I went back to work part time so I could finish the garden out the way I really want to. I'll be getting the better part of my roses from K&M over the next couple of months (4 roses every two weeks until it is to cold to ship). All the roses I get this fall will be potted into 3 gal pots for easy storage this winter when things get really cold. When you read this, you will see I'll be VERY busy next spring. From K&M---3 Louise Estes, 3 Gemini's, 4 Moonstones, 4 Mavrik's, 4 Marlon's Day's, 2 Let Freedom Ring, 2 Elizabeth Taylor, 2 Affirm's, 2 Hot Cocoa's, 2, 3 or 4 David Austins that he will be selling this fall, 1 Shawn Sease, 1 Cooper, 1 First Choice. Big order from Edmunds---For my garden, 4 Hannah Gorden, 4 Sheila's Perfume, 2 Day Breaker's, 2 Royal Amethyst. For the office garden where I work, 2 Remember Me, 1 Chicago Peace, 1 Big Purple, 1 Electron, 1 Mister Lincoln. For the rose garden at the church where I attend (almost wiped out this past winter), 2 Remember Me, 1 Peace, 1 Chicago Peace, 1 Big Purple, 1 Mister Lincoln, 1 Electron. I'll be making a trip to Roses Unlimited this coming spring and will be picking up 3 OGR's (HP's), soft pink, lavender/purple, white. 1 Summer Snow, 1 Tiki and what ever else happens to jump into my car. WOW!!! I'm glad I went back to work.

Hey John, Good to know !!!! I thought it was a winter hardy one.. along with Wonderful.. Well you saved me again!!! I will see if I can buy another Russian from our Local nursery( that is if they have any in the fall). I did go to the farmer's market to pick up a Persimmon for My friend.... who grow a lot of Indian vegetables and Are getting into growing fruits... I get a lot of Tips for indian veggies from them as they have farms in India. They are the ones who provide me the seed for my veggies :-) The farmer's Market guy has a pomegranate, but is not Russian. Not sure what cultivar it is. He does not know either.. I am guessing Wonderful as that is what seems popular.

The Wish List Seed Swap is still open for signups through Monday, December 7. Two more days to add your name to the list and post your wish list! Here's a link: http://cubits.org/wishlistswap

My banana is not only doing better but much better! He seems to be extremely happy now! He's got his 7th leaf coming out! (Ignore the boxes. They are critical to maintaining his happiness, I swear!) So spring seems to have come absurdly early. I'm both really excited and enjoying this warmth and really really worried. My peach is blooming 3 weeks earlier than last year. As well as my nectarines. Ralph, remember I had a bunch of baby purple leafed peaches? Well I guess they're old enough to bloom too! Completely unexpected! The ones I potted up but didn't bring to plant swap (potted same time as plant swaps) didn't bloom so I guess they got too much shock from being transplanted, so whoever got them last time it probably won't this year, but next year seems likely! But most worrisome of all... 3 of the 6 blueberries I have are in bud, and one of them has started blooming... I know there are various types that bloom at different times of the year but this seems absurd! Of course after checking out weather for the week looks like we're going to get a frost! Obviously! I just hope I get SOME peaches... :( Anyone know what this is? Its in a few spots of the garden so I think its a pack of bulbs I got and planted and forgot about... but they're anemones right? Just that most of the pictures I looked up have black insides not yellow. In addition to all those... I see that my pink banana (musa velutina) is coming up. My black magic taro, midori taro, black and blue salvia, purple and black salvia, my crinium, all those irises I got from the swap, the canna lilies you gave me Ralph, my candy lily, and my toad lily (which ALSO seems to have spread some! there's a sprout about a foot away from the main body! WHICH IS AWESOME). I'm just worried that some of these are tender and shouldn't be arriving so quickly =___=; Like the taros and bananas... But some like this quince is perfectly fine to bloom now. No fruit expected so go enjoy yourself lil quincey! What sites do you guys use to check for frost? What's your assumed last frost date around here? Do you use the 50% value or wait longer? As for the plant swap coming this spring... (when is it again?) I may have gotten a little excited with seeds: Of the things I should have extras of to bring... some cardoons and artichokes (started in beginning of January so would be nice and ready for spring), some edible hibiscus (Roselles), cape gooseberries, naranjilla, and maybe some others... have 27 varieties of tomatoes which I need to separate the seedlings for and throw into other pots so we'll see how much space I have for spares :3 Ralph, the coleus you gave me at last swap is doing great btw! I gave him a haircut and making some more cuttings of him... should have some cuttings from various salvias as well (although I'll be honest... I let too many of them sit in tray of water too long and got root rot :( whoops... added a bunch of pebbles/stones to them now so pots sit above the drained out water so hopefully the rest survive .___. ) Also, if there was anything anyone wanted from these seeds https://imgur.com/a/trPlW I can throw in a pot and start for you guys before the next swap :) And Karen, you are right. There has been a lot going on outside, although to be fair right now its getting confused with all this warmth. I do need to get myself some more winter plants though! Like lenten roses. And yes... the greenhouse... I'm debating going halfway and getting a quick cheap(ish) throwup structure to enjoy now and then later getting a fullblown one (...maybe I'll get a different house w/ more land... hahaha.) or just going all out now... I do kinda wanna do everything which tends to be warmer/humid environments but that could get really expensive in winter so still debating on what the focus should be... did you buy a prefabricated one or completely create it yourself? Any recommendations for which sites to look at pre-fab ones?