Jim, I spelled GA wrong. It is spelled Grande Amore 2004. I left off the 'e' on the end of Grand. Mine was from Palatine orignally, but Pickering also sells it as Grande Amore, which is how HMF lists it also. If you're looking for another virtually disease immune HT, Kordes has another great variety called Eliza. It is a beautiful warm pink and is classified as an HT/Grandiflora and both Pickering and Palatine carry it. Like Grande Amore and Elina (Peaudouce in Palatine's list), Eliza also won an ADR award. It has been totally bullet-proof, but lacks fragrance.

I love seeing bird pictures from other areas of the country! Beautiful bird Edward. Yes Nancy, it was Davidson's picture of her intro out of STP that was drop dead gorgeous. I guess the mini spuf will be the wave of the future. Extra tissue on the petals - how about crossing spuf's with a Stamile mini double. Could be very interesting. We had a great mockingbird around here for 5 or 6 years. He would sit on all the structures and sing his heart out while I gardened. I would throw grubs out onto a pathway when I found them when digging, etc. As soon as I left the area, he would come in and get it. He always enticed a girlfriend to set up housekeeping with him and would raise two clutches of babies. Then it was fun to watch him run the babies off at the end of the season. It was his yard, with a big old holly tree he guarded for winter food. I was sitting on the deck one fall watching a baby mockingbird walk the garden looking for food. Of course he thought he was tough as daddy. As he was searching one day, a white moth flew up and he jumped a foot off the ground he was so scared by it. So much for tough. Sorry to say, two years ago something happened to his second clutch of eggs and he and wife left to raise another clutch off property. He never returned. Last year we had no singing to keep us company. This year, we have one on the perimeter of the yard and hope he adopts the yard as his own private domain to keep us company all year. It was a perfect spring day yesterday - mid 60's, sunny, very little wind. My idea of what a spring day should be, not in the 70's this early. I did actually plant a couple of things yesterday instead of just the dreaded weeding. I have a clump of variegated Solomon's Seal that was crowding some of my hosta so I divided that and moved it to the new shade area. This bed has an old tree row through the middle and because of the big roots, I put whiskey barrels with hosta weaving through the trees so I could utilize this unplantable area. The Solomon's Seal has tubers like an iris and they can't be planted very deep so I could plant the tubers between the trees and barrels. I also had a couple of self-seeded columbine that I moved to the area. It is nice to see something green, besides some weeds, in the new area. It wasn't much digging, but it did feel good. I hope all you allergy suffers are getting some relief. It's a shame spring brings misery to a great season. Hubby has fall allergies but by then gardening is winding down, not up. Today, more garlic harvesting and will probably start on the pond. Not my favorite chores but it will be warm enough to play in water. Right now, we only have a pump stirring the water, time to get the filters on and running. Brooke

If you raise them up on a couple sticks they will drain better. Wood decks won't stay wet either that way. Get air under that pot for better drainage, bottom or sides. The only advantage to side drains (for me) is that I can stick my finger in there to determine if the plant, although dry on the top inch or so around the crown, isn't still very wet at the bottom of the pot. Lotsa moisture sits at the bottom even on those side hole pots. Once you know what to look/feel for you will be able to figure out how often to water. I have killed many more plants with too much water, than not enough. -Babka

Looking for (75+) 25 gallon used/new planting pots. Live in Calipatria CA will pick up if not really far. Color or shape does not matter (just size/25 gallons) ***URGENT ~ NEED VERY SOON. I can be reached at: sassie.lassiekw@gmail.com