I just went & checked to see if we have snow, none yet!! I've been waiting a long time, since 1963 & I guess 1 time it was on ground about an hour or less at 5 in morning. I was upset my neighbor didn't call & wake me up!! I've always wanted 1 pic of my house with snow!! So I came back & saw yours & now I'm cold. Your fireplace screen looks perfect in the snow. I have cattails & duck I hand painted(with stencils) all around 1 room as border by ceiling. So I'm a big fan of everything about your screen, flowers will look so good by it. Love the rabbits but the frog looks new, are you holding out on the frogs that have been in lady's garden for years or was that the rabbits?? Great buys!!I'd be 1 happy camper if I managed to get all those goodies in 1 TS trip. Jan

I should have added: I take garden bouquets to friends who are hospitalized or home-bound. We get the the tiny bouquets made, of all kinds flowers blooming at the time, to test what will keep the longest for them. A couple of weeks ago, at a bride's request for a bouquet from my gardens, I made a bride's table bouquet. Lucky thing it was right at the time my Muscadet lilium were blooming--white oriental lilies with small red/fuchsia dots in the throat. I couldn't find the right container, but did find a long narrow ugly brown one for the long narrow table. About 15 coats of white paint and it was ready to go. The neck flared a bit, so I added a necklace of braided pearls with wire ones sprayng out in every direction. Filled it with the huge lilies (about 10) and one starting to open bud for a bit of contrasting form. I topped it all off with pics I made of wired sprays of pearls for a bit of height. It received lots of very positive comments: "You should make a business of it" "They're prettier than the professionals." I had been so nervous about it--not the kind of reaction I like from gardening. I had so feared everyone would think it not up to par that this pleased me greatly. It was the only arrangement the bride wanted to take home. Not to brag, but...chuckle gramma jan

Frog finally came in about 9pm last night and he was wore to a frazzle...had a quick supper and went straight to bed. The morning he was out before daylight, Jan says,"You know that when you give him his $1 allowance he has been having me save it for him..This morning bout 10am he hopped in and said he needed his money, and hopped right out again, didn't say what it was for." I said, "Maybethem women are right, maybe he is courting a lady frog?" Jan says,,"Nay, nothin like that, you know we have at least a dozen female frogs here in the house and he barely pays attention to any of them, save for the little blonde haired one, he seems to like her." "Yea, I know, I asked frog if he had a girlfriend and he said HELL NO..." When I asked him why he says,,"do you know how many kids them female frogs make at a time? If you think I am paying child support for a mess like that, your nuts!!!!"

Diane, Abe is one of my best re bloomers. I am sure he will be awesome for you because the roses in your yard are way more gorgeous than mine lol! Abe and Pat Austin are crazy bloomers. Pat (I have 2 bushes) has flowers on her just about every day of the year. They blow quickly in a vase but she is so worth it because they are beautiful on the bush just the way they are. I didn't even care that much for orange roses before seeing Daisy's pics of Pat Austin and falling in love with her lol. I am so glad she does well in the deep south. Evelyn is truly beautiful and sweet smelling but she just doesn't bloom for me the way Abe does. I even gave Evelyn a prime spot and her own fence to be espaliered on but Abe is outperforming her thus far. I originally wanted Evelyn more than Abe lol. I love them both though. I am getting a couple Ascot this spring. I love the photos you show of that one. SoFL , That Lichfield Angel bloom opened further and flattened out to almost 7 inches across. Just crazy! Its such a great bloomer. Some of the blooms are quartered once in a while. Green tree frogs love to hide in the LA rose blossoms because little gnats are so attracted to its blooms. Where did you buy your Evelyn on fortuniana? Was the shipping expensive? would love to have an Evelyn that was 10 feet and a great bloomer. I have a feeling she might rather be in the ground on fort here than in a pot on Doc Huey lol. I would probably get about 4 of them! I am trying to get my Austins on fortuniana now. I really am getting tired of how much I have to water potted roses lol. I would rather just run a drip system on a timer. I can just imagine how well Pat Austin and Abe would perform on fort in the ground. Other super great bloomers here (that are Austins) are: Princess Alexandria of Kent, Munstead Wood, Lilian Austin (in a pot-own root), Teasing Georgia, Lady of Shalott. Olivia might be really good too but I just got her this year but she is really shaping up to be a big girl and good bloomer. I don't have Spirit of Freedom but have been wondering how it would do. Thank you for the report on this beauty. I got Shropshire Lad and have had it over a year. Hardly blooms at all but is super green and healthy and I never spray anything lol. Kinda depressed it never blooms. Maybe it just needs more time. I have been thinking of getting the Wedgewood Austin climber. Anyone have experience with that one? Does it repeat well? How large will it get?