My experience is that a couple more seasons of maturity firms up those spindly canes, so I just give the wavering ones support--sometimes a twiglet that fell off a tree, although I have some nice green metal stakes with a circular "head" that can hold the weak cane also. I've also had the problem with my Braveheart which from the beginning grew big, fat canes that spread out near the top to form large cluster blooms. Those were so heavy that the stout canes couldn't always stay upright, so I would have to prop them up. However, I discovered this year that I need to prune this rose more drastically than I do most of my shrub roses. I cut it back by more than half. It is now forming all that heavy cluster growth, but it is down lower on the cane and seems able to support it much better--as opposed to taller canes that suddenly became top-heavy with all that spreading candelabra kind of growth at the top. Learning the individual likes and dislikes of our different roses is part of the fun of rose gardening. Kate

I just pulled a pecan tree out of one of the potted brugs today, lol. If I had realized what it was I'd have been more careful. We could start a pecan farm, lol. The golden rain tree is cool. I got too baby hollies I dug out of the flower bed today. If the bad parts in the middle aren't hollow feeling I would leave them alone. If they are I would cut off the healthy ends and try to root them. I have some that got stem damage and some is healthy just brown and gnarly looking. I was so upset today I finally trimmed the hedges I got to take my frustration out on something, lol. I found a bunch of my moonvines are sprouting so if you want some stop by and I can fish you some out. I already seperated about 6 of them out and planted them all over and still have quite a few in the pot germinating. I had just buried them all in the same pot one was growing in last winter and left them there not thinking they would all make it, lol. Things are not working out for my get together with my sister and the boys grandmother is dying of cancer so I think I am going to have to cancel my plans. I got some vines planted on the arches today and fertilized everything so at least I got something done. I have a bloom on my old faithful noid but it had mealy bugs on it so it will probably be deformed. That is the one that had all those dried shriveled little branches so you might want to check for them on yours. Its little cottony looking bugs that look sort of like flat rolly pollies.

Most trees and shrubs surviving. I've lost a few, including my beloved virburnum thom-something (has horizontal branches and the the white flowers look like snow) and a gorgeous deep purple lilac (old and huge) - a couple of others not so deeply mourned. I've lost a heap of perennials so the ground is somewhat bare. Some of these losses were my own fault. With so little water, I used it on plants which I thought needed it more - so I lost a few lavenders (old fashioned ones) and other plants which are considered extremely drought resistant. The self seeding annuals like love-in-the mist and johnny jump-ups have decided not to return annually. On the bright side, the pink evening primrose, which I planted in a rash moment, has disappeared. Everything is suffering - have had a small crop of figs for past two years but the figs are very small. Same with persimmons. And some plants definitely didn't like the washing water. Town water is down to about 20% of capacity so not sure what is in store for coming summer. We live in a strange place where the storm clouds pass over us and pour somewhere else. Sometimes we get a little shower, enough to muddy the dust on the leaves, but not long enough to sink into the ground or heavy enough to run into the dams. But I have developed an interest in succulents. So all is not lost.

I have never had pups grow on or from the stem of a gasteria flower. I have one old gasteria (labeled glomerata at HD, but I think it's just Little Warty, large size) that grows tiny flowers on a monstrous stem -- but never a pup -- so usually I just cut the flowers/stems back early to send the energy back to the plant. Maybe that's a mistake though -- no evidence one way or the other. Please post if you do get pups from an old flower stem.