Southern climate does favor rust development, so most of the reports on the Rust Survey will be from the south. However, there must be a minimum number of reports before the plant is included on the survey. Look for a trend instead of absolute values. Rust is diminished or eliminated during the cold in winters, so fewer cases of rust will be observed in the north. Probably less susceptible plants can flourish in the north and never develop rust, even if it is present locally. So even if you are north of hardiness zone 7, it is still advantageous to have resistant plants. Just as the southern hybridizers send their plants north to test hardiness, northern hybridizers should send their plants south to test for rust susceptibility. Since rust was introduced here in the US back in 2000, it has been recommended that a contact and systemic fungicide be used to control or eliminate rust. Each is effective for combating different stages of the rust's life cycle. If you don't have rust, then routine spraying with a contact fungicide will kill spores and prevent them from infecting your plants, or at least keep any infection to a minimum. If you have active rust, then you must add a systemic to act on the rust growing inside the leaves. Since the systemic works inside, most have limited effect on spores. Nickel and copper salts are effective contact fungicides but I would not want to spray my garden with them on a routine basis. They are also detrimental to the plants in higher concentrations. There are many contact fungicides just as effective with much less environmental impact. Lastly, rust is not a disease. It is a parasite. It must have a living plant to survive. Boosting plant immune systems has no detrimental effect on rust, probably just the opposite. Rusts have been on this planet probably longer than man, so I doubt we will see them disappear any time soon. I think we must learn to minimize their impact with as little impact on the environment as possible. I think genetically resistant plants is a much better path than chemical eradication. Ed

Ugh, we've already had more snow this year than the last two put together. I was hoping global climate change might me it would never snow here again. Ha. Love the Cuddl Duds and I want to get a fleece lined pair next. I also ordered a pair of Saucony running pants from Sierra Trading Post and they fit like they are made for me. When the comments said that they ran a bit big in the behind, I knew they were made for me! They are mid-weight and aloig with the CDs, they are quite warm. I wanted to order a second pair but they are sold out. Boo hoo. Only cost $25! Love the tips I got here.

As said before, form follows function. Couple tips: Do your feet get cold easily? Mine don't so I don't have an issue there, but my feet do sweat easily so I have to "dress down" on the foot warmers and put heavier stuff on the body. If your feet feel chilly, wiggle your toes a lot. Sounds silly but the friction and circulation will help warm your feet and increase circulation. If you do feel chilly, stand up. It makes the heat go through the body rather than vent out the horizontal planes of your legs or more if you lie down. The increased calorie consumption produces more heat, plus, warm air rises in the body too, hence the known importance of keeping your head covered and insulated since the heat rises out of the top of your head. But your shoulders are often overlooked. Heat also leaves from the top of your shoulders. I've frozen my hands several times, last time was second degree so my hands are very sensitive now in cold weather. Even cold water running on them can occasionally be very uncomfortable. Here's someone who says layers=comfort. Also, you don't need dedicated outer wear. Things like flannel lounging pants fit under jeans nicely, or sweatpants will go over them. The old "winter woolies" as I call them, aka long underwear, union suits, etc are great, but again, if you get warm, regulate the temp. Don't overheat or you'll freeze easily. This can be a problem when you go inside. With top layers, they come off easily, but if you go into 70°-80° temps and have long underwear under several layers, you'll overheat, sweat and damp clothes are COLD clothes. You may need to change socks or underclothes if you do sweat. The biggest thing is to use common sense. If you get cold, go inside or get more clothes. Eat well. You will likely burn more calories cranking out more heat. Stay hydrated. Never thought I'd be one to say this, but it is true, avoid alcohol in cold weather. It doesn't warm you up in reality, it can cool you down. (Hence a cold beer on a hot day!! LOL) Warm beverages rather than hot are also better. And believe it or not, your state of mind will make a difference. If you think you'll get cold, you will. Not thinking about it will help. Extremities are the first things to freeze of course, so watch your fingers, toes, hands, feet and yes, your nose and ears.

I work at a college in the frozen north, and my office window looks out on a path that gads of students (mostly girls) walk by every day to get from dorm to class. They are from all over the country. I have to laugh when every year, at least once, the whole campus gets a cautionary note from the campus safety office warning people to dress properly, particularly with footwear for icy conditions. I've seen the gamut, from dorky-warm to stylish-warm to ridiculously-under-dressed IMHO and mostly looking miserable under those conditions. So a lot depends on your daughter and her approach. Also her personal sense of style and frankly, her major! I was a natural resources major as an undergrad and now work in the biology dept. The clothing ethos in NR has always been focus on the practical. The uniform was hiking boots, plaid shirt with probably waffle weave long underwear underneath, jeans and a down coat or vest. Wool hat, scarf and mittens and windproof down or polartec coat for outside. No one would look askance at you and think you were a dork around the NR building and in class, in fact if you dressed in heels and a thin coat, then you would be labeled a dork! In the biology dept. most students are pre med/vet/dentistry, and their minds are on their books, comfort is the main concern because you'll need to be studying for long hours and you don't want to be distracted by clothing items or lack thereof. For other majors, all bets are off. Popular and sensible items seem to be stylish boots, which almost all gals here wear, either with pants or leggings, and some kind of head covering that doesn't give you hat hair! Cute hoods, cowl scarves, earmuffs and headbands are popular. Nice wool socks will never be a bad item to have around. The rest is personal style. The coat style Tibbrix posted is popular around here, but not to everyone's taste. I have a waterproof, windproof jacket that is my absolute go-to item to wear, either on iffy warmer days, or over a winter jacket to provide extra protection. It is expensive but good ones can wear like iron. Can be folded up into little sacks and stashed to have with you just in case. Oh, and the day they dropped me off to college, my folks got me a long cardigan/coat sweater. I loved it, wore it all the time, and still have it! Oh, and I've always been a long underwear devotee, but I'm always cold. You might discuss with your daughter getting a kind of long underwear that she can wear under most of her clothing, something stretchy and close fitting if she goes for a more form fitting look. When I was in college, I wore a lot of men's clothes, although now the lumberjack look is available for both sexes, having gone in and out of style for youth during the "grunge" era. Maybe that's why I never got married, lol! My current SO likes what he calls a "sporty" look, so I guess I am OK.