This is fantastic! I am so happy my friends are still here and doing good. Thank you everybody, including new friends, for welcoming me back so graciously. sheila, I am glad you dropped in and found me today also. Now that you mention it, I do remember quite clearly the name Bedale that you used. I have a feeling I will probably be on here a bit, so it would be a pleasure to have you visit more. mwoods...I don't remember my username from back then. Your mwoods name seems familiar- is it the same from back then? So again, thank you all for the welcome back- it just makes my journey back into gardening that much more exciting and fun. I attached a link to some pics of my current garden. It's still in progress and I have a lot to do..I have been renovating it and swapping out plants and adding rocks. All of the rocks you see are local rocks from my backyard..I wanted to use them since they are free and they blend in since they are naturally from here. Please let me know what you think of the pics. I will probably be around in some different forums- I noticed the alpine and rock garden forum is not really active, so I will be trying to change that. I am also looking for rare and hard to find rock garden plants, so I might be in the trading forum or asking around in the alpine forum. Great to be back! Here is a link that might be useful: Snapshots of Matt's Garden July 2010

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)