Suzy, how do the tender plants survive shipping...are heat packs used? No, Jo. We more northerly growers refuse to hang up the shingle and keep on keeping on. The tender plants come in on every imaginable means. Sometimes, if it's a large order, the grower brings them on their own heated truck. I even have one of those rescheduled, because the high that day was still below freezing, and the goods expensive. They come overnight on the familiar shippers, they are picked up at airports, they even sometimes come courier. And today, we went and got THEM! The bigger wholesale growers are pretty adept at shipping them between the worst of the weather fronts and put them in what they call winter pack boxes, it's like a box, within a box, within a box. Expensive way to move perishables, but still cheaper than frozen plants. The small liners (rooted cuttings) and plugs don't seem expensive until you look at a bench of the packs and realise there is a couple thousand dollars sitting in a few square feet. Michelle, I cracked up at your description of winter madness. I have worked in those facilities and sometimes I wondered if the staff were as grounded as the clients at times. It's all relative, I guess. My cabin fever is late coming on. It usually hits in January and by this time of February I'm in spring mode, even if the weather isn't cooperating. I think I did myself an injustice by biding through January without going a little mad. I feel like a big zit about to pop when I need to be the most functional. The sun did come out for about an hour before it set. The ice was falling off the trees in big chunks. The whole d*mned property is a hard hat zone.

Dave, the trees may outlive you and the legacy of the artful masterpiece you have created will continue to live on through your garden and these archives on gardenweb. Most importantly the legend of Davesconifers will continue to live on in the gardens of others that you have inspired. Some may be thinking that I need some toilet paper for my nose, lol, but I just want you to feel good for the good that you have given me. =)

Flowers, I've had Russian sage in back in crucial spots, but I usually combine it with boxwood and lavender, along with butterfly bush and four o'clocks, slightly toxic like morning glories, to deer. None of this is much deterrence, though I think deer hate boxwood the most of all. It smells like cat pee. The deer here (mule deer) seem to be only interested in roses and occasionally tomatoes. They go for the blooms, buds, and growing tips of the rose. For some reason, they went beyond this typical damage when it came to Eglantyne, and they reduced her size a bit, and left a half dozen leaves on the poor rose. Any other flowering plant or shrub they don't seem to care about with two exceptions: a certain dianthus (Raspberry Surprise) that they wouldn't leave alone, and pumpkins, which they tried to bite. Mainly they just marked up the pumpkins with their teeth. I suppose if I had a lot of hosta and tulips they would destroy those. Thanks for your nice comments on Eglantyne. I'm not doing right by her, leaving her out in back to the deer. Noseo, your Russian sage is quite gorgeous. And you have the perfect home style for it and lavender. I just don't have any room anymore for R sage or lavender, so they end up down the slope. This helps with soil erosion, plus the deer, but it's a rip roaring mess out there on the slope. When I see what you have done with your sage and lavender, I am so jealous. I do have some roses blooming, but nothing like a flush, except for Julia Child, perhaps. It warmed up several days ago, and voila new buds and a few new roses. This will all end on Nov 6--the last day for photosynthesis here. After that, the sun will not be shining long or strong enough to promote new growth. Flowers is even farther north than I am, so her last day is a little earlier. You are south of us, so you have more good days left. Now I am jealous of you! Thanks, Sheila and Jim. Sheila, I'll bet you still have some wonderful R sage and lavender growing. Diane

Diane, Thank you for your nice comment. I love love the English language ( all languages really). It has been such a wonderful thing to be able to learn to communicate in English. I am going to take some time to post today as I am just on call at work and studying coagulation. It is good to have some days to just seat and catch up with my studies. I have heard path boards are brutal. My parents came to the US when I was 7. Since the political climate in Cuba is so tense it took several years for the legal paperwork to go through, and I was able to come here to start high school at 15. It sure was a shock when a week later my mom dropped me off at a over 3k student school in Miami, Florida. I still remember my first classroom number (245), because I had to ask a girl on the hallway how to get there. Of course I found one of the very few kids in the school who wasn’t bilingual so she couldn’t understand me. I knew how to count to 10 so I tried again ( two, four, fife “with an f” ;) and she kindly showed me the way. Those were interesting times to say the least. My mom who was a hairstylist at the time, drove me to school every day, then went to work until 2. Then took me home and returned to work.This is some feat in Miami traffic. My dad took care of taking me to Saturdays extra English and reading lessons as well. My parents wanted me to attend a good school with lots of advanced classes, and they made a huge sacrifice so I could have all the opportunities only this country offers. I am so grateful to them for supporting me. I feel so bad about your poor little Dianela now. I hope she ended up doing well in school even after all of those set backs. Having parents that care is such a critical thing for children of any age. I am glad she had your daughter as a friend to positively influence her. I understand you so much, as a young 20 something my friends would call me at 11pm when they were heading to the nightclubs in Miami and be surprised I was at the cadaver lab studying. They didn’t understand if I wanted to pass those Monday exams I couldn’t spend the weekend dancing. Well that was a very long winded post to answer your question lol. Yes I lived in Florida Miami and Fortmyers until I went to TN for medical school. Met my now husband during med school and it seems North Alabama will be our forever home. I am enjoying learning all the southern ways now. Thank you for telling me about the manure. I am going to try and spread some over the winter in my beds. That will make me feel like I am doing something to prepare for next spring. I wish we were closer so I could go help you with yours and see your garden in person.