I'm excited about a lot of roses this Spring: I'm finally allowing myself to acquire Lady Hillingon...we'll see if there is enough heat for her here. Even if it's a failure, I'm going to try. Jenny Duval: I don't care if she has a terrible reputation for suckering- the color of the flowers is worth it, and maybe my clay soil will slow her down a little. I can't wait to see what my band of Gruss an Coburg does: it's putting out all kinds of new growth! In October, I rescued two beat up and abandoned 5-gallon pots of 'New Zealand'. The color and scent are lovely, and I think it's the kind of "Modern" hybrid tea that should make some people think twice about "no moderns" snobbery. I'm also VERY excited to see the Spring behavior of the 5-gallon plant of Zephirine Drouhin which I was given to me last summer. I've never grown her before, and I've read a lot of complaints about stingy re-bloom, but mine had flowers on it all through August, September and October. Basically, I'm just excited about all roses, all year long.

Never fear, friend Cynic. I've learned how to pace myself. I'll probably make something to contribute to Christmas eve dinner, and for Christmas day, daughter said she will bring up the makings for ham dinner. I'll be talking to her and say I can make the mashed potatoes ( something new, I've discovered, Simply mashed potatoes brand, found in the meat refrig section.) and I can bake up the rolls and maybe a pie or some kind of dessert. Just being together will be the most important...the food comes last. Oh yes, Buster will be in the thick of things. I've never had a cat who was so friendly and isn't afraid of new people.

I am VERY excited about seeing all my roses bloom this year (hopefully) as I had several late additions last year that did not bloom for me because they were so young & it was so late in the year. However that did not stop me from purchasing more roses this year, because I just couldn't help myself. My newbies from last year I can't wait to see in bloom: Madame Joseph Schwartz Kronprinzessin Viktoria Reine de Violettes Mme. Issac Pereire Rosette Delizy Duchesse de Brabant Green Rose Heritage Lady Hillingdon New Additions for this year I can't wait to see: The Shepherdess Lyda Rose Golden Wings Dark Desire Dame de Coeur Happenstance Mme Antoine Mari Distant Drums Mme Alfred Carriere Charlotte Baby Love Blueberry Hill Blush Noisette Cramoisi Superieur Bolero Gruss an Aachen Pope John Paul ll Holy cow, when I write them all out like that it looks like SO many!!! They are coming from several different nurseries, so this is my first time seeing them written all together.....That's kinda scary, but still mostly EXCITING! I'm with you, Blueisland, I'm glad I'm not especially talented at math, because I never hope to know how much money I have spent in the last 2-3 years on roses.... I could have probably bought a cheap car with the total, especially if you include shipping on all these! Oh well, you can't take it with you! Let's just enjoy nature's beauty while we can!

I kept so busy this winter that for once the dreary season flew by! I actually had not thought about plants or seeds or much at all related to gardening until about a week ago. Very unusual for me, since I usually have hundreds of seedlings growing in my basement by now. However, I just started a temp job in which they made it clear my job was to wait for the phone to ring and make coffee, so I started to peruse my favorite plant sites and forums in my free time...and I started recalling all the plants I bought or obtained last summer...soooo much to welcome this year. A partial list off the top of my bored head: Masterwort (3 colors) Russian Sage Endless Summer & Annabelle Hydrangeas 3 colors of asters Turtlehead Several new sedum varities Several mum varieties Delphinium Hollyhocks Champlain Roses that were hiding under some hedges in the front Dwarf Joe Pye Poppies Lamb's Ear Northern Light's Mandarian 2 varieties of Ligularia Iris Tulips (offered to me by a neighbor and HAD to dig them up in June to get them...so hoping they made it through the year) Allium Euphorbia Polychroma (and a red one whose name escapes me at the moment) ....and more Not to mention...I finally braved splitting the fern peony that was here when I moved in and was able to split it into 14 divisions. I placed them all around the house, so I'm hoping to see a lovely display this spring.