We had a drought last summer, here in Wisconsin. But this year, its been rain and more rain, all spring, and into June. The lakes are full, and the rivers are high. Farmers are griping about crop losses due to standing water in some fields. I feel bad about the dry conditions in Colorado, and especially the wildfires near Colorado Springs. I have no idea why Wisconsin, and much of the midwest, seems to be stuck in a perpetual rainfall this year.

Is there anyway you could post a picture of this area? What exposure is it? Full sun, part sun, full shade, part shade? I am trying to imagine 600 square feet. Depending on the exposure, you could get a couple nice shrubs, a small flowering tree (crape myrtle, dogwood, weeping cherry, japanese maple...start will small specimen...they will get bigger...but small is more inexpensive), some type of edging grass like monkey grass, lirope...this time of year a lot of people are thinning theirs out and are throwing it away. Join a local garden club and ask if anyone is thinning out beds. I belong to the local Mastergardeners group here and we share our extras with each other and those who are just staring out. Advertise in the newspaper or "penny pincher" free paper for any unwanted or extra plants. You might be surprised what you get. True gardeners love to share with others. If you lived closer, I'd load you up with some of my extras. Watch your newspaper for garden clubs having yearly plant sales to make money for their "projects". We have a yearly Mayhaw festival here and the mastergardeners all dig plants from our own gardens and start things from seed to sell at the one day event. We always price things really affordable. I am talking 10 cents to a couple dollars for nice large clumps of perennials, shrubs, trees, annuals...you name it. We make a good little chunk too. Good luck with your project and I hope you will post pictures when you get it planted! I have a 125 ft x 450 ft lot that I want to make into a rose garden over the next few years. I can't do it all the first year financially or physically. Whatever you plant no matter how small your plantings are...if you place a few nice sized rocks and some garden junk/art in the bed amongst the plants and rustle up some pine needles or some type mulch it will look great...as you are able to buy or as you acquire more plants, just pull back the mulch (hopefully you have already ammended the soil), and plant. It'll look great. Remember not to put mulch right up on the crown of the plants though...leave it back 6 to 8 inches or so from the main trunk of the plant. Nanahanna

I have an 8 year old Boxer, Millie, that had her first seizure just over a year ago. It was long and violent and tortuous to watch lasting well over 3 minutes. I immediately took her to the vet and he started her on Phenobarbital and Valium. She had several more smaller ones until the levels were where they needed to be. In the year since she's had dozens, some worse than others, and we've added Potassium Bromide to the mix. She continues to have small focal seizures lasting a few seconds almost daily. She was hospitalized last month with Pancreatitis. While there she had one larger and one smaller seizure. Since she's come home she seems to be deteriorating. She sleeps most of the days away. She has difficulty walking, stumbles or falls when she stands still for more than a few seconds, bumps into things and has fallen down the stairs. She seems to be losing control or strength in her hind legs. Last night she fell asleep at my feet and then couldn't stand or walk for a couple of minutes when she woke. This morning, on the other hand, she came as close to running as she has in a while to go outside and potty and play for a moment. It was brief. She's eating well, looks and sounds a good as ever which makes it that much harder to wonder "How much is enough for her?" I guess that's what I'm looking for, advice on "enough". She is our absolute favorite person in the world and is loved beyond measure. As terrified as I am about her leaving us, I am more afraid that she's suffering as she is. I've never had to even consider this for a pet so I'm lost to the rationale of it. How do you know when they've had enough?

The new growth in the first photo is a sucker. The graft is the knob where all the other canes are sprouting from. Anything much below that point will always be root stock growth. I *think* I see a living bud of the original rose at the base of the only green cane remaining, so it might be worth removing the sucker and replanting. To remove the sucker, don't cut it, but pull it off with a downward motion. It looks like the other two have lots of new growing points from the right place, so they should be fine. John