Hemisphere. Laboratory-determined maximum frost resistances of hardened cut shoots and leaves of conifers are strongly correlated with their climatic zones of origin, but their measured resistances exceed the air temperature limits of their climatic zones. Conifers from the coldest climatic zones tend to have buds with frost resistances that are equal or less than those of their leaves, whereas conifers from warmer climatic zones tend to have buds with frost resistances that are equal or greater than those of their leaves. Factors other than the maximum frost resistance of conifers should be examined to obtain a fuller understanding of conifer distribution." So origin as well as "meaured resistances" can further play into account, a tree that is supposedly a "strict" (USDA zone 7) with varying hardiness. Thus taking into account "latitude and altitude". This book furhtermore says: "(This chapter) has concentrated on the association of maximum frost resistance, trypically of ellaves and shoots of trees, with climatic zone and shown that the two are well correlated. Consequently, trees are unlikely to be damaged in winter and will be most susceptible to damage by unseasonal frosts in autumn (when the plants are hardening), spring (when the plants are (dehardening) and summer (when frost resistance is minimal). Frost resistance varies with both age and developmental stage so that seedlings and newly formed tissues are frequently less froost hardy than trees and hardened tissues. Seasonal hardening of tissues is associated with marked changes in frost resistance (e.g. Repo 1992; Sutinen et al. 1992). Shortening photoperiods and lowered temperatures are associated with increased frost resistance (e.g. Greer and Warrington 1982) while lengthening photoperiods and, in particular, warmer temperatures cause rapid dehardeining (e.g. Greer and Stanley 1985; leinonen et al. 1997). Distributional limits may not be set by the frost resistance of leaves and buds but by the effects of temperature, and other factors, on reproductive structures and their ability to set see, and upon the survival and maturation of seedlings. A fuller understanding of the distributional limits of conifers would need to consider such factors in greater detail." Conifer Cold Hardiness; Francine J. Bigras and Stephen J. Colombo (Eds.). ISBN: 0-7923-6636-0; 2001 Kluwer Academic Pulishers, Netherlands. Dax

I'm new to Florida and gardening (officially 1yr now). I have some purple heirloom tomatos that I planted too late, thinking 2011/12's "winter" (unusually warm) was the Florida norm. Well this year is a different story but amazingly these babies are still producing! I did lose a couple of the strugling ones to frost but all of them had fruit on them before perishing. Oddly enough, the thriving, surviving ones are not the ones getting the most sunlight. In fact, you can tell that they were planted by a rookie..too close together, improperly supported, planted at the most shaded end of the garden bed. I did cover them on cold days & nights with the green tarp from Home Depot and less than 5% of foliage has been lost to frost. They're all with thick foliage and blossoming regularly. Photos later!

You're all very kind! 'Empowerment' was one of my very first hybridizations way back in the 1980's and the original bush still remains vigorous. The rose has always been a highlight of my summer with those lovely and lasting blooms. I was surprised and thrilled to have seen a few nice bushy specimens at Store Store and almost had purchased one for myself, but honestly that just felt strange paying for my own rose, lol. It has superior bloom quality to 'Winnipeg Parks' and puts on a display that makes one stop and stand there admiring ... though, 'Winnipeg Parks' has near continuous repeat, wish I could say the same for mine, both roses having merit, Although, it tempting to leave as much live wood as possible on this rose, I do stress it really does appreciate a severe spring cut back to just a few inches above the ground to encourage fewer and stronger shoots to carry the mass of blooms. One year I hadn't pruned as such and it became a mass of smaller finer stems and the display just did not WOW as usual. I'd also recommend a tomato cage for support. Although, in it's 30 years or so, it has seen winters with scant snow, it has not been trialed under completely snowless conditions, so I do think best to plant 3 inches of the stem below ground just for good measure! Good, bad or ugly, I'd later appreciate others comments, I won't take it personally for the genetic roll of the dice the rose was granted. Kelly, if by chance you're in a humid region, I can't promise of it's health, while it has remained spotless in my yard with high disease pressure, it did not perform as well in Ontario's humidity, so it's being released as a regional rose. Prairie_northrose ... yes, Bylands is the propagator of the rose. Unfortunately, despite my desire to forge forward and again pick up speed with hybridization, this year will again be very lean in that aspect, this yard is just too large and high maintenance to allow me to get on top of things and place more emphasis on what I wish. This lovely rose seedling I had unfortunately lost ... though, I still have both parents, so I must attempt to redo the cross! PNR, please be sure to post photos this summer of your rose breeding efforts, we're going in different directions and it's fun to see the results! :)