I agree with Jim that the Austrians would have been too broad. They probably would have overwhelmed the area eventually. Glad you like my idea, Rick, but I can't guaranty that it will get you around zoning. While it's technically not a fence, gov't reps. may insist that it follow all the same restrictions. Much of that sort of thing depends on what neighbors think of your creation. Complaints draw attention. If you make it beautiful and receive only praise, then you can probably get away with making it a little higher than a fence. PROBABLY. But be prepared to adjust to compliance. There are different honeysuckles. I also don't know where you are so don't know what will work well for you. Some honeysuckles tend to cling to upward portions of their support and don't maintain much growth at lower levels. There are lots of vines to choose from. Take a look at Bignonia 'Tangerine Beauty' or some of the non-hybrid clematis. Some of those are pretty tough.

Well, that IS slow. When I originally conducted my fertilizer experiments over a 3 year period I found that a high nitrogen fertilizer like I mention in my article would make some species grow faster and for some, it didn't make any difference. So it comes to that some species react very well to fertilizer applications and some do not. In my experiments, I used good soil, good fertilizer and watered them with 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of water every other day, and most were in a greenhouse. Given that, there were a half dozen species that were the best. (out of 70 species at that time and studying multiple plants per species) All of these were larger plants that typically don't produce as many flushes per year as seedlings usually do. The best results were: Cycas taitungensis at 6 flushes in a year Encephalartos arenarius 5 flushes Encephalartos ferox 4 Ceratozamia hildae 3-4 Cycas revoluta (king sago) 3-4 From there, most produced 2 flushes and species like Dioon merolae produced 1 Faster growing can mean different things to different people. Larger cycads like Encephalartos laurentianus can be thought of as being the fastest to grow because in 3 years from seed you can get a plant that is already producing 7 foot long leaves with a 6 inch stem diameter. Cycas debaoensis is very fast growing and can produce a cone in 3 years, which is very fast for a cycas species, because king sagos being grown in good conditions will still take a good 10 years to produce a female cone which needs a stem size of 12 inches in height, on average. Many zamias will produce cones in 3 years and C. hildae will produce cones in 4 to 5 years, so when you think about fast growing you have decide if you are looking for a large plant, or something that matures in less time. A Zamia pygmea will proiduce male cones in just over 2 years, but 15 years later, the leaf spread might not be over 2 feet and no more than a foot tall. Anyway, you are getting slow growth but if you have a sago and you are growing it inside where the sun is not where good enough for good growth, you can't expect a lot. Container size, soil, light, temperature, and water are all factors that will relate to how your plant grows. I can grow many cycads fairly fast compared to many people, but then on the other hand, I know someone who lives in Hawaii that kicks everyone's butts. I'm doing good, but on an encephalartos that takes 8 to 10 years for me to get female cones, in many cases, he has done it in 5 to 7 years.

Hi Joanna, I'm new to roses, too, but I've done a lot of self-education. I learned on Sunday at a mini-seminar that roses do best at a PH between 6.3 and 6.5. My soil is about 7.0 with limestone rocks scattered through it; otherwise, it's Florida sand. For a while when I thought it was more alkaline, I was thinking about removing all the soil in the bed and having compost delivered in a truck, so that's an option (albeit an ugly one.) When I found out it was 7.0 and not worse, I decided I would dig really large holes, line the bottom and sides with pine needles (they're very acid), use the recommended dose of soil sulphur (only to be used once a year, I believe, because it will harm the plants, then you check the PH again), make new soil out of maybe 33% original soil, 33% peat moss which has a low PH (wet it before mixing it in - it repels water), and the rest store-bought compost, Black Kow (aged manure), and a "soil conditioner" which is just ground up pine bark (very acid.) I'm going organic, too. Cottonseed meal is a good nitrogen source, and it acidifies the soil. You could use fertilizer designed for acid-loving plants also. Pine bark mulch and/or oak leaves will acidify the soil. I was told that roses won't be happy at 7.0. Also, salt isn't good for plants. Just like humans, it makes them thirsty and they require more water, and salt is what burns the plant when you over-fertilize. Maybe what's in the alfalfa isn't enough to matter alot, but I would water more than you planned to compensate. In Florida roses are heavy feeders. I use alfalfa & fish emulsion, too. I have been told to fertilize monthly year round. I kind of think if you use a heavy dose of sulphur on your soil, you should wait several months before you plant. A Master Gardener told me that I should grow what likes alkaline soil because "high PH" could not be corrected. That's why I thought of insulating the plant from the original soil with the pine straw. Probably a crazy idea that won't accomplish what I want. I was told compost does nothing to change PH - but it does keep nematodes away which we have here. I would think that you would have lots of garden amendments available in Israel since it's reported that they produce wonderful things from the desert in Israel. Well, I hope you find everything you need including advise. I saw those same photos of rose gardens so I know where your heart is. My garden still looks like a demolition zone with about 10 roses in pots waiting to go in the ground. I don't understand why it takes me all day to plant 2 roses - oh, maybe it's because I have to move out 2 or 3 plants & relocate them elsewhere and prepare those holes and lug the compost & peat & manure & shovels & water back & forth. We have chloronated city water which is bad for the microorganisms that I'm trying to encourage so I fill tubs with hose water and let it sit for 24 hours, then dip it out to each rose a gallon at a time - everyday because they're newly planted. I must really love roses! I only hope they survive. DH is investigating a rain collection system. My Mrs. B. R. Cant (only 10 days in the ground) is blooming beautifully. She's on Fortuniana rootstock and is supposed to become a 9' x 9' monster. Keep in touch. Sherry

ngraham or anyone else who has made it, does it need the extra flavor from the Grand Marnier? Some reviewers said the mandarins weren't enough to give it much flavor, so they added orange extract, and others added grand marnier and orange zest. If it's fine without any additional flavor, I'd do it by the recipe.