reslider, Your link doesn't work for me. I always test links in this forum's "Preview Message" before doing a "Submit Message". It would be better if we continued this dialog over in the current part of this message thread, because this part has become long and slow to load. You can "wade through" this message thread by going to the Part 2 link that I gave above, and then continue following the links until you get to the bottom of Part 5, or you can now just skip to It can be fun to bred your own zinnias - Part 5. But, reslider, please let's not continue here. This part is too old and too long. See you over in Part 5. Just click on the underlined Part 5 link I gave above. And, if you have the patience, just read Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4, but please don't post messages in them. Post your next message in Part 5. Incidentally, we probably will be opening up a Part 6 in a day or two, because Part 5 is also getting long and unwieldy. MM

Jana, thanks for the info on Tantau's Nostalgic series. I'll take a look at Piano. I actually also got a Chippendale this spring, and mine has not bloomed yet either, so I guess we can compare notes later this year. I also remember looking at Heidi Klum, so any more info and pics on yours will certainly be appreciated. Princess Alexandra of Kent is not that vivid, but of a deeper pink with a very distinct smoky salmon tint, quite nice actually. Lots of petals in nice formation, it looks superb when it slowly unfolds. It lasts quite well on the bush and in the vase too. I really like its scent, old rose with tea, I'd say. Young Lycidas is of a very vivid color, but I'd put him more into the purple-cerise group. Toward the end his huge blooms fade into a nice soft mauve. And the fragrance is really superb. Claire Austin, now that's a very very vigorous, extremely healthy rose (basically no BS in my no-spray garden), and a very good bloomer too so far. Looks like it wants to be a climber. Its flowers open light lemon fading to white or cream white, with a complex myrrhy scent, not too bad. It blooms in clusters and the blooms are very cup shaped. It's pretty, but I think it just looks a little pale somehow, perhaps because it doesn't quite have the radiant quality of say, Margaret Merrill or even Fair Bianca, and the blooms tend to not quite fully open, staying cupped pretty much until the petals drop. Currently, mine is a tall arching shrub (in its second year with me), but I think it'll look better with some support as a climber, perhaps next to a dark red rose like WS2K. Anyway, so far it has proven to be an excellent garden rose, so I can certainly recommend it. Roselovr, sounds all very good, especially if you're already familiar and comfortable with Nikon and perhaps own some Nikon glass already - did you get the D5000? We'd certainly love to see some pictures! Andrea

Some brides are interested in growing their wedding flowers. Some purchase flowers from a flower farm and do their own arranging. Some prefer to have a flower farm do the arrangements. And, many purchase from a florist who is supplied by local flower farms. Wildflowers are perennial plants. Seeds for these are planted in the fall. Some of the wildflowers featured in the link to wildflowers in Upstate New York are either considered invasive or protected. One example: Loosetrife. Many are in bloom well before Labor Day. I'm going to assume you are interested in the wildflower look as opposed to actual wildflowers. Some brides feel zinnias, scabiosa, rudbeckia, daisies, larkspur and foxglove fall into this category. The seeds for these are available from Johnny Seeds in Maine. One can order online or from the catalog. The catalog contains helpful information as far as planting and spacing. If you need flowers to supplement yours, a flower farm sells blooms by the stem at the Dupont Square Market in Washington D.C. Wishing you all the best. Here is a link that might be useful: Wildflowers in Upstate New York

A lot of these questions were answered in this recent post... See bottom link. In very hot and humid locales, dahlias tend to slow down blooming until it gets cooler. I would be concerned that, if you are starting with an unsprouted tuber end of May, and might have a very hot spell that slows down the plant as well, you would not hit your special date. With that said, TRY ANYWAY! You'll have a blast, as long as you have a backup plan and the stress is off! I would suggest calling Swan Island and talking to them about your concerns and desires. They know their varieties inside and out, as dahlias is ALL they grow, and will give great suggestions about which ones to choose, as well as how to grow them in a booklet they send out with your order. They also ship blooms all over the US, incidentally. Hope this helps, and have fun in your wedding planning! Cheers, CC Here is a link that might be useful: Wedding flowers