Wow, that's great news about Espoma products. I checked out their website and it looks like all the Tones now contain the bacillus formula and are all organic. It is important to note that only the Bio-tone also contains the mycorrhizae. The Bio-Tone Plus has an analysis of 4-3-3. It contains a lot of the same organics as the other Tones. I think there is controversy over the benefits of adding mycorrhizae to the soil as there are lots of types and most are species specific. I suppose if you have really "dead" soil it couldn't hurt to add some at planting time, I know it has to come into contact with the roots to be effective. I tend to over-insure my plants' survival and so I'm trying it for the first time. The first time I heard about mycorrhizae's benefits was when I was planting over 100 Balsam Fir seedlings and I was told by the nurseryman to add lots of peat to the soil to ensure the presence of mycorrhizae. I don't know if that's sound science but I didn't take a chance and added the peat. Now I seem to hear a lot about it. I'm trying to establish a prairie planting and there are some prairie plant nurseries that only grow their seedlings with a certain type of mycorrhizae. And I think Monrovia touts that it only uses container mix with mycorrhizae. I think I'll be using it whenever I make a new bed or plant a new rose. I don't think it'd be useful in an established garden.

The Elmore Holly Collection (the collection at the UT Arboretum) is being well maintained - probably even better than most arboretum holly collections. Fairly good record-keeping involving this collection has been ongoing, and the collection has been slowly growing (more additions). The last time I heard discussion about Dr. Galyon's collection at the arboretum, many (and probably most) of the records had been lost. Some signage (for what was known) has been redone, not long ago, but many trees are unknowns and not marked. There was thoughts that some of the records might have been archived...somewhere...maybe, but I don't have high hopes that they will be found. Since the last time I was in a discussion about that collection, the arboretum has gotten a new director. I don't know if he has made any effort to find the records or if there's even much of a chance of finding anything now. ______________________________________________________ I think it was the summer before last when I last drove through the former site of the Sanford Arboretum. I was driving, so couldn't spend too much time looking at all the trees to see if they might have been originally part of the arboretum. Also, I felt a little weird stopping and staring at people's yards, without explanation. I did see a few trees that looked like good candidates, but probably missed many more. I don't know if anyone has seriously looked at (or surveyed) this site in more recent years. I bet most people (even the ones that live around there) don't even know about it.

Kate, It's good to see you back here posting again. Congrats on going from 0 to 2. Your life must feel full of miracles and blessings. Just do the best you can do in the time you have. Your children will remember the fun of planting, caring for the garden and harvesting it (and eating the edible things) more than they're remember whether or not it was weed-free or whatever. Rototill or dig out the weeds and grass as well as you can, plant, mulch and move on. There is no requirement that any garden be weed-free and look perfect. Sadly the same conditions that grow beautiful garden plants will attract invasive grasses and weeds, and that's going to be a constant struggle. Thick mulch helps, but if y'all happen to have venomous snakes around, maybe go light on the mulch or only use straw or something that rattlesnakes and copperheads cannot blend in with quite so well. You can do this. You're not a rookie. Just, please, please, please don't be too hard or yourself---I'd try to focus on the fun and the magic, and not let it bother me too much when weeds and grasses invade. I still get good enough yields and pretty enough flowers, even if crab grasses and lambs quarters keep popping up all around them. As a gardener, one of the hardest things to do is to let your garden and yourself be less than perfect, but I have found that less-than-perfect gardens still are happy gardens. My garden gets invaded by weedy things every year in July and August when it is too snakey for me to spend much time weeding....too snakey and too dangerous. I still get an awesome harvest. In the winter, I clean it all up and start all over with a fresh slate---that's one of my favorite things about gardening. Whatever wasn't to our liking about the previous year can be changed this year. Just enjoy the journey with the kids. It will be fun for them even if the garden is not up to your pre-children standards! Dawn

Jeanne sends to Mandy - received Mandy sends to Annie - received Annie sends to Nicole - received Nicole sends to Shirley - received Shirley sends to Margo - received Margo sends to Jeanne - received Beth sends to Ruth - sent Ruth sends to Beth - received Ladies, I'm going to post some garden books (non-fiction) that I've enjoyed quite a lot. I have copies of all of these on my bookshelves. Of course, the "southern" ones might not be useful if you don't live in the south. This first author has passed away but was in the S.C. Master Gardeners and the kindest and most knowledgeable person who did a lot for the group. Margot Rochester - her 2 books are: Earthly Delights Down to Earth Both are the type of books you can read again and again. The following I consult again and again. The Southern Living Garden Book Burpee Seed Starter Tough Plants for Southern Gardens - Felder Rushing Southern Herb Growing - Marlene Hill, Gwen Barclay with Jean Hardy The Southern Gardens Book of Lists - Lois Trigg Chaplin China Bayles Book of Days - Susan Wittig Albert My dog has been waiting patiently for her dinner so I'll take care of that and then add to this with our winners for November. Thanks for joining in!