Born and raised in northern IL, currently residing in central IL... we did pick up one gardening zone moving south a bit. I'd give anything to live in central coastal Cali, but I'd never get my husband to agree to moving. He claims to like the winters, and does have a good reason... the cold kills off a lot of bad things, and keeps nature genetically strong. I'll buy that, but I still don't enjoy the bone-chilling cold! I get chilled in fall and don't thaw until spring! And the older I get, the more the cold bothers me physically... I'm old enough to dislike winter! The only way we'd ever move to warmer climes would be if our children moved their families there first... only then would my husband agree to a move. So, it looks like I'm stuck gardening in IL... where I must emulate a warm climate to grow orchids and other tropicals, dragging them out for summer and back in for winter... but I do get to enjoy lilacs, peonies, tulips and other bulbs and plants that are deciduous or require a chill in order to bloom. I guess it's not so bad... we have white Christmases, germ killing cold, and can enjoy plants that need the lower temps... and summer brings all the warmth and humidity that makes the garden bloom so beautifully... It may make orchid growing a challenge... but real gardeners aren't afraid of a challenge, and in fact, we welcome the chance to prove our prowess! What the hey, my Epi is still alive... I must be doing something right! :-)

@lou_midlothian_tx: I took a casual look into the work you introduced that SFA is doing with Cypress hybrids. A theory mentioned on at least one of the related websites is that the differences between central Texas Bald Cypress and those further east (alkaline tolerance, fewer knees, etc) can be explained by natural (and ancient) cross-breeding in the Bald/Montezuma border region... Texas BC have more MC-like characteristics. Interesting stuff - thanks for mentioning it. Webworms/bagworms show up in the local fruitless mulberry and pecans every few years. Imagine they'd be in the BC too if there were any planted nearby. Fortunately we seem to have predators (birds, wasps, fire ants,...?) that take care of them if the bags are torn open with a pole saw early enough. What I've learned is that I'm looking for Texas BC or BC/MC hybrid with a mature crown spread of ~25ft or less... in other words, a cultivar that does not yet exist. Though photos of a mature Nanjing Beauty hybrid in China show a pretty narrow spread that MBG specs at 20-30ft. The space is tight, but may be able to adjust location if I can remove a large stump to get an additional 5ft or so - besides, any eventual crowding is unlikely to become an issue during my lifetime :-) Losing the early fall color seems like a fair trade for better alkaline tolerance, no risk of knees in the lawn, and faster growth rate. Thanks again for all the advice on this. Here is a link that might be useful: Taxodium 'Zhongshansa' NANJING BEAUTY

What really grates on my last nerve so often here is reading "My husband will only 'ALLOW' green paint and I hate green but every room HAS to be one shade of green he likes" or "My husband won't 'ALLOW' anything but white sheets". Allow? How and why do women live like this in 2012? I can tell you my take on this, based upon my own experience. I was married for 15 years to a man who initially was agreeable and, like me in my early/mid 20s (when we met), still finding his way in the world. By the time we were both close to 40, he had morphed into -- well, I hesitate to say a monster -- but an extremely controlling individual who didn't care one whit for my thoughts or opinion. What I wanted simply didn't matter. He made it abundantly clear that because he brought home a significant amount of money, he was calling all the shots. I remember longing for a certain flooring in the house that we were building. He adamantly and steadfastly refused, and for no other real "reason" than it wasn't his preference - or idea. There was no reasoned discussion or compromise. Not ever. It was his way or the highway. As far as "allowing" this to happen - well, sometimes women just do, because the only alternative is to get the hell out. And sometimes we just aren't quite ready to make that move yet. I did make the move, however, and even 10 years down the road and in a new, completely different kind of relationship now, I still have moments where I revel in the liberation of not being under my ex's thumb. My wonderful DH is a sweetheart with an excellent eye for color. My only complaint about him is that, while he stands back and graciously accepts my decorating choices, he is very particular about "his stuff" -- almost to the point of being OCD at times. A stack of magazines that's been there forever? Don't touch them. He does the grocery shopping and the cooking. I can't tell you how many times there has been a recipe that he intends to make at some point during the week, but all of the ingredients have to stay out in plain sight -- or it's like he fears that he'll forget what he has planned to do. Same with grocery coupons. They can't be kept in the coupon organizer or in the drawer. He worries he'll forget about them. This behavior occasionally drives me a bit batty, but in the overall scheme of things, it's still a very small price to pay to live with a man who treats me like my opinions do matter.

