The thrill I get from one rose bloom is better than almost anything else that I have to spend money on. This time of year, I practically get high just walking in a nursery--even a big box store. The colors, the scents, the new plants, the bargains...I start running around like a cockroach. I've been scrounging bloomed-out daffodils & dianthus from Lowe's, ooing & ahhing at the plox, marigolds & alyssium. And, yeah, picking up body bags--Deja Blue, Kordes Perfecta, Gold Glow, Sunsprite, Mirandy, Proud Land... Just got Jude, Blue for You & Penelope from Chamblees. Orangeade, Louis Odier, Gruss an Coberg, Amelia Earhart, Aunt Margy's Rose, & Mme. Jules Bouche from Burling. I don't care. They bring me joy all year & just keep getting better as they mature. I love going outside & seeing their flowers. Our peaches & plums are blooming like crazy & all those daffs I planted last year are blooming all over--they are gorgeous. Next to pets, I can't think of anything that gives so much pleasure as flowers.

Wow, I'm glad I'm not that cynical and suspicious. We're just happy gardeners who like a good plant-related bargain. Yeah, it does depend on the individual store. I have two within 10 minutes of my house. One has a larger garden center and thus more space to keep all the plants well displayed. The smaller one is the one with the great clearance rack. I guess they can't afford to have plants past their prime in prime display locations, so they clear them out. Connie, I'm still laughing about the dandelion sale. That's too funny. Yeah...I don't go to Lowes for garden advice. Lisa

Chandra, Many of the varieties sold in local stores do all right here although they might not be my first choice. The same vegetable varieties often are sold nationwide so the seed companies choose varieties that are well-adapted to a wide range of conditions. One company that focuses exclusively on varieties that grow well here in our climate is Willhite Seed, which is based in western North Central Texas, about an hour west of Fort Worth in Poolville, TX. I only occasionally see their seeds in a local store here, so I usually order online. I'll link their website below. You can request a catalog there if you want and their catalog would be a good "reference book" because it contains varieties that are regionally adapted to our climate and soil conditions. I just received Willhite's 2011 catalog earlier this week, but when I checked the website that same day, it had not yet been updated for 2011. I guess the IT guys (lol) might be having some issues with the update. (I know you work in IT and I couldn't keep myself from making that comment.....) You are lucky to live in Norman. Norman is one of the best places in American to live if you are interesting in the local food movement. I think it likely that nursery owners and employees in the Norman area are pretty knowledgeable about what grows there and could give you good advice on well-adapted varieties. You also maight be able to engage folks who sell produce at the Farmer's Markets in conversation and get them to tell you what varieties they grow. I'm going to go link the Willhite website, and then I'll come back after I find the article I read about Norman's sustainable community and will link it. Also, visit the website of Sunrise Farms and look at the varieties they list. If they can grow those varieties well in Blanchard, you should be able to have success with them in Norman. There's also a list of recommended varieties from OSU. Have you seen it? The only issue I have with it is that I don't think it is updated terribly often, but OSU has lots of scientists continually involved in trials and they often publish papers or give presentations based on their variety trials. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: Willhite Seed, Featuring Regionally Adapted Varieties

I bought mine at Walmart for around $17 around a month or so ago. That thing is worth its weight in gold. There was a bit of a learning curve for me - each weed requires a slightly different technique for the best results. My house is new construction and the ground is a heavy compacted clay. The builder elected to seed vs. sod. The weeds came up before the grass seedlings were very strong. I tried Weed-B-Gone but the results just aren't as immediately gratifying as yanking those suckers out of the ground with the Weed Hound! You're right that the entire tap root doesn't always come out. For this problem I come back and spot treat with Weed-B-Gone. This is quite easy to do because the Weed Hound leaves about a 1" diameter hole to squirt into! With the tap roots damaged and exposed the Weed-B-Gone easily gets in and kills the remaining tap root. Plus since I'm spot treating such a small localized area I use less weed killer and the new grass isn't affected.