Plant the wescot in an area that won't get winter sun and stay consistently below zero .wrap the tree in burlap ,if you do indeed plant it on sunny side of your house put up a shade along with covering it . Also cover root system with fresh grass clippings thick layer or maybe mulch but this will keep the roots frozen all winter . The tree will suffer no dieback if its kept cool in in shade all winter. Beauty thing about that also you can leave it covered until late April or may it helps control a late bloom. I planted 4 westcot last year one other in my moms yard in north facing side of home with out any protection what so ever except snow pile on top of roots kept it dormant . No protection and no sun,That tree did second best of the four only die back on taller limbs . The ones in my south facing yard were wrapped in burlap but still exposed to winter heat hence the many buds dying . I also shoveled snow around the trees in winter this helps keep it frozen . Theirs lots of ways to do it but I think you will be fine. The manchurian apricots survived minus 50 at u of sask and fruited.the westcot and morden604 will produce best tasting as they are bred with other sweeter varity. I've read that the plan old wild manchurian apricot fruit is not very good eating .but it's hardy to minus 50 and if you let fruit ripen on tree it will still be better than store bought green ones :) ......Konrad it's not going to freeze here again lol I'm very interested in your sunrise strain you acquired . It's a manchurian strain and will set fruit all manchurian are self fruitful. Westcot Brookcot M604 Sunrise Mandan. (USA) Mongold (USA) Scout Manchurian strain ( can be variety of different mixes) All of these are prunus Manchuria they all set fruit alone and all can withstand very cold temps . Most important thing is you gotta keep the sun off them in winter and they will probably survive anything . What's the difference between minus 40 and minus 50 ? They feel exactly the same lol

I grew a nimber of these roses unproblematically on the zone 4/5 border in Ontario. I did have pretty reliable snow cover. Rose de Rescht grew very well and I liked it a lot. Stanwell was a strong beautiful grower for a long time; it bloomed consistently and reliably with so many flowers and with relatively little care; and then suddenly kicked the bucket and died. It was a good sized bush too, probably three feet high and four to five feet wide. Nothing was any different about the temperatures that year, and I think it was mostly about going into winter with dry roots; I'd get it again in a heartbeat if I move farther north. Snow Pavement was quite hardy and I loved it with its touch of lavender to the generously supplied blooms. All the roses carrying a strong strain of Rugosa were fine, though some of the hybrids with a rugosa ancestry that did not boast in the leaves were weaker (like Robusta). Bonica was fine. Uetersen seemed hardy enough. It was so heavy with flowers it kind of clung to the ground, which perhaps helped keep it under the snow; I liked having despite its procumbent habit.. Gallicas were reliable, I had both rosa mundi and apothecary rose which were dependable and delightfully floriferous. Darlow's Enigma seemed about as hardy as the explorers, a constant bloomer and charming with its little red hips. Other things that were hardy for me surprisingly perhaps included Ghislaine de feligonde; it didn't grow as a large rambler but was a crown hardy shrub, about four by four, very reliable and floriferous. Also I had a delicate but strong lens shrub called Maria Matilda, billed as a miniature but not so miniature in reality; it had perfect two to three inch blooms in a delicate blush on a four foot bush. Crown hardy but came back biger and stronger every year.

I put a wood look Coretec LVP throughout most of my first floor, in our beach house. You will get some of the cognoscenti who sniff in derision about LVP - but I love the stuff. I have dogs and they can't make a dent in it. My main home has wood floors throughout, and they currently look like I ran a wood chipper over them due to maniac dogs running and having way too much fun on them. (Yes, I've trimmed their nails, in case anyone intends to suggest I try that. I use a dremel once a week, their nails are incredibly short...they're just young exuberant dogs who like to run and play, and they're scratching the heck out of my "real" wood floors in the process.) In theory I would prefer "real" wood, but in my life real wood causes me more trouble than it's worth. YMMV. :)

I've tried off and on for 30 plus years to grow Lupines. They are one of my favorite flowers - unfortunately for me only in others gardens. The foliage looks wonderful right up until the time our heat and humidity strike and then, pooft, it almost collapses overnight. I had a friend of mine in a cooler environment try them and hers failed too. I think it's one of those plants that's like the girl with the curl in the rhyme. When it's good (for you) it's very very good and when it's bad (for me) it's horrid...........Batik is simply wonderful..............Maryl