Okay---I tried to avoid this one, but I can't let you two go without some kind of (hopefully helpful) info on the subject! The Hosta Library has some pix of what the damage may look like. The stripes are very specific and do not extend beyond the two veins they fill. If you find a leaf looking like what I have linked below and want to be really sure, you need a magnifier, 10x minimum(jeweler's loupe is great flowerchild) and a clear glass bowl or custard dish with water. Cut the leaf in two, through the stripe and let one half soak 1-2 hours in the water! After that soak, place the custard cup with leaf and water in it, over a light source, very important. I use a lamp with a small lamp shade, the kind you screw the light bulb through to attach to the socket base. Then scan the water for little wrigglers. You can easily spot them because they will be so active! They will look like very short thin hairs, whipping back and forth, quickly. At this point, if you have them--you have to make some decisions. Is the plant worth the trouble of treating with a hot bath or bleach water soak? I've decided for myself, unless it is a very expensive plant to replace, it just isn't!! You can do a search on this forum for information regarding a hot-water treatment, if you think you'd like to try! I hope this has been helpful to you!! Janice :o) Here is a link that might be useful: hosta leaves with nematodes!

More about the cool stained glass I used on the obelisk. I should not have done this, but I did. I went way back on my eBay transactions and found the seller. I contacted them and they have crates of the stuff in their crawl space. Sigh. They are going to put together 50 pounds for me.....isn't my husband a saint? Not one word about the thousand pounds of glass I already have stashed in the garage. Okay, so anyway, I am going to do another trash to treasure project. These ugly old glass vases I am going to glue together like a totem and then mosaic it all with the cool stained glass and make it a priority that it is installed in a stable fashion. Unbelievably, I found three glass pointy thingies at Goodwill this week, so I now have the toppers for three of these creations. I will post pictures! Here is a link that might be useful: Silva's blog

The virus, unless it was in the graft, comes onto the foliage through mites. It works its way down the cane to the bud union, or roots in that case. No I just got rid of the whole thing, and am still looking for the smaller roots. I really dont think the hairy roots are that much to worry about, but its hard to get all the roots. In my case it was not in the grafted canes yet. If it is an old rose, you might want to replace soil anyway. The concern about roots might be that multiflora can grow from a small root, and many grafted roses in the NE and Canada are on multiflora. Every body is trying to go own root as much as possible because of the infection in MF.

Actually with some money, and time , one can bring in sand, silt and compost to till into your soil. People do it ALL THE TIME around where I live. Hell around here one is considered lucky if you have clay to play around with. Most are bringing in truckloads of dirt from the bulk soil guy to build up 10" of soil ontop of their limestone. My sister lived on a lava flow. That was hard gardening too, but once amended she had some cool stuff. I am digging out a ditch in solid limestone marl. I am moving that marl to fill in some pot holes in my drive, wheel barrow by wheel barrow. Then I will fill it with dirt and also build a retaining wall so I can deepen the soil. Do I like that I have to do this,..NO, but it is what Is my lot to do. My land is beautiful but it has cr@p for soil. Do I make fun of it ,YES.I have made Marl the name for my inner beyatch (as they say down here). I have jokes about needing teeth protectors for pickaxing and how I want my very own jack hammer for Christmas ( that's not a joke). Do I whine about it? Maybe for short periods of time. Then I remind myself that this is MY CHOICE to do. MY choice to live her, . So, shut my yapper. If I don't like this I can take up theater, scuba diving, rock climbing, penuchle, bridge, map making, knitting, dying and spinning wool. Or I can sit on my back porch and look through my teary foggy eyes with my long island ice tea gripped in my fist and ponder about of what could or should be all afternoon long. Go ahead and quite gardening. Long extended whining will drive those around you nuts . Find something that gives you happiness and serenity , if soil amending is not your cup of tea, or MOVE to that perfect loamy lot. You might find ir infested with crazy ants and rattlesnakes.