Helen, thank you for your response. Yes, the landscapers most definitely were tired of digging and I can't say that we blame them. The whole crew worked their butts off for several days and didn't even take breaks between the time they started in the mornings to the time they left in the afternoon, even when we tried to serve them lunch. And the owner worked right beside them. Our front area was all mounded and the palms were planted in good soil which was brought in, with rock on top of that. However, because we have a pool in our back yard, we decided against mounding there as we worried that runoff during rains would end up in the pool. The ground here appears to be mostly rock, with a little bit of dirt mixed in. The crew was literally jackhammering the planting areas in back as well as the route the irrigation system was going to be laid in. I've worked with compacted clay soil hard as concrete but I've never seen anything like this. Gardening and landscaping here in this desert area is certainly not close to what I'm used to. I haven't yet decided what I'm going to do with the exposed roots of these palms in the back yard. But we are planning on visiting a couple nursuries tomorrow and ask their opinion. As of right now I'm leaning towards top soil with the cedar on top of that. Thank you again! Jenna

Mine is already about 3' high and flowering now, but with only one cane, which is the thickest cane I've ever seen on a begonia, about two of my thumbs thick at the base, smaller the higher it goes. I started this from a leaf taken off a shrub 6-8' high. I don't know when it will send up another cane, it's just one at the moment. I started some leaves for the tampa swap if anyone's interested. Lori

ok, my pkg came in, it's SO AWESOME!!!! i got gloves withe the rubber thingi on the bottom (yay) and they fit a little loose, so i have moving room!! plum trees lily of the valleys-white caladiums sweet williams gee i knew i'd forget, varigated hosta unkown plant but its a beauty black raspberry and if i forgot any, she could tell ya, oh my vic! thank you so very much!! i can't wait till them tree's get taller!! then them kids can play in them like i did when i was little, that would be so fun!! i loved them all!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! i planted yesterday in our slow soft rain we've been having for like 3 day's now. but my flower beds are filling up with water! i hope my seeds don't go down hill!! it says your supposed to dig them up, but i never knew that til later, but i live in zone 5 and mine came back and i don't mulch. YET!!! it's on my list of do's when my beds get their flowers how i want them. LOL yesterday i went creek digging and found a beautiful purplish looking flower almost like a monarda or something and monarchs were all over them, so i brought a few home, i love butterfly's!!i'm taking my gloves next time, i found some wild strawberry's, i love wild stuff!! hey hazel can't wait, you been yammerin on forever about this, so we've been sitting on pins and needles waiting now get on with it!! LOL na, i'm just feeling spunky for a bit today, LOL first time in a while, LOL i just found out we won't be losing out on the rest of our grant afterall!! we can use it in appliances and stuff. cool!! in 3 more years i'm gonna be very picky!! and not choose any fast talking contractor!! LOL i hope everyone has a great day!! and vela, don't worry!! you had them for a while!! and ya always have the pics!! LOL

I have Twilight Zone, but own root from Chamblees. It is normally purple. Mine doesn't seem to look hot pink. Anyway Kublan- you must have missed one :) because I just picked up my order from Pop's and I found my Distant Drums. Ooooh and I'm glad you did cause its a beauty. My car smelled so good by the time I got him home. I picked up my friend's order as well. I thought all of our bushes looked really nice and healthy. Thanks so much for letting us know about the nursery. For those of you interested in Secret - or anything that was missing from this shippment, the girl told me that they are going to get another shipment probably Late Nov. or early December. You may want to call and see if she thought they would get it in by then. Again, Thanks. I love my new roses.