Hi Mnkitty! Sam Kedem is from Israel. I asked him one time and he made me guess. I grow Reine des Violettes and Tradescant, among others. I don't do the Minnesota tip on any of them. Professor Roush is right--whether you bother with it or not depends on how much of the rose you want to survive. Most of the once-bloomers are quite hardy and don't need tipping anyway in our zone. I dump some leaves around the base of each one in fall if I get around to it. Austin roses, Bucks, HTs and Floribundas need a little more mulching to protect as much cane as possible. Don't remove the mulch until late April or so, when the leaves start to come out. Using fall leaves to mulch is easier than the Minnesota Tip but your roses stay shorter. Purple roses--I grow the Gallica 'Ombree Parfaite' and the HP 'Reine des Violettes' and they both do fine. 'Ombree Parfaite' makes a really attractive leafy shrub. I got mine from Pickering in Canada. I used to have the Floribunda 'Ebb Tide' and liked it a lot. It needs a good blanket of mulch/leaves, though, to make it through the winter. I gave it to a friend who loves purple roses, and she didn't protect it, so it died. Of course the hardiest, most fragrant and easiest roses for Minnesotans are the Rugosas. I have a lot of them, but no purple ones; I have Roseraie de l'Hay, which is sort of a crimson-purple, and wonderfully fragrant. There is also one called Purple Pavement you might check out (I don't have that one). I also grow 'Ann Endt'--very hardy and healthy shrub, very purple single flower. Good luck!

Also considering having some work done. I have found some business cards posted to a local nursery. I also came across a list of landscapers who use organic methods. I am working through that list now. The costs are pretty steep. How do you know if you are paying the right amount of money? People I have talked to are charging anywhere from $25. an hr to $45. an hr from a master gardener with experience. The $45. hr person works with a second person and charges $45. for the second person too. 4 hr minimum and he charges you $45. to come out and talk to you, that is refundable if you hire him. I have no idea what his work looks like. He talks a good game which always makes me a little leary. So that is $360. for 4 hrs of work?!! That is like a week's work for some people. Does that seem unreasonable to anyone else? I also put a call in to a local tech high school and asked if they could post my job info. They actually told me that those in the horticultural program there, have their own businesses and they would pass my info along!! I was quite surprised by that. pm2

Iknow we have a cruel winter. All my warm weather loving trees like Figs, Jasmin even Banana (I don't know how successful I will grow banana in my weather) All are planted in pots with potting soil of a mix of perlite, Humus and garden soil. I make several holes in the side of the pots and block the bottom drainage then I plant the pots to about half or two thirds in the Garden. Roots amazingly find its way from the holes to the garden soil. Comes the winter I dig the pots out and take them inside the garage and the basement with temperature 50-60. I am very happy and successful growing Figs and rose Jasmin that way. In season I eat lots of sweet delicious Figs. I grow the Figs and the rose Jasmin that way. I never grew Duke of Tuscany. This is first time. I will grow it that way and I hope it works. As for Banana I think it is a very long shot. By the way I block the button drainage of the pots because if I allow the roots to go through it I will need Popeye muscles to pull the pots out in winter.

I just looked up 'Fat Cat' in the hosta library. Wow, no wonder you are giving it room; It's a big, beautiful monster, isn't it?! Great choices you've made. I got 'Dark Shadows' earlier this season from Hallson Gardens as a bonus plant, and it's grown quite vigorously in just a few months. I wasn't really familiar with it; Well, I am now and I love it. 'Tokudama Flavocircinalis' I don't have, but I've seen many pics of healthy, gorgeous specimens posted by forum members. Again, Enjoy! And yes, please post pics at your earliest convenience. Regards, Don B.