I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed info, especially pictures of their red twig dogwoods...it has all helped me to realize that they will be the perfect answer to a beautiful border in my front yard and to keep the neighbor's dog (on a fully extended retractable leash) from running across my "lawn" while passing by 3x a day. I just started searching online and after reading about these beauties and reading everyone's entries...well, I just had to join the "Club" to say thanks (and hopefully contribute and to learn more). I will be visiting the local nurseries here in snowy Vermont to find the perfect specimens to begin my natural "fence." Last Fall I transplanted much of my backyard perennials up front, added a few newbies (ie, Nikko Blue Hydrangea) and some bulbs...to begin a front yard garden...and I don't need any "intruders" destroying my plantings (hopefully the deer will find another way around the yard!)....I cannot wait to see "everyone" in their new home when the weather warms up and the snow finally leaves us...the red twig dogwoods will add immense pleasure and visual beauty...spring fever is taking hold! Thanks for the forum... and to the contributor with the high-rise garden....wonderful pictures!...thank you...Ei

My very best red is Veteran’s Honor. I think it might be close to my very best rose of any color, with such huge perfect blooms produced in great abundance. The quality is especially stark in the hot summer months when many roses burn and shrivel while Veterans Honor still looks florist shop perfect. My very best highly fragrant rose is Firefighter. Again , a most generous bloomer, and always saturated with true rose scent: I’ve seen Munstead Wood often at the public garden and understand why others like is so much. I’ll have to try one out. My favorite color of red is Loves Promise. It’s a pure black red that is at the same time soft velvet and bright electric. Alas my plant is young and I don’t have a great pic, but this gives some idea of what it looks like: Interesting that Helen started the thread 8 years ago when she was new to roses and she now probably has a greater collection than Tom Carruth and his Huntington Gardens. So @bayarea_girl_z10a_ca, what is your best red rose?

Uh ... that looks a lot like a male black widow. They are brownish, not black, but have the characteristic fat, globe abdomen and extra-long front pair of legs. The immature ones have dramatic stripes like these, http://kaweahoaks.com/html/latrodectus_hesoerus.html ********* It could also be a "Brown Widow", "Grey Widow" or other member of the latrodectus genus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrodectus ******** They prefer undisturbed, cluttered places where there is prey ... so clean the closets, and control the crickets and other insects in and close to the house. Have you found "messy" sticky webs? Here is a link that might be useful: Idaho gov on spiders

To woodchuck.mo: About Hydrangea color Unless a hydranagea is the standard white variety, its color depends on the PH of the soil (acidic to basic). The soil must be acidic to produce the blue color. If the soil is neutral (ph 7) to basic, the color will be pink. It works just like litmus papar in chem lab: litmus paper turns blue in acid and pink in basic solutions. It is tough in SE Wisconsin to get the blue color due to the high limestone content in our soils. Sulphur compounds are available at garden centers to acidify the soil around hydrangeas, but I have found that the recommended amount hardly affect our soils. There is too much limestone just beyond the plant's root circle. The blue to pink hydrangea is an inicator plant. It indicates the ph of your soil The beautiful blue color seen in garden centers are of plants grown in a pot where complete control of acidicy is possible. If you plant, I recommend the new variety called something like "ever summer" (not the exact name). It blooms on new wood in June whereas the standard plant blooms on 2nd year wood. Blooming on new wood was important to my hydrangea this year. The plant came out of dormancy too early this year due to our warm March. Buds swelled on the old wood and was about to break open when April freezes killed these buds. Later the stem died also, but the plant revived in May sending up new shoots from the root and these shoots have new blooms that will soon be open. Without the ability to bloom on new wood, I would not have any blossoms this year. As the blossom ages out, it turns green and finally browns in the fall. The bloom is long lasting, and new blossoms continue to appear as the older ones age out. The plant is susceptable to deer damage; the dear nip off new blossoms as they appear.