Hi, Karl your message emphasized the point even more. Plus! it looks like not only generic garden centers can be a problem but also this! One time I called to check on a specific variety of climbing rose for Kansas that I might put on reserve for next year 2010 ( I contacted a so-called rose society hotline from my suburbs) and I did not find out until 15 minutes later into the conversation that the "volunteer" herself had never grown roses herself. And when I questioned then how can you know about what I'm asking about, she admitted wellllll, they give us a sheet and train us on how to answer a lot of the questions since we're mostly all volunteers.... ooo, my....see how I depend upon the real experts (you) etc, etc.... On the other hand Karl, happily I have learned some very key important things about canker, root strength and artist's instincts about the health of the rose and what I visually see and can predict. I was really surprised how accurate I'm starting to get just by looking at the coloration of leaves, stems, their formations etc and being able to tell which branches will blossom/bud first and other subtleties of how a rose is doing healthwise. Marianne, I looked up the Frau Karl Druschi and the Marianne, because it's the first time I've heard their names (being very new to roses) They are very dramatic roses! I hope you had the best of photos to keep of your favorites... should I ever succeed at my roses I will be taking "memory" pictures, just like I do of my Eluane (dog). Both she and the tree roses were my first tries (1st time pet owner, 1st time gardening). Now there is just one tree rose, and the others I've gotten since then are doing so beautifully and hope they will continue to. But again, I still have winter to worry about (of course nothing like Swedish winters) but with the help of so many here, I am sure they will have a fighting chance...

Hi ~ I initiated this very long discussion thread 2 years ago & just now checked in as I just read an article from our Iowa DNR I quote a line: *The problem, though, is occasionally male trees undergo a metamorphosis and begin dropping smelly seeds. That's what Robinson suspects happened to an Iowa City tree after decades without problems.* ... Answers my original wonderment & still was once more a slave to this Duchess in my piece of soil last Fall. I still have the bucket of dried seeds to dare & saute & try - considering my allergy to fruit pulp! Currently all the fallen fruits in my thick wall of Baltic Ivy have grown to little Ginkgo trees & am harvesting ~ easy to pull at this stage so far. Last year there was a taker to the 2ft tall I had growing in a pot, hurray!!! I love my once Prince of a handsome tree now Duchess that rules my life in the Fall! FWIW

First off, I would like to send out my condolenses to everyone here who has ever lost a pet. I think this is one of the hardest things to get over. I just hope that all of our beloved animals are running & playing together at Rainbow Bridge. :) We lost our Choc. Lab., Coffey, on Oct. 27, 2007. Me, my St. Bernard, Bailey, and Coffey had went to my parents house for Sunday dinner which is an every week occurence. Coffey loved to go there to play w/ Molly, my parent's black lab. I was sitting inside that night & heard a thud then Bailey barked & I immediatly knew what had happened. I went out but didn't see anything & didn't see Molly, so hoped I was wrong & the 2 were just off playing somewhere. I couldn't stand not knowing after a couple of minutes, so went back out & yelled for Coffey. Molly came walking up w/ her head low (I think she knew what had happened) and I knew Coffey had been hit. I took a flashlight & shined towards the road & the light hit his eyes. That sight is burned into my memory & still haunts me to this day. I burst into tears & my dad carried him to the house, but it was too late. I sat w/ him as he took his last breath and my sweet, sweet dad made up a casket for him the next day & buried him for me. I had a stone made for him that I've attached. He was almost 14 months old & so full of life. He was happy to see anyone & loved everyone. He was Bailey's best friend and a wonderful companion to me, my DH & Bailey. It was hard going to bed without telling him goodnight that night, and waking up w/o him lying next to me the next morning; I'm still not completely over his death, but know he's watching over us all. Bailey mourned him for at least a month afterwards, but has now healed. We have since received a new puppy. He's a Beagle/Cocker Spanial mix and his name is Patch. I truly believe we were meant to have him & wonder if maybe Coffey had a hand in it. I chose the name Patch b/c feel that he is our little patch to help mend the hole Coffey's death left in our hearts. I hadn't planned to get another puppy so soon, but my neice got him as a Christmas gift & couldn't keep him, so she left him w/ her BF. I couldn't stand to see how he was being treated & finally broke down & took him. I have also attached a pic of him w/ my St. Bernard. My mom says it looks like Mutt & Jeff. Again, to everyone: I'm sorry for all of the losses in your lives. ~Shannon My sweet Coffey-man: His memorial stone I had made: Bailey & Patch:

I agree with Jan. The perfect Christmas tree obsession is only one symptom of how Christmas has been hijacked by the commercial interests. Our holiday of celebrating the birth of a selfless savior has perversely mutated into an orgy of insane greed and shopping. This year there are 5 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 5 weeks of insanity. My neighbor already had her tree and lights put up the day after Thanksgiving. One of my students had to work 8 hours on Thanksgiving day at Old Navy. The magazines tout how to have "the best Christmas EVER" for the umpteenth year in a row. Baking cookies for everyone you know. Santa Claus wasn't good enough--now there's Elf on the Shelf, and even the Mensch on a Bench for Hannukah, so all children can participate in the gimme, gimme culture. Black Friday gave way to Cyber Monday. More and more craft projects taking more and more time. I say get off the treadmill and only do what means something to you and allows you to appreciate the true meaning of Christmas. Do something for someone less fortunate. Spend time with your children and parents. Visit the sick. Donate to a worthy cause. And ironically it's better for you than getting a new scarf/pair of boots/iPhone.