Stanofh, I think those Jacarandas are at the intersection of Almaden Expressway and Santa Clara Street. That's a street over to the west from the entrance to San Pedro Square. There are about 5 young trees there, right in front of the old De Anza Hotel. But maybe there's another older stand of them somewhere. I don't know of any rare fruit garden in San Jose, but I know that they still had some fruit groves growing within the city when I left for Connecticut eight years ago. Half the places I've visited since I returned to the area have been there for years and when I lived here before, I never knew about them, because I wasn't interested in Gardening. So for me, there's a whole world of things in San Jose that are absolutely new to me, even though I'm a long time resident from years ago. I wonder if you are thinking about Casa de Fruita, which is down by Hollister? That's more of a tourist stopover, but can be of interest to some, especially if you want to buy some frest fruit and nuts. If it's here, I'll find it and take those pics.

I personally don't like the use of when a clematis flowers to help determine the type of pruning class. This is due to the fact that any type II clematis that is pruned back in spring, either intentionally or unintentionally by rabbits or whatever, is going to bloom later in the season than a similar plant of the same cultivar that has not been pruned. Also when the types start blooming in anyone's garden is going to depend on their growing zone and local weather. I know of people in Oregon who are in a warmer zone than I am in and their type IIIs start blooming much later in the season than mine. Also using bloom times from the ICS is further going to complicate matters since that information is mostly based on British data and no one in the US, except for possibly those living in the PNW, have weather like the British do. Bloom times are therefore approximate and are to be used as general guides only. Linda, some type IIs require old wood for blooms and some type IIs bloom on new shoots that develop off of the old wood. The ones that typically fall into the first class are the type IIs that have large double first flowers. The others generally fall into the later class. Of the ones you have, they are all type IIIs assuming the first is Ville de Lyon. If so follow the pruning advice offered in the posting by pitimpinai. Unlike her BC, mine does not flower all summer however. Such a pity since she does have a delightful fragrance.

I am interested in your pieris taiwanensis, I can bring a hardy fuchsia molinae, or some astrantia, or hardy geraniums.... PNWJudy Since GW doesn't always open well on my computer, my best email reply is : jbracik (at) msn (dot) com

None. None at all. One day, about 6 years ago, I was waiting in the supermarket pharmacy for someone to get a prescription filled. they had one of those free BP machines. I sat down and tried it. The number was waaaay too high for normal...so I assumed the machine wasn't working properly. Because,I felt fine. A couple of months later, one morning, I had horrible dizziness, nausea, and very short of breath. I thought I was having a heart attack, was afraid to drive, and called 911. I walked into the ambulance,sat on the cot, and as a formality...the EMT took my BP. He yelled to the driver to turn the siren on, pushed me down on my back, dialed the hospital...and then started giving me these horrible little pills (nitroglycerin). My BP was 250 something over 180 something ! Turns out I didn't have a heart attack, but whle I was in the hospital the next few days...I lost count of how many people came in to see the woman who was walking and talking with the highest BP they had ever seen, and without having an MI.