Hi Marcia, I deadheaded all my roses last week and yes there are definately more buds comming along. I know our weather has been different than yours this year. But this is one of the best rose years I have ever had here. Most of the canes were weighted down there were so many flowers.....and that was on all the different kinds of roses that I have. I really have never seen such a display here before and some of these roses are a good 10 years old. It was a nice surprise. Deadhead and dance. LOL! Hi Neil. Pruning and deadheading are two different things. In my area we have to deadhead to help prevent the bears comming into the rose hips in late summer and fall. Deadheading hasn't hurt the roses at all. Now if you prune, you could definately lose your rose over the winter...for sure. Sierra

Well, that's good to hear. I don't have the native lantana, though I have been on the look out for it, but I do have 20+ Beautyberry sprouts growing in flats and three others ready to go into the ground. Still, it's probably going to be a season or longer before they're big enough to really have much draw. And no, I'm not going to be planting all 20+ sprouts. Not even half of them. I really don't know what I'm going to do with them all. Perhaps hold on to them in case I ever become social enough to attend a swap or something. I bumped into a vendor at the Ocala Spring Festival last month and was asking her about the native lantanas and she mentioned that L. drepessa is not really recognized as a native species anymore. Apparently, according to her, it is popular opinion that L. depressa has been too cross-pollinated with L. camara to truly be the natives. She claimed that she had some L. depessa, but didn't bring them to the sale because of the debate.

Today my secret trade arrived. I was thrilled to receive Titanic, Blue Mouse Ears, Little One, and Sea Yellow Sunrise. I did not have any of them before the trade arrived. I almost purchased Blue Mouse Ears yesterday. Just one thing was missing. The identity of the person who sent them to me. I did not find a note or anything that would indicate the forum identity of my benefactor. There was a last name on the return address, but of course we don't know people by their last names here, usually, and I certainly would not divulge it openly in the forum. I can only assume that this person wants to remain anonymous. So, whoever you are, my secret trader, please know that I am pleased as punch with the hostas you sent me. They arrived in excellent shape and I've got them soaking right now. I'll pot them up tomorrow. Two of them, Blue Mouse Ears and Titanic I had wanted for a long time, but never took the time to add them to my wish list here on Garden Web. And the other two, I'm equally tickled about. You must be psychic. Thanks so much, Lainey

My pair of red-shouldered hawks showed up Saturday and the yard birds have been lying low. I was hoping they wouldn't come back to nest here this year, but I suspect that's exactly what they are planning to do. I also suspect they are a wintering pair down from the north, rather than one of our year-round resident pairs. They will nest and head out again in the spring. They have done this three years running, and usually, while they are here, I have very little traffic at my feeders. They do seem to leave in time for the goldfinches and buntings to show up in the spring. But for now, it will probably be quiet much of the time. *sad sniff* Haven't heard my catbird yet, though I get one every winter. And I'm thinking I saw the first yellow-bellied sapsucker of the winter the other day, but the glimpse was very fleeting, so I'm not sure. Marcia