I have a nasty neighbor too. She is an older woman who lives alone. She does have a gardener who takes care of her yard. He uses a blower and when he cuts the grass he blows everything on our side including into the bird baths. We never complain though. I just wait for him to leave then clean up again. Last night after a weekend marathon of cleaning our yard my husband called me outside. She had picked up large branches and dropped them right on top of the emerging plants. I have a large growth of "ditch lilies" that I planted before she bought the lot from us. I keep them in very good condition. When she moved there I told her I would take care of them and we could both enjoy the blooms. This was such a childish and spiteful thing to do. I'm so sorry we sold the property to her. If she didn't want the plants at least she could have asked me to move them. Some people are just plain miserable. You have my sympathy. Move what you can of the lovely garden you helped to grow and enjoy your plants. I wouldn't take out my frustration on the poor tree. Ungrateful,grumpy neighbors shouldn't ruin our gardening spirit!!

Mind you, I have had rose gall, I have had blackspot, cercepora, anthracnose, powdery mildew and even a few cases of downy mildew. I have had more thorns in me than I care to count. I have lost roses to voles, I have lost roses to a neighbor spraying herbicides (thankfully I got that stopped), I have lost roses to tornadoes and I have lost a couple to a drunken driver who tore up my front yard and my solid brick and steel mailbox, and I can deal with all that, but RRD is nothing I can do anything about. Hence, after finding approximately 50 roses about 2 years ago and this year, I have already found 15, I am shutting down the roses and will just enjoying seeing all of yours here. Maybe I will start planting maples, oaks, pine trees, but then there is that scarcity of water. Maybe I will just become a voyeur of your lovely gardens.

I'm picky about the varieties I plant, so I've only planted two so far, Caspian Pink and Koralik, about ten days ago. I resisted buying any seedlings during the warm spell in February, and waited until we had a week of sun in March. Both are in walls-o-water. I'll probably plant a dozen more (including the ones I'm growing from seed). Bahia wondered why do it...To push the limits of what can be grown when, of course. And also because, having grown my own tomatoes and raspberries and cucumbers and strawberries, I can't eat store-bought versions any more (and rarely eat the farmers' market versions). The difference in quality is so astounding that I don't eat these unless I've grown them. Last year, I planted 2 plants in mid-February and a bunch more in March, despite the rain and cold. The year before, I planted a bunch in late March, even though it was an especially cold and rainy year. Both years, I used walls-o-water or bubble wrap, plus sheets of plastic to protect from rainstorms and morning frost, and I was out there in the wind and rain securing and replacing the protective covers. But I can eat homegrown tomatoes in June! IIRC, last year I got a couple by the end of May. This year I've also planted some tomato seeds outdoors using the "wintersowing" technique pioneered (or publicized) by some east-coast gardeners: Poke air and drainage holes in some some small plastic containers, fill with soil, plant seeds, and transplant (with protection) even before the plants develop true leaves. I just had to try this to see if it really works. A few of my seedlings are reaching the top of the containers so should be ready to plant out, though they're only a couple inches high. Last year I waited until the soil was warm to plant beans, and I could have planted a lot earlier. I saw some beans producing very well at the beginning of July at the community garden. So this year, I'm going to plant beans by April 1. Or maybe earlier -- I saw another garden plot that just put in some transplants last week.

I wouldn't give up on the Oridono nishiki... I persoanlly don't think it is a reversion ...you may have it in too rich of soil ... and/or it may grow out of it ... The Oridono is not a solid vareigated tree ever ...with some branches and leaves with more or less vareigation ( IN my experience) I personally like that surprise look of differnt amounts of vareigation ..I think it gives it a unique look. It is one of my fav. trees ...it has very 'purdy' winter color orange red and yellow branches ...is a fast grower and VERY hardy ... a late leafer and can take sun much better than other such cultivars..A perfect tree foor northeners. I rate it an A+ a great tree for beginners and experts alike ... Maybe your tree will nwever show it's true colors Im don't think anyone can say for sure ...but I would seriously look at over fertalization as the chief cause...Mine was hit by the cold snap too ( likely not nearkly as badly as yours since it wasbn't as far along) and had some damage but much of the seconday leaves had some variegation. If it were mine I would possibly containerize it and control how fertile your medium is... it wouldn't hurt and it is not that big..David