Don't count your chickens yet! The long range forecast here is calling for mid 30's next week and I don't think your area will be any warmer. You may be safe to plant the cool season stuff though. I've had lettuce, artichokes and brassica's out for a month.

Our builder owns about 300 acres and likes the woody look on the lots, we actually signed an agreement not to cut within 75 feet of a house, but since, there is a river and a bog on that side of my lot, there really isnt any room over there to garden. I have been cutting the trees down , I thought about having them stumped as well.. but looked at prices last night, it might be over 3 grand, now im thinking about a stump grinder , but will see. I might ask the builder if he could come by and do it for free =) that sounds even better for me. I have a ton of oaks and northern firs, a few beech and white birch, probable have close to 4000 trees on this lot, Im cutting the trees down on my northern side, where my sun is best to make borders, then thinking about clearing right in front of the house all the way to our road, which is private, so I dont think it would matter. Rosepedal, I planted the brug crosses the other day, I started a cross last year, but it never bloomed, its actually sitting under the window at my office right now! Thanks again.

Yes, we pretty much all get volunteers that come up in the spring. But think about how many seeds are dropped to the ground compared to the few that actually sprout. I have tried to recover some varieties through use of seeds from fall frozen greenies or from mummies left over till spring and have not had any success. Freezing a seed before it is fully dry kills it because the process of freezing a moist seed ruptures the substance and structure therein. I suspect that the seeds that do volunteer in the spring might have fallen to the ground very early in the summer and then bake out to pretty dry before freezing in the late fall.

I wish I could advise you about a yellow climber/large bush, but I have no personal experience with such a rose to date. Two yellows that I have been eyeing for myself that have climbing potential and winter hardiness are the D. Austin roses Graham Thomas and Golden Celebration. Golden Celebration is reported to be very black spot prone though. I do spray faithfully, so this liability may be a non issue. GC's scent is supposed to be very good. I have smelled Graham Thomas and its scent is of sour, stale tea (the drink), to my nose. The reason for my responding to you here is to comment on my experience with Westerland. I planted two some years ago to cover a 15' section of 4' high fence. They grew very well for two years, but were surprisingly black spot prone. The flowers were not particularly attractive nor very fragrant, but I was content to give them a go with the hopes the scent and flowers would improve in time. They both died to the ground after their second year in my garden after a very mild winter! They were initially purchased as gallon own root roses. Needless to say what was left of them was dug out and discarded. Westerland was altogether a very unsatisfactory rose in my garden. I fell for all the favorable reports on it. So, in light of my experience you may conclude that yours was destined to become a disappointment even with the best of care as mine were.