Hi, there Susan. Welcome to Garden Web ! My best suggestion in regards to your question about it possibly being too late to winter sow would be to read the Winter Sowing FAQ. There is a link at the top of the page that says FAQ. The answer to that question is in there, under 'When should I stop?' Your second question about knowing the viability of older seed packs would be to check their germination. You can find some very basic info from the link at the bottom and also by looking around here a little bit more.... Good luck, Susan. I hope you enjoy your time here. Happy Gardening, Kristie Here is a link that might be useful: viability link

More beautiful pictures! What a treat they are to see! I am shocked to see that I have one blooming at the same time as you...lol...yours are usually ahead of me (maybe yours has been blooming already, though)...as my August Frost had its ffo today (which I thought was early for it). Techny Peace Lace has not begun to bloom, nor Later Alligator. Newyorkrita, my sister also lives in a zone 7, but eight hours south of me...and things bloom much earlier for her. When I visit in March, the daffodils blooming around her will be probably mid to lates blooming and my earlies will just be beginning when I get home. Shoot, even just a half hour south of me, where I volunteer garden, things are usually at least a week ahead of me. I've heard Andre Viette (on the radio) talk about the difference from where they used to live on Long Island to where they live in VA now...much different, yet same zone. It boggles the mind, doesn't it! Btw, I think of the lates, for me, at least, as starting when Sandra Elizabeth starts...although last year that wasn't such a good predictor as I had newbies blooming out of normal sequence. Our regional is next weekend and I would guess the gardens on tour for it are zone 6ers.

Well, I started my Opalkas on Sun. A good week or two later than usual because I was gone on vacation the previous week. They will be a little behind, are a long-season tomato, but I figure I'll have plenty of tomatoes by August. Purchase a transplant from somewhere to satisfy your tomato cravings until the heirlooms come on. Better yet, come down to Green Mountain Transplants on Rte. 111 in Arundel (just past the Biddeford line, about a mile south of Home Depot). They have several heirloom seedlings for sale.

Shucks! I wrote a long post, and uploaded many pictures and then my phone rang. When I had finished my call, everything was gone:( Try #2 Thanks for your kind words, Ingrid. Did you happen to read my message to you on the Annie Laurie McDowell thread? I’m still having my emails to you returned with the message, “ Unable to deliver your email because the recipients inbox is full”. I remember getting the same thing months ago, when I tried that g_g_g address. I did take some more pictures today, including some of Mel’s Heritage from a distance. These pictures don’t really give a good sense of how large he really is. I’ve begun to think of him as “a nosey guy”, as he’s always getting into everyone else’s business. His canes are everywhere! It’s been too hot out for me lately, but now starting to cool down. About 10F less during the day, and I’m planning on getting Mel’s Heritage under control. More canes will need to be attached to the fence, some will need to be attached to small stakes along the slope(for guidance), and a few may need to be cut back. WAY BACK! He’s already climbing into Duchesse de Brabant at the bottom of the slope, and many other roses. I really cannot believe how fast he’s growing. It’s amazing and I have never seen a rose grow so quickly. Felicia is also in bloom, and I love her. Alnwick Castle is lovely today, but the blooms will blow tomorrow. They just don’t last in the dry heat. Silver Cloud, a Ralph Moore rose is having a nice flush. Too bad my Irish Creme is still tightly budded. They make wonderful vase partners. Chartreuse de Parme has such a big bloom on this tiny bush. I’m sure new growth is on the way, only in the ground a week or three. Golden Buddha, a Paul Barden rose, is one of the rare roses that truly remains compact and short here in S CA. I wish it didn’t fade so much, but I do have it in full sun. Abraham Darby always seems to have at least a bloom or two between big flushes. That’s it for the moment. I will be back with some Bolero blooms. Not an OGR, but has DA type blooms on a tidy, compact plant. It’s always blooming in full sun and a great cut flower. Lisa