>I want something that is hardy and somewhat resistant to disease- Maybe Crepuscule and new dawn?? Hi vlodom, I was just going through some similar decisions recently and rhonda in upstate SC convinced me to go with Crepuscle. She posted a picture of it growing at one year old that is incredibly enticing. Plus, it will do that well in less than ideal sunlight. And it has few thorns. Just a really nice rose, I think. I've been interested in New Dawn too. Someone has been working on me towards one of New Dawn's seedlings: Penny Lane. That one has really good shade tolerance, she said, and she loved its fragrance. I assume it will grow as well in the Piedmont as New Dawn will, though she was writing from Kansas. Some other rambling or climbing roses you might take an interest in: Madame Alfred Carriere, Dublin Bay, Red Fountain, Quadra, Laguna, Reve d'Or, Jaune Desprez, William Allen Richardson, Sympathie, Goldfinch, Creme de la Creme, Climbing Pinkie (especially the cultivar at the Antique Rose Emporium). If you'd really like a lot of bushiness as well as the ability to put out some long canes, then take a look at Ghislaine de Feligonde. It ought to mix well with Crepuscle too. Avoid Iceberg, including climbing Iceberg, if you want to try to avoid having to spray for blackspot on the east coast. I wanted Iceberg so much that I decided to give it a try anyway... but sure enough, all I'd read about it being more of a problem on this side of the country turned out to be correct. The best resource on the internet for investigating roses is HelpMeFind.com: http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/plants.php Good luck with your new house and yard! Best wishes, Mary Here is a link that might be useful: Crepuscle photo appears in this thread within Antique Roses Forum

This is my grandmothers recipe for dill pickles. She did it this way for 50 years, and learned it from her mother. I have added comments for my own benefit to the original instructions. I scale this recipe as needed. If I have just 3-4 cucumbers in the morning, I can just one quart. Smaller amounts take shorter times. I grow my own cucumbers, garlic and dill. As the other poster noted, use wide-mouth quart jars if possible. My grandma called it pickling salt, but it is canning salt at the grocery store. Once you jump in and do a practice jar or two you will get the hang of this in nothing flat. Just like falling out of bed in the morning. * Exported from MasterCook * Garlic Dill Pickles Recipe By : Hazel Berens Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :1:00 Categories : Canning Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 24 pickling cucumbers -- * see note 12 cups water 6 cups white vinegar 1 cup pickling salt -- rounded 12 heads fresh dill 12 cloves garlic -- cut in half This recipe will make 6-8 quarts, depending upon size of cucumbers. If more than 6 quarts, increase amount of dill and garlic required. Wash cucumbers and remove 1/16-inch from blossom end. Place in a 5-gallon bucket with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Soak in ice water for at least 4 hours but no more than 8 hours. Refresh ice as required. Fill enamel canner with water and bring to a gentle boil; this will take at least an hour. Boil canning jars in canner. Process lids in simmering water for at least 10 minutes. Do not boil lids, as this will compromise the rubber seal. All we want to do is soften the seal. Combine water, vinegar and pickling salt in a large stock pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. This will take 20-30 minutes. Make sure pot is covered so that solution does not evaporate. When mixture has come to a boil, remove a jar from the boiling water, making sure all water has drained from the jar. Place 2 half-cloves of garlic and 1 head of dill in the jar. Add 3-4 cucumbers, leaving 1-inch headspace. Top with an additional 2 half-cloves of garlic and another head of dill. Using a canning funnel, fill the jar with hot vinegar mixture, leaving ½-inch headspace. If necessary, wipe jar top and threads clean. Place hot lid on jar and screw on ring a little more than finger tight. Place jar on rack to cool. You should hear the "tink" of the seal within a couple minutes. Repeat with remaining ingredients. After jars have cooled, test seals. Write date of canning on lid using Sharpie. Store in cool, dark place for at least 6-8 weeks. Refrigerate after opening. Pickles will keep for up to 2 years if stored in a cool dry place. This recipe will give a much crisper pickle than those processed with a hot water bath for 15-30 minutes. [Scale recipe as needed. 1/6 cup canning salt = 8 tsp] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : *about 4 inches long

These are all good plants, although I am not familiar with Paradise Expectations. I looked at it at the Hosta Library and it looks like Great Arrival, a reverse of Great Expectations. To me that means it will look a lot like Olive Bailey Langdon, perhaps with a creamier colored edge. I would place these two apart from each other, in a symmetrical way like opposite ends, or something else in the middle with these two flanking it. So you are missing a solid green (suggest Bridegroom, Tracy's Emerald Cup, Hoosier Dome, Devon Green), and a solid yellow (Aspen Gold, Birchwood Parky's Gold, Stardust, Golden Prayers, Midas Touch). Guardian Angel is really cool. I like Alex Summers a lot too, but you already have dark centers with light margins in your collection. Dave

Do you sew at all? I ask because I have been searching on line for pillows to show you, and haven't had much luck finding things that I think would work well with your rug that have some pattern. And if your furniture is a solid cream, I don't think I would use solid color pillows, at least not by themselves. What I would do is take the pix of the rug with you to the fabric store, and look for some patterned fabric that picks up the colors and the general feel that you are trying to create - formal, informal, modern, etc. Tho with that rug I am thinking a bit on the traditional side. Anyway, I would find one fabric (perhaps a multi stripe, or pattern with the blue as a background) and use that for a set of pillows and also for a panel to hang in the doorway. Then consider adding a second set of pillows, perhaps in a different shape, in front of the patterned ones on the couch, that pull out one of the colors in the pattern that is NOT a blue. Add a pretty throw in another accent color (perhaps the sage, depending on your wall color). Pull more color into the space with the lamps/lampshades and the art you choose. If you have an IKEA near you, you can find some very pretty lamps and shades that would work with your color scheme, I think. Most of all, have fun with it.