Al, Thanks for the link. I'll read all of that when I have more time. I'm a slow reader to begin with, so you can imagine how long it would take me to read all of that...awhile, but I really look forward to learning about container gardening. I'm glad to hear that I can keep trees and other plants in containers indefinitely. About root-pruning skills...I guess I don't really have any, as I've never really had any need to prune roots. I've heard that in bonsai you prune roots, but I've never done bonsai, so I wouldn't know how they prune the roots, although I wouldn't mind doing at least one plant that way. I think just regular container gardening is all that I'm going to attempt for now (besides my regular outside gardening in the ground). I forgot to mention that I did have my hackberry outside in a one-gallon pot over the winter last year and it was fine in the spring. I put it next to the house and surrounded it with bags full of leaves for insulation. It sounds like I might not have to do that anymore since you said it would need minimal protection. I'm not getting it out from its nestled-in-again position now, but I mean for following winters I guess I wouldn't need to do that, right? I didn't exactly know what you meant though. That's good that myrtles can be kept in pots over the winter. Last year I didn't quite trust it outside over the winter so I brought it into our laundry room until it was warm enough to move the pot back outside. The plant is about 1-1/2 feet tall and in a 3-gallon pot. I wish I could leave it in that indefinitely. My problem with moving things is that I have a bad back and so once I have them in a pot (especially if I have to get pots that are bigger than 3 gallons...I can barely lift those with potting soil and a plant in them) I wish that I could keep them in a permanent location in that pot and not have to move them...or maybe that's asking for too much. Oh, and I don't know how long it takes myrtles to bloom, but the one that I brought inside last winter didn't bloom at all in the spring or summer. It's a little cooler in our house than it is in the rest of the house, but it's nowhere near like being outside; it's probably 55-60 there for the plants that I have there now. I started crepe myrtles from seed last year and want to plant them outside this year. I won't hold my breath for them to bloom this year though because they're inside like the bigger one was last winter (but now it's outside against the house and surrounded by leaves just like the hackberry and a few other plants are. I will also have to read up on how to prune myrtles. Wow, I have a lot of reading to do! I do want to learn how to do these things though. Cathy

crsliz, I think there are as many ways people store their Cannas as there are Cannas. I grow most of mine in pots and I bring the pots and all in to the basement after the frost takes the leaves down. I give the soil a good washing with the hose. The Temp in the basement is between 50 -60 degrees. There is very little light. I water my pots about a 8 oz glass of water once a month, Just enough so they do not dry out. They start to sprout in March and I usually can put a good size growing plant outside at the end of May. You have to experiment and see what works for you. I just do not have time to dig up plants so any tender plants I grow are grown in pots and are used on the Patio, and Deck.

Your enthusiasm is showing tmac! Congratulations on your pending little girl. You must grow Miss Rose Fletcher- a perfect delicate pink that would be wonderful for any girl, young or old. If I don't kill all the tubers, I'll gladly send you one next spring. Or how about Nanna's Kiss in honor of Grandma? Easy to grow, lots of flowers and fairly early, as I recall. Starting early in pots or flats is a great idea. I can't find any comprehensive guide to bloom time naming certain varieties and think it would be difficult to name such a time given garden conditions vary so widely, as does weather. But GENERALLY, the larger varieties such as Spartacus take longer to develop and bloom. I've also had large blooms show up in late July, so it varies considerably. Some dahlias are earlier, most take 70-80 days, from planting to first blooms out here. It is true that dahlias, hit their stride in August-September. If one gets a lucky extended summer, then you'll have flowers into October though the colors are different with fading hours of sun and the blooms slow done considerably. Still pretty though.

Cut them off now if desired, or wait until late winter, very early spring. If you don't like the looks, OK to cut them now. Try drying some and spraying them with floral paint spray. Lovely, and they last for ever. If the leaves have just started yellowing, I would not worry. Just fall coming on. If the leaves were yellowing early on it could be a sign of chlorosis, and you may need to make your soil more acidic, but if your flowers were green and healthy looking, and the leaves were fine up until just recently that is probably not the problem, and you shouldn't be concerned, just something to keep in mind. By the way, a friend just taught me if you cut the flowers when they are at their greenest, and spray them with hairspray they will last a long time in the vase in water.