I decided I wanted to grow Gloire De Dijon here in my mountaintop home in zone 8 Oregon near Portland, but I read that Bboy (Embothrium) advised that it would not grow well own root in our climate. Since his advice is nearly always good, I embarked on a search for a grafted specimen to no avail. Finally I placed an own root tube in my protected "zone 9" corner of a patio with full Southern sun, noon to dusk, (until the companion banana gets so big it shades it in later summer). To my delight it has grown tall and flowered well.

Elie Beauvilain -- Blooms are beautiful, but my patience is at an end. If she doesn't do something exciting VERY soon, this rose will be gone. All two feet of her. It's been close on five years. Perhaps she will love Texas heat. Gilbert Nabonnand -- It took him a good four years to really establish, but he is finally a graceful plant of some four feet, which covers itself in opalescent blooms. In coastal Southern California, he's a winner. Le Pactole -- This rose was returned to commerce, having been discovered in Sonora by Botanist and Rosarian Fred Boutin. I LOVE IT! I saw it first in the Sacramento City Cemetery, where it is at least 8 ft. tall. The bloom color is very like Lamarque, but the form is different. Twisting ribbon-like petals give it a unique look. Le Pactole may take a while to mature, but once it does, it's a winner. Radiance -- It has been said of the Radiance clan that they can be grown successfully in any place where civilized man (or woman!) has managed to live. That's probably no exaggeration. They are disease-free, beautiful, and vigorous. I have Red Radiance, and intend to get Radiance. Lady Anne Kidwell -- Among my favorite Poly-Teas. A graceful plant which can get big if not pruned. Disease-resistant in California. Blooms in volume. You won't regret this one. Sprays are very open (this is not a prospect for rose shows -- judges hate it). Blooms remind me of softly-tied cerise satin ribbons. Jeri

Circuspeanut. . . love your kitchen! Was definitely an inspiration to me as I was planning my own renovation, thank you! I remember you posted a photo of your stove completely disassembled that gave me the courage to take on a project too! Have you moved on to a new kitchen now? I think I remember seeing a post with all sorts of kitchen planning ideas and some great renderings. . . thought it might be you. Francois, it looks to me like your stove is one of the more basic Wedgewoods. From what I have been able to gather, Wedgewood offered a broad range of stoves from single oven apartment size units with simple burners to the full dual oven rigs with 4 and 6 burners with simmer settings. It seems to me that you'd want to decide if the stove is sufficient to meet your needs before deciding to spend money on restoration. At the very least you'd have a basic unit that is more finely made than any basic stove you'd buy today. I started out considering a 40" Wedgewood with a broiler oven on one side and a bake oven on the right but I decided that what I really wanted was a double oven model because my kitchen is on the small side and can't really accommodate wall ovens in addition to a cook top. Would probably have been happy with a 6 burner model but the fact that the one I just found has had only one owner and has been maintained nicely meant more to me. . . plus, the built in griddle looks really cool! I just ordered a newly published book on vintage stoves that is called "Old Stoves are Hot". Looks like it gives a social history on these critters in addition to a discussion on the technical developments that led to the period during which the Wedgewoods and Okeefe and Merritts were at their best: 1948-55. There is also a chapter on the subsequent period of decline in quality where all things were made and designed with planned obsolescence . . .

This lamp is most likely one of the many versions of the popular Danish Modern/Mid Century Modern Tulip lamps. If you can find any identifying marks that allow you to link it to a specific designer then its value is generally much more than lamps without manufacturers mark. This version is not as ornate as many versions I have seen. Tulip lamp designs range from very simple to those featuring gracefully carved wood bases and ornate tulip shape glass globes. With proper research you may be able to identify the designer. Good luck in your search.