Thanks, david 5311! I really do love it...and it began my quest for more doubles...not realizing how hard that was going to be (I realize now). It was one of only maybe two or three pots there, btw...the labels were jumbled and I wasn't confident, to tell the truth, that it was what it said it was! I decided to take a chance...and I'm glad I did. Occasionally, we get lucky! The thing is...I was perfectly happy with my other hellebores...until this double started...lol! I found an online place where you could look up hellebores (and other perennials..I guess a wholesaler?)...and there was/is this double white...not quite this type of double, if you know what I mean, not as many petals, but still neat and interesting. Anyway, I put in my zipcode and have now called all the nurseries listed in my area that are supposed to have it...none do...and none have heard of it...so much for that. I like that idea of national collections, too. Although I can't begin to think of how it could be done in a country as vast as ours. But, I'm sure there are great minds who can! Also, who really owns them? Well, just curious. Enjoyed the chat! Got snow here last night but by now, it has mostly gone away. Just when we think winter is done! March, always a tricky month!

"Donn can get away with transplanting in the fall.." I'm getting spoiled. I also moved from Ohio, the NE snow belt, but I moved from 5 to 7, and the luxury is dramatic. That said, I did quite a bit of fall planting and transplanting in NE Ohio. First frosts don't stop cool season perennials from growing, especially their roots. Even in zone 5, it takes a good bit of sustained, well below freezing weather to freeze the soil below the surface. A rule of thumb I use for fall planting is to avoid disturbing roots. If I can install a potted plant without having to tease, cut back or otherwise disturb the roots, I'll do it. If the plant is pretty root bound, I leave it in the pot, and bury the pot. Sometimes, the roots will grow out of the drainage holes and into the surrounding soil, but when I pull them in early spring, they are usually getting a haircut anyway, and a little root pruning just stimulates new root growth.

I bought quite a few plants from Vermiculite 1 on ebay last year - her plants are wonderful but her shipping can be slow - but worth waiting for. Hostabargains, bentley gardens and oakcreekgrowers/Casita Azul are very good too. Hostabargains mainly sells small, but very healthy plants, Casita Azul's are larger. Bentley sells divisions, full plants and tc's. (Both Bentley Gardens and Casita Azul [ilovehostas.net] have websites. I have been very happy with my purchases from all three. Clayton3887 on ebay has sent me some very good plants. He makes sure you know the size of the plants from him. Unfortunately, I think I have found HVX in a small number of my other ebay purchases from last year, so I have mainly limited my ebay buys this year to those mentioned above. I hasten to add that there are many good sellers on ebay whose plants don't have HVX. You just have to be careful! Also when you buy from ebay, the size of the plants, or divisions you receive vary wildly. And watch out for the cost of postage and handling - it can add up very quickly. I use my copy of Steve Greene's Hosta Finder to see if any mail order nurseries have the same plant and compare cost/size etc. Tony Avent at PlantDelights has a brilliant catalogue, but his plants are, in my opinion, very over-priced and I have found them to be very unreliable. I spent a lot of money on unusual hostas and about 80% died. This was before I knew about the other wonderful mail order hosta growers, whose names feature regularly on this forum. I thought it could have been the great difference between N. Carolina and Connecticut growing conditions but may be not. I have had very bad luck, in the last 3 or so, with White Flower Farm mail order hostas and, believe it or not, columbines. If they didn't die the first year, they faded away to nothing by second or third year. They, like Plant Delights, are relatively expensive. A big disappointment so I steer clear of them. Those are my experiences. All our gardens are different and what doesn't work in my garden may thrive in yours, and vice versa. Jakki

I bought a pack of 10 white bibs at Babies R Us. These were great because I could Oxy-clean them or use a little bleach. Same with white onesies. Also white cloth diapers for spit up, spills and everything else! I also liked: -travel high chair (I think it's by playskool) great for vacations or overnight trips where they may not have highchairs, also used it when the baby outgrew his high chair and wanted to sit at the table. I just took the tray off and pushed him up to the table. -The First Step catalogue has a lot of great products. -cheap umbrella stroller, very easy for shopping trips. -Jogging stroller for around the neighborhood and getting back in shape! -I used the Avent bottles and milk bags while breast feeding. My hubby was able to heat up the frozen milk easily when I went back to work. -I found I was always losing tiny baby socks, so I just bought a small pair of sock-slippers. They seemed to stay on better. -When baby gets older: cheap First Years sippy cups and spoons and forks. If they get lost or scummy, you just buy new ones. -Pack N Play -baby monitor (if you have a large-ish house or baby will be in another room). -baby first aid kit. I know there is more, I'll have to think about it! Also, one problem a lot of moms I know run into with baby showers and clothing gifts, sometimes the clothes are OFF SEASON. Make sure your daughter saves gift receipts and tags. Sometimes the cutest outfits are given for winter, in a size the baby will be in the summer.