> In my garden setting, Tradescant is a small rose, about the size of a Hybrid Tea. > It's just under 2 feet tall, with a narrow, upright growth habit. That's excellent to hear. I'm in an apartment, but my mother lives nearby and I'm using her yard as my "canvas". There's an empty spot I have in mind for Tradescant, but I don't want mum to have to battle them every time she walks to the garage. I'd hate to have to cut them back aggressively during the summer. > I also planted Tradescant last year and I love it so far. It has the truest red > blooms that I've seen. It also has fantastic scent and has good repeat. The photos I've seen are heartstoppingly gorgeous. I'm after a red Austin (or Austin-like) rose with fabulous scent that doesn't tend too much toward the pink. Now all I have to do is contain myself until the shipment arrives. I wonder what the people at work will think when boxes of roses start turning up in my cubicle. Just one more eccentricity for the list...

Thanks for the info guys I find others growing experiences a great help in how I will attempt to grow things. Tammypie I don't know if this is of any help but when I had serpens the first time it bloomed beautifully. I had it hanging in a north west window, it only got late afternoon sun but the house next door is white stucco so it also got a lot of reflected light. There is a heat duct under this window but serpens was hanging off to one side. I'm hoping to get another cutting of it from D.L. this spring. Finding different Hoyas in my area is next to nil. Home depot up here carries a few, I keep looking through them but we don't seem to get the same selection of different varieties that you guys get south of the border. Which reminds me, I should check out Walmart the next time I'm out that end of the city. A......

Congratulations, Lindy. Just curious, what was your approximate cost per SF (not including land)? I remember at one point and time you said I was in the ballpark with $150 SF. You can give me a range if you're not comfortable answering that question, or you can avoid the question all together. :-) PDX SOD was ok, just not as good as it has been in recent years. Maybe the location tainted my view of the event. The backyards are beautiful but the front of the homes border a two lane, major roadway. I really like the floorplan for the Cottage in the Trees (they're calling it a French Country Manor). I read that the home is only 3600 SF (I say only because all of the other homes are 5,600+ SF). I believe with the bonus room above the garage it's 4300 SF. It actually feels livable. The others are really, really over the top (no indoor pools or basketball courts this year though.) I also like the fact that they didn't rely soley on recessed lights to light the home. Lots of hanging lights, wall sconces, and chandeliers. To top it off, Country Living magazine came in and decorated it. Sounds like you're plenty busy so don't feel like you're missing out.... you already have your Dream House anyway!! PS - we expect more pictures!!!

If you are just trying to 'get your feet wet' so that you can return someday and 'wing it' I would suggest going with a tour group. I've done it. All the travel arrangements are made for you. This would be airfare to Europe and motorcoach to get to designated sights, and possibly even another air trip to a further destination in Europe. It's not as hectic as it sounds. It's not the *If It's Tuesday This Must Be Belguim* hamster wheel. There is less stress if all the plans are made for you and you don't feel so much like flotsom and jetsom, bobbing around Europe. The tour groups also schedule 'free time' for the group so you can do what you want at that time. There are always planned activites like museums and shopping, but some confident types break from the group and jump in a taxi and do things on their own making sure they are back to the mortorcoach on time. The planned activities give you a "taste" of the various cities and towns. You always have an interpeter for things, like ordering from a street vendor or how to inform the hotel that the toilet is broke, and the guides are savvy enough to steer you away from questionable situations. If you are going to visit the smaller towns or any of the former Soviet block countries you will find the NO ONE speaks English in these parts. Not only that but the lettering in countries like Poland and Checkoslovakia in incomprehensible to the average American so trying to read signs and menus is nearly impossible. By going on a tour group they will tell you what different requirments are for each country. Some countries require travelers health insurance in case you get sick, for instance, some don't require it. They will also tell you of customs so that you don't find yourself in hot water or even arrested for doing something that seemed "OK". For instance, it it rude to take a person's picture with a camera in some parts of Europe and it could start a fight. Since you say you wish to see Italy and Greece consider the option to fly there, and then take one of the ferries across from Italy to Greece so that you can experience the Mediterranean by boat. Since you are not going all over Europe, flying to Italy/Greece and taking taxis, busses, or trains around the country side would be a good experience. Tour groups often combine different styles of travel for siteseeing adventures. The tour I went on had motor coach for the main planned event but the guide would arrange a hired driver (for extra fee) for those who wanted to go elsewhere and not with the group. You will also find some comeraderie by going with a tour group and some of them will be seasoned travelers who can hwlp out also. Tour group is the way to go for older "first timers" to Europe who just want to get their feet wet.