I'm perhaps a bit biased, in that I'm a trustee of the HRF, but let me start the conversation. We are a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, organized in the U.S. but international in scope, dedicated to preserving heritage roses, promoting their culture, educating the public about them, and supporting research into them. We have wonderful conferences (the next one is in June, in Winchester, England, with an all-day visit to Mottisfont Abbey! Wowzers!). Our "big" publication is Rosa Mundi, a superb publication which, unfortunately, doesn't come out nearly as often as we'd all like, but with a volunteer editorial staff, you do what you can. Between issues, there are periodic newsletters, which also have articles of interest (I'm currently the editor of the newsletter). Welcome! We appreciate your support of "the cause," and hope you'll make it a long and fulfilling relationship!

Chihauhan desert? Cold. Know your elevation. Short season. Greenhouses and row covers. I'd look up any "local" nurseries and garden clubs. Definitely be some farms and ranches out there. They can recommend varieties and share scions. Of course scions are only good if you have something to graft onto. Yes, pomegranates and figs are grown from cuttings and there are cold hardy versions of both. Know your Co. Coop Extension and Master Gardeners. They may or may not be very active. Online publications can be quite helpful. http://extension.arizona.edu/ http://cals.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/html/mgs/mg-broch.htm As for the USDA scion program the application ended Nov.1st. Try this year. You have to hunt for what is available. And we mere taxpayers are at the end of the request list in priority. You cannot get what is already commercially available. http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/site_main.htm?modecode=53-06-20-00 AZ Rare Fruit Growers meets every second Thursday of the month in Phoenix. I know that is along way to drive. http://azrfg.org/ You can do a lot with 2 1/2 acres and water. This post was edited by Fascist_Nation on Sun, Feb 9, 14 at 17:14

Hello, I am new to the forum and gardening and have been reading all of the different posts for how to work and have a bountiful harvest. This is my first year and I am growing flowers and vegetables. Right now I have corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, bush beans, pole beans, black-eye peas, sweet peas, Lima beans, wax beans, cucumbers, green peppers, spaghetti squash, bush squash, tomatoes, two banana trees, collards, turnips, lettuce, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, onions, and broccoli. I tried to grow a little of everything to see what will do well and so far everyone's tips and methods is making me see some form of progress. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for being so nice and sharing your gardening experience it has really given me inspiration and hope.

Isn't a growbag is an old bagpipe filled with dirt? :) I'm surprised Scotland is zone 8, but I guess that's what happens when gardening zones are defined by minimum winter temperatures. I'm in western Canada, zone 3, so winters would be a heck of lot colder than Scotland, but summers maybe warmer. Anyway, I'm at 53.5 degrees North, so probably have similar long summer daylight as Scotland. Your greenhouse and temperate climate should give you a long growing season, but light may play a factor too, with growth slowing as the days get shorter even if you can keep the temperature up. I get shut down here by late September regardless as frost threatens. As someone above mentioned, varieties of C. annum will probably work best for you as they grow and ripen the fastest. In my experience, I find getting fruit set on hot peppers a lot easier than on bell peppers. You might do okay with bells in your greenhouse. Watch for insect pests, they can multiply quickly in a greenhouse, though you certainly wouldn't have any natural pepper pests in Scotland. That's all I can think of off the top of my head... oh, I'm growing "Matchbox" this year, a hot pepper, going to start hardening them off tomorrow in preparation for planting into pots and maybe directly in the garden too, in another week or two.