It is not uncommon for roses to have basal canes with prickles and flowering laterals that are sparsely armed or even unarmed. We encounter this sometimes when we are trying to ID unknown roses. One says their found rose can't be the same as some named variety because theirs has no prickles. Eventually, upon closer inspection, we find that the flowering canes are thornless, but the basal canes, sometimes even only the base of the basal canes, have prickles. Come to think of it, it wouldn't surprise me if the budwood or cutting used to propagate Hot Cocoa were unarmed, but eventually, new basals with normal armature emerged. I saw the same thing on my ownroot Tamora. The young growth the first year was sparely armed, but the first major hefty basal - and every subsequent basal - was massively thorny.

this stuff is very very bad (as in deadly) for dogs. it breaks down into theobromide. here is a post detailing how it killed this person's dog: http://do-it-yourself.tribe.net/thread/fff29cbd-16e5-4102-8c26-6636654c4719 esterday one of our dog agility friends experienced a tragedy and wanted me to pass a special message along to all of my dog loving friends and family. Please tell dog owner you know. Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. They loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog Calypso, decided that the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn't acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk. Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly. Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's web site, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs. Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that "It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it." True information about the mulch can be found here - www.snopes.com/critters/c...r/cocoa.htm This site gives the following information: Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called "Theo bromine". It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Just a word of caution, check what you are using in your gardens and be aware of what your gardeners are using in your gardens. Theo bromine is the ingredient that is used to make all chocolate especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine." *i sent an email to the company but it was returned with a failure to deliver note but if you'd like to try anyway : it's michellemessick@hersheys.com - here's a letter for you to copy/paste - don't forget to put your name at the bottom :) Dear Sir/Madam It has come to my attention that your "Cocoa Mulch" garden covering contains chemicals that are lethal to dogs and cats if ingested, namely 'theobromine', yet your packaging contains no such warning label. This information was brought to my attention by someone whose friends were unfortunate enough to lose their dog after she ingested a large amount of your product because the aroma, even more unfortunately, attracts dogs. May I please strongly urge you to accurately label your product to avoid further tragedy and ill press. Sincerely -your name here- Here is a link that might be useful: article about dogs + cocoa mulch = death

I chose what I thought was a true tan color for the outside of my house. The sample was exactly what I wanted. Not too yellow, not too pink -- just a true tan. However, I took home probably 5 or 6 attempts on the paint store's part to get that paint color to look like the sample once it was on my house. I would put some paint onto the house where I could see it from inside the house. If it wasn't right -- back I went to the paint store. I have to say they were great, and I'm one customer they remember and they always work with me to get it right. Find the paint color sample you like and insist that they get it to match. A lot of paint chips have disclaimers (they can only come so close to the sample, etc.). But if you have a good retailer, they'll tweak it to get it to your sample and preference. Paint never looks the same on all the walls 24 hours a day and it almost never looks true to the sample chip. Do large enough paint samples on your walls so you can get an idea of the true color. If you choose a color on the Desert Tan paint chip strip, it should be a color that is intended to coordinate/blend with the Desert Tan color. But then, again, it depends upon your lighting, etc. If it doesn't look pink on the sample, don't let it look pink on your walls. They can fix that.

I have hayrack window boxes that are lined with cocoa fiber mats. Here is what I do. I cut a piece of plastic garbage bag and place it in the bottom of the liner. I poke some holes in the plastic with a pencil for drainage. Then I fill the container with potting soil. I mix in one of those granulated water retention products (SoilMoist) and then add the plants. I water well. Finally, I add a layer of regular pine bark mulch. Even with all this, the planters needs to be watered daily during the summer heat. I have access to a hose, but I don't like to drag the hose out just to water a few window boxes, so I just use an old fashioned watering can and a step ladder. I find that most times, I can use the mats for about 2 years before they need replacing. We have a small Mom&Pop garden shop that carries these liners in stock, so that's where I buy them. If they are out of stock, they will order them for me. Hope this gives you some ideas for your baskets!