Edward, your blooms and your photographs are always lovely but I think your photograph of Cynthia Louise Valente is one of the prettiest I have seen of any bloom. It looks as if it is perfect. I also like the seedlings. kay

iris_gal, Sir John Betjemen is a great rose for a pot. He is about 3' tall and 3.5' wide. His color changes some with the weather, darker when cooler and lighter when it's hot. He does not have a lot of fragrance but he flowers a lot and the flowers last a long time on the bush. No disease here in SoCal.

Paid 3.95 in Illinois on Sunday. Went through Wisconsin later Sunday and it was in the 3.40's. Arrived in Minnesota and it was in the mid-3.60s. Returning today from MN, we filled up at the very last station in Wisconsin for 3.67, then headed back into Illinois where it's still 3.95. That's regular, unleaded. DH paid 4.20 on Sunday for his pickup - premium unleaded. This is the first time I've ever heard him complain about the total cost.

My tomato season is over too. Too hot, too many stink bugs. I may leave a few healthy plants in place to see if they can make it on their own (I will continue to add water). I tried a second tomato season last year and lost them all to heat and a hurricane. Surprisingly, I learned pepper plants fare OK during a hurricane. I have a set of potted pepper plants in some dappled shade. They are blooming and setting and producing. I have two potted Carbon Cherokees too to try to figure out if there is a place in my yard that is pollination-possible given the right combination of sun/shade. I also have a big pot of fresh mint in the shade for an occasional juleps libation, which I will enjoy will looking at photos of past harvests and staying cool in the house. Saw 111 on the way home one day already.