I love when I have driven the CRV that a parent drives, its a wonderful vehicle, its old though from 1995 and so don't know what the up to date ones are like to drive and insides of it. My brother got a toyota rav4; love riding in it in the back seat, so comfortable and fancy everything they go in it, the new keyless, the dual heat/air conditioning which again is so awesome so driver and passenger the temepratures they want on them. My brother splurged since he drove through the mountains and one area he couldn't hear the radio and so got the satellite radio put in and wow, you can hear really great stations on it. Its way too small I feel for them right now as they go skiing themselves and sons and their bikes they have too as they bring them out to where they have a condo. And too fancy I felt for what they have used their huge vehicle they had before. I have sat in the back of the cvr and found it find but the only complaint for me is all vehicles the seat belts in the back seats strangle me and tighten and you can't loosen it up in the back seats. I hope those that are talking vehicles do try them all out. I did when I went looking for vehicle in 2010 and I wanted one that I could see when driving as they make dashboards, etc. too high for men and not thinking of women driving. Same with seat belts too, can they be moved down to women height to use. How is the highway noise and can you hear yourselves talking or the radio on? And if you live in a really hot temperatures, then make sure you get the right air conditioning as the bigger vehicles like those you really get good air but the smaller ones like mine, ou don't get it as much. Same with heat, if you live in cold temperatures, make sure too that you check that out. Check the windows as I don't like the back windows in like the subaru forester my dad has as it would come down a bit and so sitting in the back you couldn't get them down like you wanted too. How is the visiblity, if you struggle backing up due to not seeing well if you are short then go to a parking lot when test driving it and back up and see how it works for you. Also are the mirrors good too for bakcin up and using for yourself? What things come with that type of vehicle and do you like it all? I checked for like where can you put things you need in the car, what size is the back trunk area and what do you put and carry, what things do you buy and need space to buy and carry it and bring it home. does it fit your parking that you will park it in, also how easy is it to park it in parking lots as the spaces got smaller to park in then back out of them. How easy it is to turn it around corners,etc. Also where they put the automatic too, on the crv 1995 its way up at the steering wheel and the subaru forestor my dads has it down and mine is at an angle. Check too the pedals as soo many are as they age not stepping on the right pedal, gas instead of brake so check them all out, how fast can you stop it? I found with my many vehicles I wanted to find I didn't have alot of those problems anymore. My one frustration with new ones is the back windows are dinky size, not the nice big ones they used to have so I have to use mirrors and turn and watch and its hard these days due people walking everywhere and behind you and vehicles too and so its alot to watch. Can you safely reach knobs that you must while driving and not stray you from watching the road?????? How do things work, make sure they show you if you aren't sure, don't go home and go, ummm, I can do this but can't. Don't be afraid to keep coming back and trying things out, I did with my matrix. Also asked about this and that too. One guy told me he would throw in the liner in the back trunk area but the guy that sold it to us didn't, said now when he asked someone. Also I consider waiting if your old vehicle is still good to drive and get the colour and seats in it that you want if you drive it until its done for like 10 years. And take care of it too, so many do not but if you take it in regularly and get the work done and check ups, your car will last long time for you. Only you will know what fits well with your life style and if you drive lots and long distances you do what something that is comfortable both back and front seats plus good trunk space too. There isn't anything worse then sitting in the back and the driver doesn't and its so uncomfortable back there.