Yeah, got some off ebay. Normally that would be a huge no-no, but this is corn. If there was any crossbreeding going on it would show up in the kernels right away, hence I'll know as soon as I open the box if I got what I paid for or not. Got 40 kernels coming in. Not really enough for if I wanted to make a sustaining population, but good enough to grow it out as a novelty a time or two. If it turns out to be something I want to keep growing, I can just get some fresh seed off the internet every couple of years to mix it up with to avoid the inbreeding depression. Not gonna make an entire field just for this stuff.

Thanks everyone for the comments so far. It seems crosses involving Twilight Zone or any of the mauves are heavily favored, and I don't blame you! Twilight Zone just came out this year but it is such a gorgeous rose, and definitely an improvement over Ebb Tide. Diane, in my opinion I think you have the right idea with using Ascot in breeding. Cynthia, there is no time like the present, and don't be intimidated by the numbers! When they say worth keeping they mean is having commercial and market value, and most of the fun in rose breeding isn't about money or finding americas next super-rose, it's the anticipation of what you might get. Also every breeder, like roses, is unique and has his or her own personality and I believe that is reflected in the roses each breeder comes up with. For example I bet when I mention the names Radler, Swim, Carruth, David Austin, Moore, Sproul, etc. a certain type of rose comes to mind. I'm not sure I have a defined "style" yet but rest assured I am determined to revolutionize roses in my own way. My dream/goal is is to create thornless fragrant shrub roses, in beautiful colors, high petal count, with the disease resistance of knock outs. Some people say well that's just the perfect rose but l believe there's no such thing and never will be since different people value certain traits more than others. Sure my goal is ambitious, but just watch, eventually I will succeed! :)

We got a package of Hybrid Alaska cantaloup seeds from Lindenberg Seeds. Started the plants indoors in early May, and carefully transplanted them into 3 liter black plastic motor oil jugs (carefully cleaned). I wanted black plastic so the soil would warm up in the sun. I kept them against a warm wall outside in the full sun as much as possible, and in a south facing window when the weather was bad. Mid June we transplanted the cantalope from the oil jugs into a tire raised bed. Had to cover them once for frost warning. Otherwise they had to fight it out. I used a mixture of compost and garden soil in the tire. They sat there and didn't do much, so I gave them a weekly watering of Miracle Grow fertilizer, which seemed to perk them up. But they really didn't like the cold of July, when we got another frost warning - and covered them again. They were trying to blossom, but I noticed the little fruit turned yellow and dropped off. Finally, in August they started growing, and it was so late! Poor things. The blossoms started setting and making tiny fruit. I noticed one fruit had set earlier, so it started sizing up. We watched it with hopeful anticipation. It actually matured before the fall frost hit. I covered the plants every night, but without heat the plants died back pretty quickly. The fruit was small, about the size of a soft ball, but incredbly sweet and flavorful. It was worth all the trouble to tast a "real" honest-to-goodness homegrown cantalope. Nothing at all like the commercial ones you find in the store. Here's a photo of our little jewel, that stuggled so valiantly against such odds. Definitely will try again this coming year!

TINA asked me to start a new thread since I wanted to make sure that I had captured everyone's emails from my time in hospital. I am now facing complication 2, but my husband has offered to stand in for me, bring and collect everything, and even bring the food. Will everyone please look at my last because there are many things I asked for, but did not receive a response on, and I do not want people to expect we've made an agreement and not get it. Thanks, Lisa