Connie helps chronicle grave sites with a group called Find A Grave which helps geneologists by photographing gravestones at local cemeteries. I think if you provide the location somehow or work with the management, it wouldn't be that hard. Why don't you email her and find out more??? For those of you interested in this kind of thing, check out Connie's blog here: Here is a link that might be useful: Hartwood blog

Catsrose and I did, indeed, have a wonderful Saturday afternoon -- touring the garden, visiting, and just getting to know one another. (We decided that she wasn't a day early, something cosmic must have happened and she was supposed to be here then instead of on Sunday.) I'm up for a trip to her place, whether anyone else is invited or not. Buford, my friend, we missed you. Are your germs all gone now? Robert, I forgot about Aviateur Bleriot. It's not a Barbier, though -- it's from Fauque & Fils. In the spirit of full disclosure, I must add that I have Silver Moon and American Pillar anchoring the very end of the fence where it turns the corner. My handy-guy had his son and his friend out in the rose field yesterday afternoon digging holes with the ground auger. (This speeds up planting like you wouldn't believe, mainly because I don't have to spend time breaking up the soil to refill the hole once I have the rose in it. Digging the hole itself is no big deal, because I have really nice soil.) I had spent the morning running the irrigation lines to the second half of the field. As soon as he finishes the holes this morning, I will start the final push to get the rest of the field planted -- 120 more roses, or so, that I won't have to keep watered in the driveway. This will add 3 rows of hybrid perpetuals, 2 rows of hybrid teas, and a row each shrubs, hybrid bracteatas, and floribundas, and 1 row left over for overflow smaller roses. I still have a few spots left in the first half of the field -- mainly among the once-bloomer rows. Belle Isis, Rosa Mundi, and La Belle Sultane (thanks, Jim) are going there. If you are visiting central Virgiia, and you'd like to come see the garden, let me know. As I said earlier, I love having company. Connie

Hi. I too planted heirloom toms this year for the first time. I went and bought a couple b/c my plants looked so bad after a few cold nights and so much rain. I decided to plunk them in the ground but they really did look about dead to me. The greened up a little but did not grow. I gave them a fish emulsion feed and they perked up as soon as we had some sun. Now they are going nuts an dbigger than my store bought tom's. They are full of blooms and fruit and I could not be happier. So, I would say give them a good dose of fish emulsion and then another next week. I think if your weather is warming up and sunning up you will do fine. Don't give up. The one thing I learned was that heirloom tom's are sturdier and harder to kill than hybrid plants. :) GoodLuck !! Nichol

Frankly, I don't know why you'd want to keep a tree so extensively afflicted with powdery mildew that it's snow white. But, it's your tree. You decide. Here is a link that might be useful: your photo