It so happens, Kim, the Zalud House in Porterville WAS on my list to visit this past year -- oh well. But, it's definitely still on the list, so this year. -- I see they are opening up again tomorrow. The strange history of the house itself is interesting (how about those paranormal tours), but I was also interested in seeing if "Shingled Raspberry" is still there, and what else, rose-wise. Congratulations on getting Oneto Home Saffron and Lady Roberts! Is that OHS in the pot in your photo? If so, it's already large for the variety, unless Anita's been growing it for years. I got Oneto Home Saffron from Vintage as a band in 2012, so I've been growing it for 9 years now. I totally agree with what Malcolm Manners says on HMF: "This is the slowest-growing rose I've ever grown." Mine is now 3' wide and 2' tall (in the ground, just measured it) and that's after a "spurt" of growth the past year or two. Its natural smallness seems so odd for a tea -- even the relatively diminutive and demure Madame Bravy was 4 1/2 - 5' tall or so. But, it's otherwise healthy and repeats well. Maybe I should try grafting it onto Fortuniana, see what happens...LOL. Actually, it's kind of nice to have a tea that's not going for world domination, for once. Lady Roberts was on my maybe-kill-for list for years and finally I got it year-before-last -- every bloom a heart-breaker, and my favorite color.

Wow. Ann, I did not know that. My parents in Pennsylvania had a house built with aluminum siding. It was the lighter gauge siding. I think heavier, sturdier siding came out a few years after their house was built. Anyway, the siding dented in a hailstorm. My Dad took the insurance money and used it to pay off a couple of years of mortgage! Last I saw the house under new ownership, the dents were still there. He deliberately chose that siding with fire resistance in mind. Brick would have been similarly resistant and only cost a little more, but there were six kids and our mother had not yet gone back to work, so money was a concern. I myself have always been seriously in love with stone houses, but they are not a great idea in an earthquake prone area such as this. I lived in one for a few years as a child - before the aluminum siding house - and have always imagined that I would live in one again some day. Who knows? The point is that there are advantages and drawbacks to every location and to every choice. The only completely bad choice is to ignore the disadvantages of your particular location and material, and do nothing about it, gambling on good fortune. I may buy a lottery ticket two or three times a year, but otherwise I am not a gambler. Oh, and pampas grass is highly invasive. Pretty as it may be, no one should be planting it. The same is true for stipia (feather grass) out here on the west coast. I'm with Jackie in not loving the current trend for grass gardens, or even using ornamental grasses in mixed gardens. Lawn is okay if you have the water for it. It makes a pleasant frame for a real garden. Rosefolly

I hopefully figured out what was lacking on the tree. The silver beads were too tiny and I hung them wrong, which was the traditional scallop with one strand. I ordered two of these Kurt Adler silver beads, and they're larger which will make a difference from afar. :) Take a look at this video, it's kind of painful to watch because the guy is so bad at it, but he showed me how to do it this way. It's simple. A question for all of you below the video. Painful, just painful. I'm not going to post the video but there was a green tree full of colorful ornaments like how I do mine. They hung the beads last and I'm thinking about doing that because it really makes the tree stand out. If you do garland, when does it go on the tree?

True of course that it's much slower, and I do try to leave some space. But I don't find my pile freezes fully - usually - until quite cold, like -10C or minus five. And it will usually settle and levels drop a fair bit throughout the winter, even when cold - although granted once frozen it can take a while to thaw (like an extended thaw). Anyway, I find I don't really have to think about it usually, but whatever combination of cold and more input (more time at home due to covid? more cardboard?), this year it's right at the edge and has been for a while. Currently in an extended minus 20c snap for at least another week, likely two, so we'll be at the edge.