Indoors about a month ago I sowed Mary Washington asparagus in cells, have about 18 seedlings (ca. 75-80% germination), about 6 to 9 inches tall. Couple pots of parsley and thyme were sown at same time and are couple inches tall. Bought one of those plastic clam shells of organic rosemary for $2.49 and stripped the stems apart and rooted in water. Now I have 9 four-inch baby plants, sure beats starting rosemary from seed and waiting forever. Sowed hot and sweet peppers in cells two days ago, also three varieties of tomatoes (some tom seed was nine years old, but it sprouted OK last year...!) Next on the indoor agenda, maybe: chard, kale, scallions, leeks, bok choy. Also maybe lettuces and spinach. Outdoor garden is covered with a foot of frozen compacted snow here in mid-Hudson Valley, so my unheated enclosed porch will have to be a surrogate for the cool-weather crops.

There have been a couple of threads on the topic of 'Grace's' growth pattern...one of which I started last year. I have a half a dozen 'Grace' and about 15-20 others, from straight obovatus to coggygria cultivars. None of the others, (including the C. obovatus) demonstrate the bizarre and to my eye, unattractive habit of 'Grace'. I like 'Grace' for two reasons - the largest leaves of any of the Cotinus and the incredible fall color, as lola-lemon notes above. The summer color is much redder than the purple coggygria varieties. I found that 'Grace' put out 12-15' of whip-like growth per year, whether I coppiced the shrub in winter or left it alone. whaas pointed out that I might try pruning back once the spring growth was underway (often a suggested pruning technique for deciduous trees) and that seems to have worked much better. 'Grace's' shape is still more ungainly than the others, but much better than it was. Prairiemoon not sure how helpful this is for your situation, but 'Grace' is a relatively new cultivar and out here, at least, designers went nuts spec-ing them for all situations and then were aghast when they saw what their growth pattern was. I was told that mine were freaks until everyone else started noting the same thing. As bboy mentions, C. obovatus can get enormous, and there is something in that cross that produces aggressive growth. I love Cotinus so take my negative comments in that light. Sara

ohhhh .. its something else... for sure .... lol surprised you could not smell the stink??? there are some awesome pruning stubs there also ... i am wondering .... if this tree was topped at some point in its life ... i cant even begin to explain... why it has all the shoot growth in the center there .. unless it split oh so many years ago ... i would call this tree... 'firewood' .... ken

hey you guys..... some how, I did not get your posts ?? The update on my tamarillo is that it began sending out new branches and leaves that some immediately became covered with aphids as did my Trin.red scorp.pepper. So-- I guess the Bug-be-Gone did not work ( 2 yo bottle ) so I got a "12 month" systemic and treated all my PRONE to aphids trops.& vegs. At my age, a 'little poison' aint gonna DO ME IN...... when we were kids, we used to run and ride our bikes behind the DDT sprayers ! ( 50's ) What is so cool, is that all the new branches have lots of bud blossoms ( which *maybe* will fall off due to treatment ).....BUT--- it gives me hope that next year I will be able to actually eat the fruit : ) Farm Boy : I started the seed in winter of 2012......it got to 6" and was pathetic looking and struggled to live the first month of spring 13........then caught hold and got to 4' before I dug and brought in for the winter . I kept it under flous. in 55 degree art studio all winter where it grew new leaves ( I pulled all leaves off before bringing in )...... I fought PMildew all that winter& aphids --- defoliated it again........ planted it outside in spring and it got up to 12-15' ? and grew a dozen? fruit that never got ripe. They have very small root systems and even this year I was able to pot up in a 5 gal. bucket......the low end of trunk is thicker than a baseball bat. I took pics of the new infestation and will see if I can post . This winter I am keeping it under flous again -- but in my house @ 69 D. I also over winter hot peppers, citrus , (brugmansia in in garage and basement) Keep in touch with me OK ? you can also FB me --- Geno Centofanti