Eduarda ~ Thank you for your wishes across many watery miles. How close the net makes us all feel. DH and I loved Spain, when we lived there for a little over 3 years while he did his duty for the US Navy. We really enjoyed and have good memories of our visit to Lisbon via our VW Bus. I have a beautiful vase (to me) bought there on Valentine's day early 70's. Your pictures of your home in Portugal always make me feel homesick for our home in Spain as newlyweds. Hi there Patti ~ Thank you and yes I had a nice day with DH and my pruners. Memo ~ Thank you. It was really a thoughtful gift and I appreciate that. I enjoyed using those pruners. We had a nice day together. Thank you Cameron. It it a full moon out there but not that we can see. We just went out and there are clouds and sprinkles. I did look at the moon last night and told DH it would be full tonight. Too bad we don't get to see it. Thank you all for your love, hugs and best wishes. They mean a lot to this lady down here in the tropics trying to grow tropical cottage gardens. You are family to me. FlowerLady

Good afternoon tufanwbe ~ OGR's are wonderful roses to grow here. I've been gardening on a shoestring for years, so haven't spent lots of $$ on amending our soil. Although, through the years, it is much better than when I first started gardening. Someone told me many years ago that roses don't grow in FL, but that didn't stop me from buying them. I have lost some of the newer varieties, but once I found out about the OGR's I am hooked on them. Like minibim, I also have Louis Phillipe and have made many new plants from the first one I got many, many years ago. My style of gardens are tropical/cottage. We live in a 50's cottage and I was growing a cottage style garden long before I knew what the exact meaning was. Living here I also have lots of tropical plants thrown in and love the way they grow together. I also have Pink Pet, Penelope, Duchesse de Brabant, Old Blush, Prosperity, Goldensun, White Ducher, Maggie, Mme. Laurette Messimy, Mutabilis, Vincent Godsiff, all in the ground and doing well. Crepuscule, Felicia, Don Juan, Chrysler Imperial, Homere, Ballerina, Bon Silene, Cocktail, Kathleen, Dainty Bess, La Marne, Phyllis Bide, Souvenir D'Elise Vardon, Smith's Parrish, Blue Girl, Maman Cochet, Borderer and maybe a couple others in huge pots. I did put the ones in pots in good potting soil. I give all my roses, miracle gro, some rose food, some alfalfa tea, and some epsom salts, along with banana peels blended in the blender with water. Don't be envious, get out there and go for it. You won't be disappointed. From your photo albums I'd say you are doing a really nice job at your place. I love the brick path, love your secret garden entry too. I also want to say what beautiful gowns you made for the Renaissance Festival. You are very talented. Happy Gardening ~ FlowerLady

Alys, I live in Tampa and this is my Red Lady papaya today, which I purchased this year from Wal-mart. It is 8 or 9 ft tall now. I dug a big hole and added top soil, fertilizer and water absorber crystals. I watered it daily until the rains started and then only as needed. It has grown like gang busters!! Maybe you planted later than I did? I planted around April? Or maybe did not fertilize or water as much? I posted earlier threads panicked that I would not get Papayas. Three months ago the flowers came and fell off. Then about 2 months ago it started producing flowers that did turn to fruit. I failed to head the warnings on here and one day saw that ALL of my fruit had one or two tiny little scabs - that when touched would fall off and streams of white fluid ran out. Dang ! The fly (it looks like a wasp that is 1/2 inch long) was seen and it got my fruit. NOW I have covered all of my fruit with either bags or knee-hi nylons folded back and forth as a trial. But the fruit is already damaged. Except for maybe the two biggest ones. I did not have the heart to pull the big ones off - hoping they can be saved since they were gotten late in development. But the small ones I am now pulling off. It is so frustrating because i just pulled one off only 1 1/2 inches long and it was already bitten!!!! I am afraid to bag too soon before they are pollinated. Is this correct? Or should I bag immediately and hope one of the other two flowers will do the work? I only have one tree and none around it. I am very careful when I do pull fruit off to bring it in the house and bag it so that more flys do not develop from the larva in the fruit I pulled. Wish I could bag it soon enough!!!!!

Oh my, I just came in here to check things out and here's my name at the top of the postings. YIKES! Thank you Virginia for visiting my blog and your kind comments about it and my home and gardens. That's a boost to my spirits. FlowerLady