* Carex hachijoensis, 'Evergold' (Evergold Japanese Sedge) Part sun - Morning light Only - cream and green grasslike leaves - mounding, clumping perennial - interesting swirling habit - great edging or groundcover - water usage -Semi-moist - Average size 16"-16" - Cold Hardiness (zone 5): -10 to -20 degrees F * Pennisetum setaceum, 'Rubrum' (Purple Fountain Grass) - Water - low, once established - Average size - 4-5 'X 4-5' - Cold Hardiness - (zone 9): 30 to 20 degrees F - requires excellent drainage * Juniperus horizontalis, 'Wiltonii' (Blue Rug Juniper) - 6 hours of full sun - water wise / deer resistant - Water - Low, once established - Average size - 1" X 6" (low and wide) - Cold hardiness: -20 to -30 degrees F - Note: deer resistant but not deer proof, depending upon scarcity of food. * Spirea X bumalda, 'Anthony Waterer' - (Flowering) - Full sun (6 hrs) - Compact deciduous shrub - New leaves are purplish red - bright red flowers - good filler or bank cover - Water - semi-moist - bloom time - Summer - Average size - 4' X 6' - Cold Hardiness: -30 to - 40 degrees F Not: Likes Sandy Soils * Spirea X bumulda, 'Goldmound' (Goldmound Spirea) - Full sun 6 hrs - low-growing, deciduous shrub - Pink blooms in late spring - Lovely golden, rounded foliage - Good for accent and shrub borders - Water: semi-moist - Average size: 3' X 4' - Cold hardiness: -30 to -40 degrees F * Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Sungold' (Sungold Threadleaf Falsecypress) - Water : Semi-moist - Average size: 3-5' to 4' - Cold hardiness: -20 to -30 degrees F Note: Mulch with 3-4 inches of bark chips to help keep roots cool in hot summer weather. So, there you have it! I have several 'fancy" spireas and all of them said "semi-moist" soil. All have gotten through every summer we've had so far, including this one. The key is mulching them thickly and watering them deeply. I set the hose to run slowly under them and allow the water to soak down deeply. Between these deep waterings, I water to keep the top mulch soil damp and help cool the topsoil. I consider these plants to be "Drought Tolerant" because even though they might need to be watered, they still grow well and look good through drought and high temps when many plants called "drought tolerant" burn up and look awful. It's a matter of perspective, I suppose. Shrubs do best here for me on the hilly prairies where summers and winters are both severe with lots of strong wind. (We have every- day winds like some of you experienced recently in the hurricane! When the wind gets up around 50-60 MPH you might hear someone say, "It's a bit windy today, ain't it." That's why we put our potato chips inside our sandwiches - so they don't blow away! (Hee hee hee) Springs and Falls are wonderful seasons here - moist and cool and that is when my gardens look their best. Even though Oklahoma is a relatively small state, there are 10 distinctly different Geological regions that cross the state diagonally from the northwest to the southeast. Altitudes range from nearly 4,000 ft above sea level in the highest region to 0 ft or sea level at our lowest point. Those 10 regions are so different. From desert lands and salt flats to woodland mountains and piney-wood forests; From prairie lands on flat lands or rolling hills to the hilly, rocky country with mixed wood forests. All distinctly different. Only two other states have that many geological regions: Texas and California. So, what it says on the tags vs what I KNOW will grow well here in my area of Oklahoma are not necessarily the same thing. Hope this clarifies things for all of you about my plant selections. Sorry again if it mislead any of you. ~Annie

I think gift giving divides into what I call order takers and dream fillers. Order takers want to provide something that the recipient specifically wants or needs, and that completes the 'transaction'. A subset of order takers just need to check off a gift from the list, and as long as it is an object or GC, check it done. For an order taker, gift cards are a godsend. No more running hither and yon trying to find X or Y, just pick up the card, load it and boom, mission accomplished. Dream fillers want to provide a gift that, as the saying goes, the recipient didn't know s/he wanted until it appeared. For dream fillers, the downside is trying to get into the minds of people to suss out just the perfect item. Not an easy task! For a dream filler, gift cards or cash completely negate the goal, and to boot they kill the dream by making it crystal clear just how much was spent on fulfilling the 'dream'. I used to be a dream filler--it was my perpetual goal to get the PERFECT gift for those on my list. However, as I've gotten older I have come to realize that as with much else in life you can't control or force anyone to feel, do or enjoy gifts no matter how carefully you try to pick something special. And of course gift cards as a product have exploded; you can literally give them for every and any product or service. What I do now is try to combine order taking and dream filling. So, for Christmas I paired a package of sugar free chocolate bars I special ordered for my diabetic dad with a GC for a movie theater. He and my stepmother will be facing an extended period of medical treatment out of town and my 'dream' is that they can have a night out at the movies as a respite, where he can snack on treats that aren't bad for him. I gave my sisters, all of whom like me are avid readers, each a pair of book-themed novelty socks packaged with an Amazon GC. Dream: they can order something they enjoy reading and peruse it wearing snazzy socks. Okay, that one is pretty light hearted dream filling but still, it's at least a start! And that's how I try to combine the practicality of gift cards with at least some attempt at creativity and personalization. Ann

Very true, Patty - It's not like the nursery is responsible for it. They have no warranty on their roses which I agreed to when purchasing them but I didn't even get it in the ground yet - I think I am at least just as upset about that. I'm mad as well because I had them sitting in the middle of the garden. I afraid I put my other roses at risk. Today I was just finishing the ground work for the last large section of the garden and just ordered more roses today. It makes me wonder if I should proceed... Would it be reasonable to cut this off at the base and bag it and continue to watch it? If the rest of the plant continues to look okay when would do you feel it would be "safe" to plant? Despite the cost maybe it'd be better to toss it and move on. I'm not sure. Ann, you have mentioned how predatory mites feed on the eriophyid mite. Is there any logic or proof that treating a garden with a miticide regularly reduces the chance of getting RRD or prevent its spread? Other than spraying outside plants, I have only used Avid to treat a significant spider mite problem in two areas of my garden earlier this summer that did not respond to repeated forceful spraying w/ water. Is it best practice to use this way or should I be using a miticide regularly?

Lynn, Our salad was served after the tasting to clear our palates. It was served with a chardonnay wine. Here's the recipe: Salad to pair w/ Chardonnay Basil Vinaigrette 10 basil leaves 1/3 C extra virgin olive oil 1 1/2 Tbsp Champagne vinegar Pinch salt Couple cranks black pepper 1/8 tsp ground cardamon In blender or food processor, blend leaves & vinegar. Drizzle in evoo while blending. Add seasoning, mix, and refrigerate. Salad Triple Creme Brie - a wheel or large wedge 3 Granny Smith Apples Sourdough Boule (I like Nashoba Valley from Concord) Field Greens Cut double creme into small wedges while cold. Warm to room temp before service. Core and cut apples into thin wedges. Store in ice water until plating. Blot before service. Cut Sourdough into large, thin, crust-less triangles. Lightly toast until barely brown. Brush with evoo and sprinkle with coarse salt while warm. Toss field greens in dressing and plate. Add 2 pieces of cheese. Fan out 3 pieces of apple. Lay one toast triangle across top.