Of My "late drop" Live oaks. 3 had last winter as their 2nd winter in my yard zone 6 SW Pa. One came back from the roots One plain out died. And one is in purgatory. Just joking. It isn't dead but it isn't actively living/growing. It's a zombie tree, I guess. In the middle pic it has green under the bark, but you can barely see it. I believe it will make it, but it will be after a chunk of the season is past before leafout. If anyone doubts the green under the bark I will try to get a picture with a flashlight shining on it. The top pic is the one that came back from the roots. There are red/pink buds on the one with my hands on the twig showing the bark. I just don't know how long until it starts showing some life beyond some tiny buds and green bark. But if they come to life soon, I will be glad I tried and succeeded with them, thus far. Not knowing how late leaf out and growth will affect them long term. Before finding the patch of green underbark, I was ready to think maybe the pink things weren't buds and it was dead. I sat and looked at this tree for a while trying to decide if it was dead or alive. I had a magnifying glass, too. The top couple limbs sticking up had the most red/pink buds, 3 clustered at the end. But not as many lower down. Usually the tips die before the lower portions. Well, as long as the green trunk is green it is alive, and has lived through last winter, it is going to leaf out somewhere, from the top, bottom or middle. All I can do is wait.

Brandy, you are joking, aren't you? Me as an enabler? I am embarrassed. I doubt that this term would ever fit me. I just try to be helpful:-) In addition, next year you will hate me if some of the roses will not be free of blackspot. It will be all my fault! However; Sunset Celebration is a great rose. Almost every rose balled in that Âapricot bed after the rain we finally got but not Sunset Celebration. I just cut a few stems and brought inside. Good bloomer Well-being is very nice but it does not do too well for me here close to the coast; I doubt that it would do well without spraying. In addition I find it a bit stingy bloomer. As I mentioned, we didnÂt spray since end of April* this year and Well-being does not have many leaves left. Defoliation could be partially caused by spider mite infestation but in front of Well being there is Belle Ãpoque and that rose is gorgeous! Healthy leaves and stunning two-tone flowers that are fragrant. *(DH just sprayed today and I followed up with calcium treatment to fight botrytis)

That's what was in my brain when I wrote it. However, it was the version from Mama Mia, a movie that I loved. Not only did I live in Greece, I grew up in times that were a lot like that. I repented and survived. LOL

If people don't believe pets should be spayed and neutered then they should go to their local animal shelter and look at the number of homeless animals that are put down daily. If they don't want to leave their house to see, go to pet finders ..just type in any breed and see what pops up. As the economy gets worse, more and more pets are going to be turned loose to fend for themselves. I have worked with a local shelter and luckily we weren't a kill shelter but still so many... Litter after litter just dropped off at the shelter. We also worked a puppy mill, mothers that had been over bred..just horrible the things I saw, all conditions that could have been avoided if the mothers had been properly cared for. My neighbors dog came in heat a couple of weeks ago and he made the comment that if he saw any males around, he would just kill them. HIS dog better not come up preg. I told him that if HE put up his FEMALE dog then the males might not be able to get to her. I bet she will have a litter of pups..she always does...he needs to be MADE to have her spayed.. Here we don't have cheap s/n clinics a regular spay costs..over $180 and females have to stay overnight. Alot of people don't have that type of money to spend. I will be honest I have a female dog that I "adopted" off the streets. She has been to the vets, she is on heart worm meds, but she isn't spayed. I can't afford it right now. She is in the backyard fenced in and with a neutered Saint Bernard. Nothing bothers Winnie when she is in heat..as soon as I can afford it, she will be at the vets. Back in Dec, I won a cat spay in an auction. I took our inside kitten in to get her done..ended only costing me $55.