My garden looks pretty well. I did water last year, but not a lot. Nothing got crispy, but most of the beds only got heavy water once a week. Too many beds! In the fall I laid a LOT of soaker hose. Spliced pieces to make it all fit the biggest beds, then put leaf mulch over it. Made some soaker hose rings on a hose, on the shrubs along the fence, to ensure they could get enough water, with the large oaks close to them. Put down some shredded wood mulch too, on the rings around shrubs. Added more mulch this last week, heavy layer over the soakers in two beds that I ran out of time with last fall. So I have watered some during the 3 weeks of no-rain in late May. Soakers seem to be working pretty well, mulch keeps the moisture available to plants and bushes. They all LOOK happy despite the dry time. Other folks around our town had rain, just not us. My mom is south of us, said it was like a short, daily scheduled rain for weeks. We are getting adequate rain at the moment, just can't get the hay cut and dried to put up. First cutting is WEEKS behind now. Not much nutrition left, but still needs cutting so 2nd cutting gets coming along. My Peonies were nice, just not great like last year. Iris were OK, but not the good show I expected. Other small plants, wild phlox, were terrific, great color, numerous flowers on the plants. Roses are coming along, looked great on the old-fashioned bushes. Steady bloom on the new ones from fall planting, Carpet roses, Knockout, Showbiz, Vetrans Honor, with flowers large and long-lasting. Lilies look great, normal flower quantity, normal heights. Daylilies just starting. Flower stems appearing overnight. Lilacs were poor, with other bushes good and bad. Elderberry just started but MANY blooms, should be a good show. Various Hydrangea just budding up. Delphiniums are terrific, along with the double Hollyhocks. We have a well, so I water when I have the time, if I feel it is needed. I worry most about my big trees. So when I water the gardens, the trees get a good drink as well. I go for longer water time, not as often. Clay dirt helps hold the moisture if mulched well. I am hauling water to 10 new trees in the field. I think I have lost 2, but one root is still green, may resprout (I hope!). The remaining ones seem happy with water twice a week, if no rain during the week. Staying green. May water more as the season gets warmer. Every year is a challenge to some part of the garden!! I know that the plants really jump when the heat goes up. I LIKE the 70F temps instead of muggy heat. Sure get a lot more done outside. Picked strawberries last week, they were GOOD!

Hello lexilu As I've mentioned, I haven't found much variety among the garden centers regarding roses. Of course, I only began looking for them a month ago; it's probable that the centers/nurseries had a larger selection earlier in the summer. Greenbrier (Starkey Road) is the largest nursery in the Roanoke area: huge selection, mature and vigorous plants and pricey. Pine Ridge Nursery in Salem has become one of my favorites. Although the volume and selection isn't as large when compared with Greenbrier, i'm impressed by the fact that the owner grows all of his Japanese maples on his tree farm outside of town. (Since Jms are my favorite tree, you could say I'm a bit biased!) Last year, Southern States (Botetourt County, just north of Roanoke) decided to add a garden center and it's been a roaring success. Staff is knowledgeable and helpful and Cynthia is a pure pleasure to deal with. Except for a few roses from Jackson and Perkins, about all that I've seen remaining at all these places were the Knockouts. Of course, Lowe's and Home Depot have them too. Hope their roses will be reduced soon; they haven't as yet. (I'll be checking Southern States again today and Pine Ridge the first of the week. Will let you know if anything's changed). If you decide to venture this way, I'll be more than happy tp provide directions. gary

If I had an unlimited supply of cash for the garden, I would certainly be in heaven. I want, desperatly, to get a Wollemi Pine. They are 100 dollars now. I think it'd be great to have a plant of a specie which only has about 100 known to be in the wild. The mystique draws me... I recently visited the botanical garden in Rome, where I was able to touch one of these beauties. Theirs was about 4ft high and flourishing. I have been waiting with abated breath for them to be available here in the US. I would also like a yellow peony and camelia. There is a new begonia available called "bonfire" that looks like it will be making an appearance in my garden whether or not I win the lottery. ---Keith

Thanks Jim!! Not sure about the green thumb tropical, lol...but it is a lot of work growing tropical fruit trees where it freezes, that's for sure. I'm just glad it doesn't happen too often, but then it only takes one to do severe damage :o( But the people up north growing them in pots have it a lot harder than me, so I can't complain too much. There is one lonely mango on the tree, less than the size of a green pea, but it looks like its going to drop off. But its okay, just knowing that its capable of producing fruit is a start! In keeping on staying on topic for this thread and for those not sick of looking at more gardenia pictures, took these today...the blooms are just about done for a while. We are getting way too hot...low 90's this week! Arghhhhh!!