As promised: FROM A NEWBIEÂS EYE: With all the recent craze for H trees & several ???  whether to get this or that in tree form, I decided to take a good look at my 9 H paniculatas  I'm excluding Unique & Limeligh  just acquired this Spring, too early to judge their true personalities & Little Lamb, for obvious reasons. As earlier mentioned, I harvested each, a med. sized (avg.) blossom from 2Tardivas  (planted-FallÂ05), Kyu (SummerÂ06), Quick Fire (SpringÂ07), Pink Diamond (Fall Â07) & AngelÂs Blush (SpringÂ08). As a (forever) newbie  my vote: #1  QF  for being the earliest bird ... first to break dormancy, lush out, form cluster buds, flash & change color!!! Uprightness in my piece of soil, is the best  due in part to beautifully formed  more ovalisque & looser panicles w/ possibly, lesser fertile florets (seeds at maturity) that weigh down the canes  at this stage of pink, the tips of fertile/seed-like clusters, have a tint of rosy-pink as well! Really pretty, to me!!! #2  Toss up between: Pink Diamond & AngelÂs Blush (PDÂs baby)  PD has daintier panicles than ABÂs, however PD is arching a bit more than AB. Even with 12" panicles on center, taller canes, AB seems able to carry her blossoms more upright! PD has, more uniformly sized, panicles at 7". Also noted that ABÂs leaf formation is all in 3s (ternate, according to bk) PD is usually opposites w/ a few in 3s closer to bases of blossom cluster. AB's sepals, a hint larger than PD's #3 Tardiva & Kyushu both canes arch  weighed down by blossoms as they mature  fertile florets mature to seed-like clusters. KyuÂs infertile florets are petite compared to TÂs avg. sized. My tree is Kyushu  absolutely love her, with all her arching branches & more petite florets!!! FWIW!!!

Deb, Sounds interesting. How do you display a leaf. I have some monster sized Frances Williams leaves that would be fun to display. I assume by next Saturday you are talking June 9. I have a Petitti's in Tallmadge about two miles from my home. I wonder if they will be having a show there at any time. I may have to inquire at Tallmadge. Dick

Exactly, Bunnycat. But, the inspector has seen the pics that I posted on this forum, even knows which hostas that I listed as showing damage. Unless the nursery pitched them, all the inspector has to do is take a few samples of those varieties, and there lies the evidence! I'm so glad that I took pics of them, as a matter of fact I believe I took about 3 dozen pics that day of their hostas. Many of the pics only show the beginning of the damage....you know, that all-too obvious yellowing between the veins. Last year I had gotten involved with another nursery selling diseased plants (HVX) to the public. I called the Dept Of Ag then too. The inspector told me to call him ANYTIME I see something suspious. Those guys/gals are too overworked and can't be everywhere. I think that they really do appreciate our (the public) watchful eye. This inspector is a hosta lover himself and after speaking to him on the phone this past spring, I know that nematodes are a concern to him too. I know WHY a nursery knowingly sells infected plants.....I just don't know HOW they could do it. I couldn't!!!!!!! As the saying goes...profit isn't a dirty word, but greed is. At least IMHO it is. Something that I learned from this 2nd experience.....I think I totally wasted my time talking to the nursery workers, if it be owner...manager or clerk. From now on I'm just going to call the Dept of Ag and get them involved. Oh, and of course take lots of pictures!

hey billn, actually I work at gales garden center in westlake. Im in the lawn and garden room, so if you ever stop up there again im the only young guy in there, every one else is old...lol Also yea we had 2 pindo palms, 2 european palms and 3 bismarcks. Those palms were actually a mistake we ordered windmill palms and for some reason the florida nursery gave us all those other ones, so hey it worked out for you. The tropical lady is supposed to be putting in a order for me here soon so let me know if you need anything I see what I can do. Im also workn on the lowe's stores around here about special ordering palms there lookn into it for me. Again keep in touch about palms around town.....