There are a jillion rose books already out there. (And I have a lot of them!) Personally, I can do without another book on how to plant a bareroot rose and how to prune in the winter. If I could create a rose book just for me, it would be an annual that had pictures and profiles of all the newly released roses. Such pictures and profiles would be taken and written independently from Jackson & Perkins, Weeks, Meilland, Austin, etc. I would also like to see each of those roses put through standardized tests regarding various features. You could have a blackspot benchmark, a powdery mildew benchmark, a last-in-a-vase benchmark, a fragrance benchmark, height reports from various parts of the country, etc. It would be like a Consumer Reports evaluation for roses. With a book like this, you could actually make a more educated decision prior to purchasing. It is my understanding that roses that are chosen for commerce still have to be grown for several more years in the fields in order to have enough to distribute. Somebody in the know should get a hold of them for long term evaluations. - HershiGrl

I certainly did better than usual on the book-front this Christmas. From the DH I had asked for Katherine Swynford by Alison Weir. I gave the DD Selective Memory by the well-known English journalist Kathleen Whitehorn . . to be read by me later! From an American friend Memories of Times Past a collection of stories/articles on the slower pace of US life in years gone by. From a US Aunt In the Shadow of the Blue Ridge by VA writer Carolyn Feagans (Mary, do you know her work?) and finally from the boyfriend of the DD Roy Strong's A Little History of the English Country Church. I must say these books press all the right buttons; I can see those I have from the library going back unread.

Hi Rob!! My Gardenia tree is growing in my back yard and I transplanted it many years ago from my mothers yard when she was getting ready to sell her house. I grew up with these Gardenias and we always called them " old fashioned". It's probably not the real common name, but they are different from the trees you find in the garden centers . They are a very large bloom and have a very strong fragrance. If you would like, I can start a cutting for you? These grow so large and my tree in the back yard needs to be cut back. It really needs some attention. It loves water too! ill look for another pic for you.. The leaves are huge and a deep glossy dark green . Hope you are enjoying your summer!! sorry I haven't been around.. I have been working quite a bit and when I do work, it's long hours.. Take good care!! sorry the pic was posted there.. Lmao ;-) laura

Just to note that Jane Powell also did separate books on kitchens and baths, and American Bungalow has a number of titles and online articles. You might also be interested in the Building Technology Heritage Library at archive.org, which includes scads of plans, plumbing catalogs, design publications, etc., and can be searched by year. Also google books has a huge number of old magazines like House and Garden, Ladies Home Journal, and Good Housekeeping from the early 20th century. It certainly gives one a new perspective to look through those and read the articles and the ads. I'm sure cpartist will be along with a lot more suggestions. Look for her posts on her own newly-built bungalow.