"What is the difference between the use of a smooth flexible hose and the one that has the ridges?" The "smooth flexible" will kink more readily than the corrugated type if you have sharp bends. Long curving bends are better in the hose, as there is less resistance to the water flow. Because of sun light clear hose will build up a layer of algae on it's internal wall, quicker than black hose. If you feel your pump's output is more than you need, you can install a ball valve somewhere on the output hose, to control/cut back on the flow. Be sure the ball valve is installed on the output side of the pump, never restrict the flow to the intake side of the pump. NOTE. Every bend and fitting, plus every foot of the hose/pipe, [vertical and horizontal] in the output run, adds to the resistance of the water flow. It is called "head" or "line loss". So if you start off at, say 500 GPH, out of the pump, by the time the water is pumped around any bends, curves, elbows, through fittings, tees, etc, plus the height and length of the run, the flow will be much less than the initial 500 GPH at the end where the water flows out. Hope this helps. "Horton"

I think in the PNW multiflora rootstock does very well, so you can buy from Pickering and Palatine. I wanted to recommend you to check out Lynette, The Oldrosarian's website. She has a PNW garden with 6-800 roses to die for, with gorgeous photos and useful comments about every rose she grew. Alas, I cannot locate the website any more. Anyway, she gardens in British Columbia, and as far as I remember, she bought roses only grafted on multiflora and laxa. Dr. Huey is the rootstock for the alkaline soils in southern California and Arizona but you probably do not have alkaline soil in the rainy Seattle. As others already explained it, David Austin sells the right to certain nurseries to grow his roses. Some sell his roses own root, like Chamblee's, Heirloom, Vintage, RU, and some sells them grafted - for you the best choice is Pickering who has most of the Austins and their multiflora rootstock is grown from seeds so it is likely virus free. (So far I never got a virused rose from them - Austin or else). Own root, as others already explained you, does not mean that the rose will be virus free. Roses Unlimited announced a few years ago that they will clean up they virused inventory but that could not be done in such a short period of time considering the large variety they carry. There is a nursery on the west coast that guarantees (?) virus-free roses, Roses of Yesterday and Today if you want grafted plants and don't want to order from Canada, though Pickering is less expensive. And, Roses Y&T has very few plants grafted on multiflora but states that they sell only virus free plants. If you are willing to try bands, you have more choices: Northland Rosarium (WA), Heirloom (OR), Vintage (CA). I tried both Northland and Vintage and I was very happy with both though I was very reluctant to try bands. For bigger own roots you can check out Rouge Valley roses (OR)- they do not state that all their roses are virus free but accept the responsibility that no matter how many years later virus shows up they will reimburse you - so far this is the best guarantee I've read. Their selection is fantastic (unfortunately their shipping cost to the east coast is forbidding but for you it should be pretty good, I assume). Chamblee's (TX) has excellent 1 and 2 gallon own root roses, including some Austins, probably at the best price you can find. Their so-called Earthkind roses are the disease resistant ones. (Strangely enough they don't list Crepuscule among those while Crepuscule is one of my most disease resistant roses.)

It surely does seem to be an Easter Cactus....thought i had a TRUE Christmas cactus for a little bit here, but this is cool too... really enamored of the star shaped flowers that open in the morning and close at night until the next day...supposedly harder to keep alive tho...lol and I DO have issues with what they pass off as Christmas cactus, yet are also called Easter cactus, but are not....lol Thanks for all of your help and complements, and especially for the link..very helpful..... Jay

"Out of these choices which one would you grow & why?" Cherokee Purple: Best balanced old fashioned sweet wine flavor with just a trace of acid zing. Large tomatoes with some smaller fruit toward the end of the season. Relatively disease and insect tolerant. Robust plant habit yet not uncontrollably rangy. Fruit is dense, meaty, soft but not mushy, and seeds are not all that noticeable. Black Krim: A week earlier than Cherokee Purple, consistently large fruit, but not as complex or deep a flavor as Cherokee Purple and more prone to concentric cracks. Another drawback is Black Krim doesn't seem to ripen from the core outward and sometimes leaves a rather hard center when the rest of the tomato is ready to pick. Also has more open and larger seed cells with more seed and gel than Cherokee Purple. Nyogous: Since you mentioned canning, Nyogeous will yield plenty of smaller, rounder, smaller, more blemish-free fruit than the larger Cherokee Purple and Black Krim. The one that is not on your list yet is superior to any on your list is Indian Stripe.