Defrost - I wrote a long message this morning that seems to have gotten lost in the ether. There are a several roses that I've grown in the past or am growing now. Many of my current plants I started from cuttings, and you'd be welcome to come take cuttings if you would like. I have found them relatively easy to grow from cuttings even though I don't know much about it. Almost all my roses are relatively easy care, but the Japanese beetles bother all but the earliest. I recently read that water that has had cedar soaking in it will discourage the Japanese beetles when sprayed on susceptible plants, so I'll be trying that this summer since I have way too much field area to treat for grubs. - Rugosa Hansa (previous house along with one other Rugosa) - Lovely scent, easy care, but I didn't get good repeat. - Double white rugosa - Lovely scent, not good repeat, looks like wet tissue if it rains but gorgeous if it doesn't get wet. One of two current roses from Uncanoonuc, and it is grafted. I fight the understock to keep it from taking over. - Apothecary rose - striped red and white shrub with strong rose scent. I fight the understock (multiflora I think) which has come up 8' away from the plant. Early bloomer no repeat. Uncanoonuc. - Autumn Sunset - Gold Climber, good repeat, light scent. Another Uncanoonuc rose, also grafted, and after about 3 years didn't come back after one winter, though I don't know if it was due to voles or it was too cold. I would grow again if it were on its own roots. - Fairy rose - previous house - no scent, repeat (almost constant) bloom, easy care. - Dr. Huey - Dark red climber from understock. Not much repeat. - John Davis - light scent, medium pink, one of the Canadian Explorer roses, shorter climber. Long bloom with lighter repeats continuing. - Lady Elsie Banks - medium pink shrub, no scent that I notice. Repeats well. - New Dawn (probably) AKA George's rose since it came as a cutting from my now-gone neighbor George. Vigorous climber, very pale pink very double flowers, little if any scent (can't get close enough to smell) and wicked thorns that require that it be planted away from paths. - An unknown pink shrub rose that was here at the house when we arrived. Lovely scent, no repeat bloom. Cleanest foliage of any rose I grow, and the foliage has a light scent. Although IME own root roses don't take off quite as soon as grafted roses, in the long run, I prefer them as I don't have issues with the root stock and all my own root roses have always come back. I don't do any extra winterizing. I don't know if Uncanoonuc has any roses that are own root. I added Zepherine Drouin (pink climber) and Westerland (orange mix) this past summer and haven't yet any feedback on them. This winter will test them, but they are both own root, so I have faith that they will come through.

Everything came through fine-even the eggplant and petunias..Haven't seen my hummers today yet.Hope they are ok.Was kind of odd to see them buzzing the feeders in the snow and wind.If I was a hummer I wouldn't show up here till the middle of June. Tough li'l birds. The snow has already.melted except for a few patches. Hope it froze the ticks but doubt it. I should have known better and waited another week to put stuff in but those warm days made me gamble on it.I'm up in the mountains in northern NH and we tend to rush the season- sometimes it pays off/sometimes it doesn't. Anyhow, know I wasn't the only crazy lady running around in a squall bringing stuff in and covering up.Had two friends doing the same thing at the same time LOL My furnace is off and staying off even if I have to put a coat on inside as long as its above temp that pipes could freeze. Agree, there are worse weather areas to be in and we should be thankful for where we are and after the initial Ohhh noooo my thoughts went there where people lost a lot more then a few plants.

I am from Rhode Island Trail is in northern RI Bluebirds are not hardy there flocks crash will high snow levels. And cold. Mild seasons they expand there local numbers. When there found dead in spring means there food supply was low and they expired. You will also see some dead threw out spring after a late cold snap the birds will just end up missing but we know it was the late cold snap. Many are weaken from the trip north once they show up and winter returns large numbers perish. It weeds out the old and sick. Ray

It's always the little things that get you. Whoever decided, when they built my house, to put outside basement steps with a drain into the sump cistern was an IDIOT. I have huge icicles on the roof, two floors up. The snow in my yard is too deep to walk in without snow shoes - about 30". My basement steps are full of snow. I took the panel off the storm door in the basement and poured hot water out the door until I found the drain. More hot water thawed the drain, so at least now the melting ice and snow will drain. I attached a hose to the water heater and sprayed hot water on the snow and ice to get it melting, once the worst is gone, I can shovel the stairs. I'm heading to Lowes to get some plastic panels to cover the steps, the ones that were there collapsed under the weight of the snow. If I don't keep the drain running, the basement area way will flood and then so will the basement. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING. I hope everyone else is doing all right.