Like most folks on this thread, I'll have to echo that teas (something separate from Hybrid Teas of course) don't necessarily thrive the further you get from zone 7. It's like anything else - you have to pick and choose among teas, and even then it may depend on local conditions like catsrose says from zone 6. I have had Madame Alfred Carriere for many years, and have planted some other noisettes or tea-noisettes recently (Blush Noisette comes to mind), and so far they've survived fine but are not cane hardy. The problem is that these seem to only bloom on old wood, so while MAC has absolutely massive healthy canes trying to eat my house every year, I've only had one year of bloom out of them in the past 6 years (a very mild winter where most roses had surviving cane). The same goes for many of my Bourbons and Hybrid Perpetuals, including Mme. Isaac Periere. As for teas, I've got some 6-7 year old ones that do fine for me and a few new ones planted. Some teas have died a miserable death (Monsieur Tillier comes to mind) and all of these are in a virtual zone 6 side of my house. The longest surviving ones are Mme. Antoine Mari, Mrs. BR Cant, Maman Cochet, and Duchesse de Brabant. Georgetown Tea was also good until it succumbed to user error. I wouldn't say any of these thrive in the ways expected for warm zone teas, but they make nice modest sized blooming bushes and recover reasonably well from being pruned to the ground even after all the protection I can give them. Bottom line is that zones 7 and to some extent 6 are probably the limits of where teas are likely to survive long-term, but they do need summer heat (we have plenty of that), rather than murky summer gloom like some regions can experience. I'm a bit of an anomaly in zone 5 and I'm fully aware that I'm zone pushing the teas. Nothing like a challenge though. Cynthia

garliclady - thanks for the information on the varieties that work for you. I ordered a one pound sampler from Charley's Farm. It arrived today, and the garlics are beautiful. I got: Asian Tempest, Gigantus (Rocambole), Chesnok Red, Polish Hardneck, Early Red Italian, Thermadrome and Silver White. All in all, I am very pleased with the good variety they sent, and I have taken one clove of each to taste. So far, I am much impressed!! :) The bulbs are all fresh and large. I have sent an inquiry to a grower for some Music if they have any left....I really would like some good large true garlic. I also have about a dozen huge cloves of elephant garlic that I grew myself, which I will plant next month, but I'd really like at least that much more of it. Trouble is, it's so darn expensive. What I grew was from an organic clove I bought at the grocery store. If you should happen to find out when the garlic festival in MD will be, and where, please do let me know. Thanks so much

Hello, Just wanted to butt in and say that I have plenty of seeds for the orange milkweed or butterflyweed, and I have lots of seed pods forming as we speak. I also have many volunteer baby Rue plants that could probably be mailed in a pinch. I haven't checked for seeds of the Rue, because I have so much already growing. Unfortunately, I have yet to see any Giant Swallowtail action, despite having every host plant it is known to frequent. I also have seeds for two other varieties of milkweed, A. incarnata (swamp) and one called "Red" by Seed Saver's Exchange. If you're looking for seeds, try the wintersowing forum--also an excellent way to get multiple plants started inexpensively and very reliably. I could certainly send you a care package to get you started. Let me know. Martha

One of the problems of the area that jumps out at me is all the blank wall space on your neighbor's house. It's a primary view that a tree would take care of. On your own house facing the street is some of the same, so another tree is in order. Insofar as giving a sense of privacy while not enclosing, I would suggest a spaced series of small, multi-trunk trees -- like crape myrtle -- that insulate from view anyone who is a distance away on the street while it allows you to see what's close. If you spend some time developing a good trunk arrangement, you'll get more screening (like a visual filter) out of the trees as the trunks develop. To develop the privacy even more and get a sense of protection, place a bed of groundcover below the multi-trunk trees. It should a height that allow your view to easily continue above them. You'll be viewing below the tree canopy and in order to do that, it should start at about 9' or 10' off of the ground. (I pollard crapes to 10' every year.)