Wow Connie! You have some setup going, that's impressive. I'll comment on the ones I know about. I grew Vintage Visalia in the mtns but it never got taller than 4 feet up there with a 3 month growing season and the deer kept eating on it. It was the only large rose I had that last the 13 years were there, through all the snows I did no winter protection either. I've seen the rose bush at the nursery, it's huge, it stands about 8' tall or so. I don't care what HMF says, when I went down there to get another for this house and saw how large that rose gets I decided I wouldn't have the room for that one after all, LOL* Sequoia Ballet is another I wanted to get and was dissuaded from doing so last spring as a new rose. It had a great growing season even with our weeks of 100's and the rose bush they grow the cuttings off of is gorgeous and easily 5'tall and it was still immature. I got one in Oct after the manager admitted then it's a terrific rose, she was very impressed by how vigorously it grew even in the heat. In two months of growth this rose ended Dec 17"Tx19"Wide. Thanks To Sue is slow growing for me, I had it in a bad place the first fall and it was one of the last I transplanted last spring. I have it in full sun now and in cooler weather the roses are more an apricot and hotter weather they're yellow. It has unusual growing shape and leaves and as the plant matures then it holds the blooms up better. The foliage is very pretty on this rose. I ended the first full year with the rose at 18"Tx40"Wide. I was looking to replace two roses in front of my dining room in back of my other minis and I love the Hybrid Bracteatas, I asked and the manager reaffirmed that Precious Dream and Out Of The Night will both be excellent roses. The latter had 4 fat buds that tried blooming end of Dec but it was just too cold by then and the roses aren't very nice looking. Tells me though this will be another of my roses that should go all the way through on milder years. These should be in the neighborhood of between 2 and 3' tall depending on your season. I planted them also in Oct. Not a whole lot of info but a little more for you. Leslie

My father had a long English ancestry and made this himself when I was young. I still make it every once in a while at Christmas. I think this is what you are looking for. English Plum Pudding 8 ounces mixed candied fruit (this includes the cherries) 4 ounces candied citron 4 ounces candied pineapple 1/4 pound butter 1/2 cup walnuts 1 1/2 cups raisons 1 cup currants 1 Tbsp. cinnamon 1 1/2 teas. ginger (grated finely) 1/4 teas. nutmeg 1/2 teas. allspice 1/4 teas salt 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup strawberry preserves 1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs 4 eggs 2 Tbsp. milk 1/2 cup brandy 1/2 cup sherry Chop candied fruit, citron, pineapple, and walnuts. In a large bowl combine fruit, citron, pineapple, walnuts, raisons, currants, preserves and bread crumbs. Beat eggs, sugar, butter for 3 minutes. Add salt and spices. Beat in milk, brandy and sherry. Add egg mixture to fruit mixture, mix well. Turn into a well-buttered 1 1/2 quart Pyrex bowl. Wrap bowl completely from the bottom up with large squares of cheesecloth in several layers and thicknesses, and secure with string tied in bow at the top. Place mold on trivet in large kettle or roasting pan. Pour boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the cheesecloth wrapped bowl. Cover. Steam pudding 4 hours. Water should boil gently. Add water as needed. Unmold and serve or cool and store. Loosen edge of pudding from mold with spatula and turn out on serving tray. Flame pudding. Serve with hard sauce. To Store: Refrigerate, still in bowl wrapped in cheesecloth. Can be stored several weeks. Hard Sauce 2/3 cup butter, softened. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups powdered sugar In small bowl cream butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Serve with pudding as side dish to dollop on like whipped cream. Brandy for flaming. To flame pudding: Pour several Tbsp. brandy over hot pudding. Heat 1/2 cup brandy in small, tall saucepan. When vapor rises from brandy, ignite, pour flaming brandy over pudding. Hard sauce can be made one or two days before serving if pudding is stored. If pudding stored, steam cheesecloth wrapped pudding 50 to 60 minutes in lidded kettle or 'til heated throughout. Loosen edge of pudding with spatula and turn out on serving tray. Pour several Tbsp. brandy on pudding. Simmer 1/4 cup brandy and ignite; pour on pudding, Serve with hard sauce.

