Maybe the heat does lighten Munstead Wood a bit, but not by much in my zone6 Kansas garden. Here is the first bloom on the second bloom cycle of my new Munstead Wood. Temps have been around 90. I took this pic this morning. To me, this bloom is a bit lighter than the spring bloom, but not as light and red (with no purples) as the other pics posted above. For ease of comparison, here is the earlier pic I posted of MW during its spring bloom cycle. There do seem to be some darker shades and more purple in this spring bloom, but I don't see a lot of difference--maybe more petals on the spring bloom, but colorwise, they are close. Now the question will be, what color will my MW be when our temps reach and stay at 100+ degrees. You know that is coming--I'm just thankful it hasn't happened yet. Last year at this time, we were already stuck in the 100s! Well, whatever color it is, I still think Munstead Wood is one of the most gorgeous roses I've seen in some time! Actually, I'm nuts about her--with or without her purple highlights! LOL Kate

I just happened upon this posting, and feel compelled to add a bit of info regarding fertilizing new plantings. The current "rule" regarding California native plantings is NOT to fertilize or amend soil at planting. This is especially true if the plants are native to your local area. In theory, if it's a native, the soil should contain everything your plant needs. That said, by virtue of normal landscaping practices, we have mucked things up for our plants. Still, with natives, it's best to start without fertilizer. If your plants are from other Mediterranean climate areas of the world, then a little starter fertilizer may be helpful. It may also be necessary to amend the soil to improve drainage. They key is to match the plant's natural habitat and needs as closely as possible. Note: if you have clay soil, but your plant is native to an area with different characteristics (rocky, sandy, low phosphorus, etc.), you need to be mindful of this. Clay is wonderfully fertile, but tough on plants that prefer better drainage. If you do choose to fertilize, organic fertilizers are better for the plants, soil, and the environment.

Hi Martin, I can�t say much yet, because I bought it only a few weeks ago. The tree is probably five years old, but that�s only a guess. Summers here will be warm and sunny enough to guarantee a satisfying crop. But the tree has a rather cool place (all the warm places near walls are already given to other fig trees), only protected by Thuja hedges, a small stone bucket and a board. Winters here can get as cold as -20 Celsius, although it�s Zone 7b. One out of ten winters will be dangerous for the tree. So this will be the critical point. As I said: fruits and everything else will most likely be fine. In a German forum I read that Pastilliere is a compact tree with big, beautiful leaves and the fruits ripen early. However, some people made the experience that other varieties, such as Madeleine or Negronne, are hardier. What to say: the small Pastilliere is rather hardy, but probably not one of the hardiest. The small size makes it easy to protect the tree in critical winter nights. Pastilliere looks good and bears fruit quite reliably. The fruits are known for being rich in taste, but not very sweet compared to other figs. => To me itôs not a must have, but an interesting variety with little space requirements. If I could only have one of the smaller fig trees it would be Negronne. the brunsfig

Hello, I’m posting in hopes to help someone else like me who researches a ton. I agonized over choosing flooring for a year. I didnt want it overly knotty, too yellow too orage, too gray too dark. Was this so hard to ask? I swear I probaby had 30 samples come into my house, . I researched many and found it was hard to find reviews and photos. We finally decided on Tri West California Classics Mediterranean Colection in the color vittoria. I liked tripoli but my husband thought it was too light. I had found some photos of vottoria on instagram and it seemed to be well made. We jusy had it installed todsy and im thrilled with how it looks. Will be posting photos soon.