Hi Everyone! Well I spent the rest of the winter patiently waiting planting time and as of yesterday, am mostly finished. I went to a local nursery (Farmer's Daughter in South Kingstown, lovely place) and spoke with the gentleman there who was the expert on roses. For my arbor, I ended up walking away with Zéphirine Drouhin - since it has few thorns, is easy to train, and is relatively disease resistant. For my bed, I ended up with a double Knockout. I thought since I was a newbie it would be best to start easy - plus the color (deep fuchsia almost red) works with the rest of the bed. I know it's not really a rose to some rose gardeners but baby steps. :) So I'm patiently awaiting being able to start training the ZD - she already has lots of new growth so that's a good sign. Anything in particular I should know about this rose? Anyone have experience with it? So thank everyone for their input! I'll still be looking to go to the rose show in Wickford and to the rose gardens in Providence just to gawk and get inspiration.

Maria - I love that picture, too! All the AV's look like they're floating just above the tables! There's no way I could begin collecting African Violets... there are way too many varieties! I have one, a lavender flowered one, and I am happy with just the one! It has just finished blooming, after having been in flower for the last 6 months, or so... it's the first one I've ever had bloom beyond what it had when it came from the store! I don't want to press my luck and get any more right now! My Plumeria cutting is doing good... it's slowly developing little leaves... but since the days are shorter now and it's getting to be winter, I think it's kind of resting. Once spring rolls around, it should take off and grow like crazy! I am so happy for you, Cindee... you'll be getting a new lease on life, so to speak! Even though I'm not a big fan of golf, it'll be fabulous to hear about your days on the course! I have partial time in a wheelchair to look forward to... most likely, within the next ten years, I'll not be able to get around as well as I do now... my legs, hips and back really give me problems at times. I'm just happy to be able to garden now, and I'm putting in all the time I possibly can, while I can! Of course, there's always the chance that my legs and hips will hold up... We all want to see your amaryllis bed, Soultan! It's gotta look awesome! I can't wait to get a glimpse of it!

I bought one Sunset in 2007 and I still have the poor thing but doubt it will make it through another winter. Won't be buying the Big Sky series anymore. Just not worth it especially after hearing on the Perennial Forum that some place were in such a big rush to produce these that they fumbled in the labs when doing the tissue thing and due to the tissues not being kept sterile the plants ended up with lots of problems. I have one which resembles the Kim's Knee High and have found that although it is close to others which I grow, the seeds from it produce far superior plants with stunning pink/purple flowers and vigorous growth. I know there are some suppliers of Fothergills around here so will have to look for those seeds. If not, then I just might order from them. :O)

Carol, thanks for mentioning the grass situation. I didn't specify the growth situation in my post, butt I must say that I have never seen grass grow the way it does here! The first time I tried digging it, I could easily understand how a sod house could be built from blocks of it. The Bermuda problem (along with the ragweed) is an ongoing battle on our property, and I'm nearly positive that the grass is winning the war. As far as the soil analysis, the recommendation is that I apply 4# of 0-0-60 and 4# of 46-0-0 in my 1800 sq ft flower bed to bring it up to something closer to normal, and then do an additional nitrogen application midseason. It's an indication of just how poor it really is. I was amazed by the report. Who'd have thunk it?! As they say, live and learn. Yes, gardening in CO can be challenging, to say the least. Their soils and climate are as screwy as ours. Conditions are even more difficult than here. This has been a really wretched year for OK. One of the things that took me a long time to get used to was all the green here in the summer. You guys will think it's crazy, but I actually took summer photos of it and sent to my friends and family in the west, where green fields later than the 1st of June are pretty hard to find. It only happens if it's cultivated and under massive irrigation. Let me know if you have any luck with the sweet woodruff. I think I'd like to get some started also. I've had good luck with it the past. Other really tough (although inedible) groundcovers for me have been wooly thyme or creeping thyme and mini gypsophila. Once again the main problem in maintaining any groundcover here is the vigor of the grasses that want to over-run anything and everything. I finally put in some tiny sedum brevifolium that I brought back from CA. It seems to be surviving, although it's spreading slower than I had thought it would. It will usually grow in anything . . or nothing. I also had some purple violets hitch-hike a ride from CA and they have now spread all over the place. I have enough room that it's not a problem, and they do help to fill in some empty spaces. I don't mind using them to shade the ground under larger perennial shrubs. If they get to be too much, which they will, then I'll need to start yanking them out. BTW, I'm right in the middle of the state, between OKC and Shawnee. Just wait until you see what Chandra has done with his town garden and the edible stuff he has planted there. It's amazing. He still has the photo link up on the 'Summer Garden Update, July 19' post that's back on page 7 of this forum. He's using a more vertical style than you have planned, but I think you'd enjoy seeing it. Pat