There are some wonderful resources available that might help us rose lovers. A book my husband and I love is Brad Lancaster's "Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands" (2 large paperbacks)and we also learned a lot when we took the permaculture design course in 2006. We're planting our roses in wells (as we do our fruit trees)surrounded by berms or on high-fronted terraces to capture as much water as possible during the rainy season (our permaculture teacher says that "the best place to store water is in the soil.") The wells make it easy to deep water once a week or so in the summer (young roses only). We're also trying to only plant really tough, water-thrifty roses (in our area that's teas, chinas, noisettes and foundies)and have stopped pruning in the winter as that's when our roses really shine (from October through June) so why cut them back as they're enjoying the rain and flowering? We don't try to force bloom during the summer and if we prune for height or space, that's when we do it. I think this regime just might be sustainable for us. And of course we also save kitchen and laundry water in wheeled buckets and garbage cans and take it out to our precious roses and fruit trees. We have no irrigation (black PVC "snakes") and are very happy we don't. I love hearing how others are dealing with the water crisis. We'll need to pool our creative ideas if we're going to be able to continue growing our beautiful roses...

"The temperature description matches my local climate exactly. The snow pack here from lake effect snow isn't quite as much as described above but is pretty close and consistent from year to year. The summer dry spell is the only difference as we get sporadic summer rains keeping things moist and happy" One other significant difference is summer humidity, and consequent night temperatures. Low humidity and high altitude in the Sierra Nevada means summer nights are chilly, probably only rarely over 10�C, not easy growing conditions for fungi. Conversely, high summer humidity where you are traps heat at night (I'd guess you often have nights that don't drop below 20�C?). These conditions are much better for fungal diseases; that's a major reason why so many western N American trees perform poorly in the east of the continent. Resin

Dear All, thank you very much for your suggestions and tips for growing drought resistant/tolerant vegetables and varieties. I am busy in reading all your posts and simultaneously taking notes on the varieties to order. Its looks i not have all those varieties recommended expect couple of tomatoes. I am going to look at my seed stock filled in 3 big storage boxes before I place order. Jay, Thanks for your suggestion on NuMex chillies. I am going to order couple of varieties, by the way which is your best flavored chilly? I too often see that doughnut hole around our property in radar. I hope growing condition will turn better for this year. I love see my garden looks like jungle! Last year was really bad tomato year, but we have good harvest in the fall from fourth of july and sweet million. I will look for those new tomatoes you and Dwan suggested in seeds catalog and online. I am growing only dixondale this year but I love to hear back from you on your new and drought resistant onions. Thanks for all those points, I still feel a newbie when I read post here, so much to learn! I will keep experimenting with new varieties and note down good performer every year and tally those with climate, I guess may need many year to chose best for my garden... long way to go. Dawn, Wow that is awesome list to try! Growing less water drinking vegetable is to cut down water bill while not sacrificing yield. I also learned that water use efficient (less water drinking) vegetables and/or varieties have more flavor and taste and high nutrient that their counter parts which consume more water. This I also noticed last year with eggplants and chilli. Paula's Mild Jalapeno which was grown under less-frequent-watered-bed has stronger flavor than one that grown in bed which received more water. I try short DTMs and start as early as possible. This is already pushing to start my starts this weekend. I need go thorough each and every variety your suggested. By the way, I have not much success with broccoli and cabbage in the last years. But I am trying again this year with some row cover to check my luck. I will check Willhite and SESE. Yep that is true, most herbs did pretty well last year. Fowler Bush Bean sounds good. Dawn, you are right, I almost forgotten about the wind and hail tolerant variates, you know how much garden trashed by wind and hail last year. Carol and Dorothy, Thank you, I am envy on your rainfall pattern. Even thought you may not be growing drought tolerant varieties, but you always very nice trips and tricks to deal with problems. Dorothy, I am glad to know new salad mix of violets, burnet and swisschard. Carol,I know guys love eggplants, I bought few new types of eggplants from India, please let me know if you want some seeds or I will grow few extra plants for you and share with you later. All these are Indian types (drought resistant), but not sure how they will do here in OK. George, I will try you Fowler Bush Bean as well as Woody Mountain Crazy Bean. How is their flavor of these beans in comparison to blue lake? Yes yard long are must to grow, we had great harvest last year with out much care or watering. Any good recommendation on yard long bean with respect to flavor and production? I glad to know you are belong to SSE We love yard long beans, Priya makes curry and subji with very tender long beans and they also great for still fry. By the way, is there any difference between yard long and asparagus been? By the we not have any problem with large animals but bugs, the only two bugs I am afraid of with are squash bugs and borers. Seedmama, Thanks for offer, if you have extra, I love to have some. Hmm Bean called "Tepary"? you know the meaning my village local slang for "Rough and Tough" Lets grow that one as well. Thanks again for all these wonderful suggestion tips. Cheers -Chandra

I don't know why this loaded twice. Sorry for the duplicate.