Hi Hans, glad you shared these. It's funny, I have two competing reactions at once: 1. My imagination sparks up with a half-thought, "Oooh! I'm a little bug on a leaf! This is delightful." 2. At the same time, I have a second reaction -- again unconscious -- "Oh! I must step back so I can get a better look at the whole plant... oh wait! I can't step back." Curious!

I already grafted a few avo's a couple of days ago, tomorrow have jury duty, have to send somebody to jail again than the coming days finish grafting Pokan citrus and persimmon. Figs can now go to their assign spots in the mini orchard, citrus has to wait awhile but they are already out but not at their assign location, no rest yet. Finish packing goodies for my other forum friends, got one more to go to Maryland, wonder who could that be? I am making another tree to match this one, thanks to Laura.

Indeed, the hemlock wooly adelgid is a terrible evil. Those tags look nice! I've considered getting some, but they'd be more for the infrequent guests than myself. @Paul, how many references would you like that flat out state eradication efforts directed at black currants were part of federal and state efforts? I can understand that it's something that wouldn't be as prominent knowledge in the west, but so much information is available to us, I most definitely don't appreciate your claim you "can't find anything to support" that and I seem to be detecting some attitude which is so unfortunate! eradication- the complete destruction of something From a nursery: http://www.twisted-tree.net/white-pine-blister-rust-and-ribes From Missouri Department of Conservation: https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/american-black-currant UofMA: https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/white-pine-blister-rust-ribes-species http://landsteward.org/page.cfm/8886 There are plenty of references that cite the fact that state and federal government were involved in the planned eradication of ALL Ribes species in the east. CANADA did not participate in the madness from what I've gathered. Also, just in case these other facts are needed for an educated opinion: Ribes are NATIVE to my area and if I wish to grow natives in the interests of the natural ecosystem because I want to, I will. White Pine are native, but NOT naturally occurring in my area but exist only as ornamental plantings (too far south). These efforts were more to protect an industry that brought this disaster than to protect the magnificent Pinus strobus itself. This isn't about being "that guy" erroneously "railing" against anything in a self-idealized notion of what I've imagined. What you've done in my mind's eye currently is equal to telling someone they're directly responsible for a RRD infection happening because they planted a Knock Out despite feral R. multiflora all around (and it's not even responsible itself!) and that's tragic to me. I'm sorry. Steven

I love walking around multiple times a day seeing everything grow. Hostas are only part of the fun. Thanks UTOG. Easy to capture that area in a picture. The other two are Love Song and Neptune (among others, lol). I'm rather fond of the three in front of the last picture. Frisian Pride (frosted), Valley's Ruffle Shuffle and Gila River. And they will look even better if they survive the frost. Yes, I took a lot of pictures this morning.