Oh my. What is a passionate rose lover like you doing in that glacial hell hole? Reading about your endeavors has exhausted me and I haven't even lifted a shovel. I admire your grit and determination, but would love to see you rewarded with thousands of blooms on your rose bushes for all your hard work. I bet they could use engineers in zones 7 to 10!

Hiya plstqd and all, Yup, I really, REALLY do have a petunia variety that survives our summers here: 'Old Fashioned Climbing' mix from Select Seeds. I've convinced several other local gardeners to try it and all have had great success with the plants. I should be getting some kind of royalty from Select Seeds, LOL. Anyway, I got my original plants (in 2003) from SEED that I started indoors and then planted outside in very early spring. Those plants have self-sown all over my previous garden and in my current garden (both in Scottsdale). No individual plant lasts forever but most last 3 or 4 years before petering out, and they self-sow nicely around the garden which is really fun. In my old and in my current garden the happiest ones get some afternoon shade, so along the east side of the house, or walls or big shading plants, seems to keep them happiest. I wouldn't trust them to survive the summer in a pot in sun, but in the ground with afternoon shade I've had great luck long term. Just keep in mind they're lanky and tall (but they bloom nicely) so they flop around after the stems get super long, and the flowers aren't HUGE or bright, but they come in nice colors from lavender through white with some pinks and in-betweens too. They ARE heavily scented at night though, especially in spring/autumn. The plants look a bit tired in summer (who doesn't?!) but most survive, so plant several and be sure to collect seed or let them self sow. I think they're really great. The one in this pic, a nice crisp white with the telltale veining right at the center, has done great in the ground for almost three years now, and got zero protection in summer or winter. What's not to love? If you or anyone gives them a try (in the ground!), let us hear how they do for you. Select Seeds usually sells seeds AND plants in spring, and then seeds only in autumn. I'll post a link if I find one that works. I've ordered from them for many years and have been absolutely pleased with everything I've gotten, and no, I don't work for them or get a commission, LOL. I wish! Happy gardening all! Grant Here is a link that might be useful: Old Fashioned Climbing petunia seeds from Select Seeds

The Bodega Dunes site north of Bodega Bay is the best known on the north coast for the Monarchs overwintering most years in fair numbers (4,000). Tomales is not far south of there, although inland, so it could be a small site of theirs also. As many times as I went to Bodega Bay when I lived in the San Francisco Bay area I never stopped at Tomales though. There are many sites in the San Luis Obispo - Santa Barbara - Ventura areas, with the biggest at Pismo Beach in SLO followed by the site at Goleta in SB. The Bodega Bay area is another great place to visit in California. We used to go there fairly often when we lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, stop at The Tides (the place used for the filming of "The Birds") for a loaf or two of fresh french bread, the days catch of cracked crab, shrimp or some other seafood and a bottle of wine to take to a secluded cove with a great little beach we liked for a picnic. We'd do a little skinny dipping to collect some purple sea urchins for the bread and were in sea food heaven. What can I say... we were young, newly married, loved fresh sea food and even on weekends nobody else ever climbed down into our little cove. LOL Sometimes we'd go to Bodega to snorkel for abalone and sea urchines, but our favorite place for the biggest reds and urchins was much further up the coast between Anchor Bay and Point Arena. We had to scale down an 80' cliff there on a steel cable to get to the rocks below, and had to time our visits and length of stay to the lowest tides of the year as there was no beach there and trying to go down or just being down there when the tide and crashing surf was in would have been deadly. When we didn't have time to drive up the coast we'd go for abs at Half Moon Bay south of the Bay Area, about the furthest south you could get big reds. When we lived in Carmel we had to settle for the much smaller black, green and pink abs, and smaller urchins, but they were just as tasty with Diego Red wine and hard french or sourdough bread for the roe. Between the DR and the urchin roe you'd be on your ear in short order if you weren't used to drinking and eating them though. ;) Larry Near Bodega Dunes... Bodega area... Northern Red Abs ran 8"-12"... Medium size northern urchin... Typical north coast ab site...

For many years, we grew Prunus mume 'Kobai', but it self destructed in the terrible ice storm of 2003. Every now and then, we talk about replacing it because it was really lovely, especially when viewed against a backdrop of evergreens. My Edgeworthia chrysantha is probably the most fragrant winter plant, but its blooms won't open till late Feb or early March. It is a strikingly unusual plant even when not in bloom. It's planted near the front porch steps, so we never miss it when it blooms. The Mahonia is one of my favorites for winter fragrance. The scent is so lemony, and its a great bellweather plant for honey bees. They always come out on a warm afternoon to sample its nectar, probably more so than for any other plant.