It's a regional thing.....where did your grandmother live? In the midwest ( and I am talking Ohio to Iowa) they use jello as "seasoning". I believe the cream was whipped and the dry jello mixed in, then the drained peaches and the marshmallows folded in and allowed to sit over nite. Using this method the Jello doesn't "gel". The Amish down the road from me make such a thing out of tapioca, jello, whipped cream or cool whip and mini marshmallows. It's not really dessert but more of another side like pickles or applesauce. Linda C

cookie8, You need to start Plum Pudding (Christmas Pudding) about six weeks before you want to serve it. Suet is raw beef fat especially the hard fat around the loins and kidneys. You can substitute Crisco but you'll loose the authentic taste of the pudding. I describe how I steam mine in the recipe below. I have served this to my neighbor who is British & lives in England half of the year. Her family has written me from England saying it's the best pudding they've had & asking for the recipe. Since I've never eaten Plum Pudding in England...I can't vouch for their compliments but we sure enjoy it! Here's my recipe: PLUM PUDDING WITH GRAND MARNIER HARD SAUCE Makes about a dozen servings. 2 Cups Chopped Walnuts 1 3/4 Cups Dried Currants 1 3/4 Cups Golden Raisins 3/4 Cup Chopped Candied Orange Peel 3/4 Cup Chopped Candied Lemon Peel 1/2 Cup Chopped Candied Citron 1/2 Cup Chopped Pitted Prunes (dried PLUMS, hence Plum Pudding!) 1 Cup AP Flour 1 Teaspoon Salt 1 Teaspoon Ground Allspice 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger 2 Cups Dried Fresh Breadcrumbs, lightly toasted (you can use those crumbs in the paper tube affair...I won't tell) 1 Cup Firmly Packed Light Brown Sugar 3 Eggs, slightly beaten 1/3 lb. Ground Suet (I have to grind this in my food processor) 1 Granny Smith Apple, cored and finely chopped 1 Carrot, peeled and grated 1/4 Cup Fresh Orange Juice 1/4 Cup Grand Marnier 1/4 Cup Cognac 1 Teaspoon Sugar Butter a 2 1/2 quart mold thoroughly (use a bundt pan w/o too many details) Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl or stockpot. Mix in flour, salt, allspice, and ginger. Add breadcrumbs, brown sugar, eggs, suet, apple, carrot, orange juice, and Grand Marnier and mix well. Pack tightly into prepared pan. Cover with parchment paper cut to fit. Then, cover with foil and tightly seal foil down around edges of pan. Push your finger through the hole in the center of the bundt pan and crimp the foil down around the hole to seal. Then, place another larger piece of foil over the entire pan and seal tightly at edges. Lastly, take a knife and poke through this second layer of foil where the hole is to allow steam to penetrate pan. Place a rack in a large kettle and sit the pudding pan on the rack. Fill kettle with water to half-way up the sides of the pudding mold (pan). Cover kettle. Turn on the heat and bring to a strong simmer. Turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Steam the pudding for 2 - 2 1/2 hrs. adding more water, as necessary. After the pudding is done, discard all wrapping materials and allow the pudding to sit for about 5-10 minutes. Place a plate over the pudding and flip to unmold. Then, return pudding to the baking pan (you unmolded it just to make sure it didn't stick). Heat the brandy and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat, swirling pan occassionally, until warm. Ignite with a match. Pour over pudding. Wrap the pudding tightly and store in the refrigerator for 3-6 weeks to mellow. Serve with hard sauce GRAND MARNIER HARD SAUCE 1 Cup unsalted butter at room temperature 3 Cups powdered sugar, sifted 1/4 Cup Grand Marnier 1 Egg Yolk Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add Grand Marnier and yolk and beat until smooth. Transfer to a serving dish. Refrigerate until firm. Bring to room temperature before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. /tricia