Ash Wednesday was fairly strong growing for me. It simply didn't flower much in my mid desert garden, which shouldn't have surprised me. It is bred from Eglanteria lineage and in general, those genes were never very happy in that environment. No matter how much I lusted after them, nor how Herculean my efforts to appease them. It remained healthy and grew, it was just quite skimpy with any floral rewards for my efforts and expenditures. It may well do much better for you as your heat is quite different and you have water, in comparison to here. Watch for a real tan flower on your Cafe Ole plant. The lavender is the original version, Winter Magic. The tannish (instead of lavender) flowers are Cafe Ole. It's another of those really irritating mutations which sports back and forth serendipitously. One bloom, it's lavender; the next, tan. Oh,well, not that huge an issue for you as they're both exotic and seductive and both appear on the same basic plant with the same excellent scent. It's just a headache for the poor nurseryman who tries in vain to provide the right rose for the right name, but Nature continues poking sticks in the spokes. Good luck with Tom Brown! Mine limps along, teasing me with the "threat" of producing something I can actually BUD, but, ever the tease, never actually "putting out." Kim

Thanks for leading off with the good wishes, Jeri! And from me too, merry Christmas, or happy holidays as the case may be, to all the people on the forum. I love this place and feel at home here. For all of us I wish many happy hours among our plants, and a year well spent in 2012! Melissa

Mele Kalikimaka Jeri! and Blessings on this Winter Solstice day to gardeners everywhere. For all of you-the lyrics to my favorite song of the season: And you ask me what I want this year And I try to make this kind and clear Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days Cuz I don't need boxes wrapped in strings And desire and love and empty things Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days So take these words And sing out loud Cuz everyone is forgiven now Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again And it's someplace simple where we could live And something only you can give And thats faith and trust and peace while we're alive And the one poor child that saved this world And there's 10 million more who probably could If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them So take these words And sing out loud Cuz everyone is forgiven now Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again I wish everyone was loved tonight And somehow stop this endless fight Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days So take these words And sing out loud Cuz everyone is forgiven now Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again Cuz tonight's the night the world begins again - GOO GOO DOLLS Better Days

Coll, I think your garden is just stunning! You mention the garden is fairly small, and you have about 125 hostas, and also that you have a bathroom area for your dogs. How big is your yard and garden, actually? I posted some photos of some of my hostas the other day, and am going to add a couple of wider angle photos to show how the yard sits (size, arrangement, etc). Would you maybe be able to do the same? I'd love to see the total overall effect. You said that in the photos you put up, we just couldn't see the weeds, failures, etc, and I have to admit that I tried to avoid those in my first photos as well, but I'm going to go for it and lay the whole thing out there for all to see! LOL! I'm hoping you'll do the same :-)