The flowers are made from shaved wood, like large versions of the shavings you get when you sharpen a pencil. They are a local specialty of that area, and the vendors' booths are set up just as you enter the town. Sadly, I could not bring any home with me. My luggage situation was not ideal, and I had no room to spare. But next time I will plan ahead so that I can get some! Mnwsgal, our perennials are also still looking really nice and the fall seems to be lingering in a benevolent way. But now it looks like we have a winter storm arriving on Monday. So I had better get out there this weekend and at least get the ball rolling on the fall cleanup. I'm sure it will feel good once I get started on it, right?

I'll buy a house within a block or two, and we'll all gather at Cindee's for coffee and pastry... we'll gab about plants and gardening, take a dip in the pool if it's really hot, and order a quick pizza to feed the guys because we've been too busy gabbing about flowers all day to cook a meal! We can all take turns playing coffee klatch hostess, help each other with garden projects, day-trip to botanical gardens and greenhouses, and exchange recipes for quick one-pot meals to feed the guys because we're ALWAYS too busy talking plants to cook a real meal! Wouldn't that be fun?! It's a nice dream, but doubtful that Larry could ever be dragged that far south... unless... I could try to convince the kids that they all need to move to Florida!

That is a beautiful greenhouse. I enjoy more sweet flavored citrus (like navels) rather than tart (like grapefruits). But I pretty much love all oranges and mandarins, only like lemons and limes for cooking and aides, and am indifferent toward grapefruit. I love the staple of navels: Washington (aka Parent navel). It however has a wide range of flavor quality depending on where it's grown and especially the night temps during ripening. (As you are probably aware, most citrus, stone, and other fruit tree flavors are largely determined by acid/sugar ratios which are established during cool or chill hours.) I also love the flavor of Clementines -- but they are actually close to tasting and having flesh like mini-navels. I like Satsumas even though they are slightly more tart, however they have extremely juicy with minimal flesh cells and minimal pith, so it really makes up for it. Some Good Resources There is some great reading material, albeit somewhat technical and many times focused on commercial growers, put out from Univ. of Florida extension and Univ. of Calif. extensions. I've seen materials from other states, incl. AZ, TX, and even a couple from WA. Even Kern County here in CA provides good material for our local growing climates. Maybe you can find some for your area. I'm glad to find technical material from these centers because it seems like every book or guide on Citrus are nearly identical and their cursory style is suited for the masses. But with technical material also comes a need for background knowledge and critical thinking particularly in when recommendations are made because of the dissimilarities of their environment and yours. After reading citrus books in the library and at stores, you'll also realize not much more would be learned from that method. So FWIW, Here are some of the online sources I've used to educate myself on citrus. For Florida there is the Univ. of Florida IFAS Extension Site or go directly to their BULLETINS You can google or UF/IAS for the extensions document numbers: HS949 and SP248 that provide some OK rootstock information. Or the Univ. of CA. has a great Free Publications website. And the individual UC shools have their own sites that contain some unique (and many duplicate) articles. UC Riverside and Davis are big into citrus. UC Davis Citrus for Home Orchard This might interest you: Cold Hardy Citrus Myth? for WA A great site that is attempting to house all citrus variety technical information is the UC Riverside Citrus Variety Collection . It's listing is un-paralleled and the major varieties are complete, but many varieties are lacking details. Do with it as you see fit.

nigra hollyhock i've been waiting on for 1 y my daisy that comes up all the time :')) for talla's fairy's five spot, LOve them this is an midnight owl climber rose more of a purple!! smells heavenly!! my rose, smells absolutely fragrant!! and especially next to the honeysuckle bush, now i know what heaven is smelling like!! that is what GOD put them here for. honeysuckle vine, now this with my rose was up, ahhh the smell of heaven, i know why GOD has put these two on earth!! :')) peony now this one is planted many in a circle, they like it this way, not a bunch in a filled circle, BUT a outlined circle. also talla has decided to have them near her fairies. that's just fine!! LOL they grow very well this year!! LOL sweet william!! i love this plant!! its growing great now!! :')) absolutely dunno but its in tabors medievil garden and looks kinda cool!! LOL some snaps!! WOO HOO!!! i know i should separate them but ya know, they look so good and i didn't want to mess them up!! LOL so far this is what i have :')) Hugs Medo