"I certainly did not intend any negative comment about Greer Gardens." Nor did I! Agree with your comments about him, and I felt lucky to have briefly met him a few years ago. Definitely one of the grand-maitres of American Horticulture. "is that the heat and humidity of southern NJ rather severely limits the rhododendron varieties that can be grown." Well, not sure I agree. Not w/severely anyhow...though I can see why it seems that way from Maine. I would posit a nursery trying to be what Rarefind is trying to be...and survive well into the next decade...would *have* to be w/in reasonable driving distance of the Big Apple. Again, there's only so many people who are going to be willing to shell out for high-class dendrological amusements. That eliminates a lot of places from consideration. And, yes, the place isn't filled to the brim with every known fussy R. wardii hybrid, but the climate is certainly not as bad as it could be. Their soil is actually quite good for rhodies. Rarefind could never have happened outside DC, for example. To me, in 2006 when I first visited, I could not believe a rhodo garden could even look like that on the east coast. Such was the diversity of colors and plant forms. Also NB their winter climate permits them to grow, outdoors, some of the hardier camellias. To survive they need to market a broad range of plants. Showing plants outside helps that marketing effort. "Many of the micro producers, which are often one person operations, just won't be able to justitfy the expense and increased labor requirements necessary to take that step." Hhhmmmmm. This guy was a 1 person operation for a long time: www.desertnorthwest.com I admit it's maybe a little less feasible with rhododendrons, that I broadly see as more tedious to produce than most nursery commodities. I mean, a lot of shrubs, if you don't want to bother w/cuttings, you can just gather some seeds, plant them, and have saleable plants in a couple years. Not w/most rhodies, and especially because most people don't want seedlings. I just noticed a Callistemon seedling in my garden, that was already about 5" high from a dropped seed this spring. By the end of next summer it would be ready for sale. My attempt to raise rhodies from seed have been very frustrating. They are so darn slow, and the last of mine just rotted out for some reason. BTW Cold winters notwithstanding, a Callistemon is a lot harder to kill than most rhodies. That little plant apparently sailed through the very dry spell we'd had in the past 3 weeks, surviving bone dry soil in about 80% full sun. Even in shade I bet any spring sown rhodo seedling would have died w/o assistance.

Prostatic hyperplasia is probably the best diagnosis you could get! Here's an odd case where it's better that he hasn't been already neutered, because when neutered dogs get prostatic disease it is usually cancer and usually pretty darn bad. Neutering him will cure the problem and it is pretty easy unless he is cryptorchid. It will still be surgery, not to make light of the situation, but if it makes you feel any better I adopted an 8 year old grossly obese Rottie last year after she was spayed by a 3rd year vet student- no complications. She was completely recovered 12 hours later, and spaying is MUCH worse than a neuter. Your guy will probably bounce back in no time! Removing the prostate is extremely difficult and is WAY invasive, especially compared to neutering. The hyperplasia is caused by testosterone, so if you remove the source of testosterone (ie the testicles) then the prostate will return to normal size. If your dog has other issues that are making his quality of life bad, than I can certainly see why you'd hesitate at neutering him. But if this is his only problem, neutering him will cure it he won't have other problems related to this any longer.

My big Dane Lab mix began having trouble getting up the stairs (carpeted) so I tried to escort him whenever possible. One day he took a tumble all the way down. It was so frightning to both of us. He laid at the foot of the stairs for a good half hour before he attempted to get up ( I was on the phone with the emergency vet). It ended up that he was fine, just scared and a little sore but I decided that I could not take the chance of this happening again, (what if it happened when I was not home and he was hurt)? The house is a split level ranch and luckily his yard was on the lower level. I blocked the stairs with a baby gate from then on. I could bring him around the yard and up the hill if he wanted to be upstairs. Please consider making those stairs off limits to your gal or at least where she cant go up or down without assistance. Puting a non skid treatment on them is not going to change the fact that she is no longer safe to attempt them herself.

No I don't. I'm surprised at how intently they watch and monitor them. And how much they handle the puppies. My female Dane Voodie was one week old when the mother decided to move the pups from their very nice spacious welping pen for unknown reasons. She moved them into the garage which had a riding lawn mower and vehicles and clutter. She did not have much room. The owner was at work when she did this. She ended up so cramped that she was laying on the puppies and all died except for Voodie. He called me to tell me what happened. I had bought my male from him a year before from the same parents. He asked me if I could possibly take her because the mother went into shock and mourning and would not be able to take care of this baby. She was one week old. I was in shock! I said of course I would even if I didn't keep her I would try to keep her alive. She fit in the palm of my hand. I had never raised a baby of any kind! I went to my wonderful vet and we set up a plan for the raising of the baby. He gave me a bottle and formula and instructions on how to do everything. Watching the puppies with Gussie you see the ladies holding the puppies butts for mom to lick. That's how the puppies are stimulated to poop and pee. I would have to use a warm compress to do that for her. It was a difficult time. Every few hours day and night there were feedings and potty and baths with warm wet cloth. I had a bunch of fake fur I had used for a Christmas display that was her mommy in the box and a heating pad under that and layers of towels. It worked pretty well. I kept the box right beside the bed at night. We took turns doing baby duty. We had discussed between us whether we could keep another Dane because we had the one brother of hers from the previous litter, an Afghan hound, and a lab mix, all big dogs. Well that all went out the window the minute my husband took his first turn feeding her a bottle! And named her! Her brother was MOJO from a book I was reading, so he said this is Voodoo! So Voodie became a member of the family. She ended up being the largest of our Danes she at her largest was very close to 200 lbs and she was not fat. MOJO was huge also solid muscle just a specimen Dane. He unfortunately laid down under his favorite tree one day for a nap and never woke up again he was only 3 years old. Vet said it had to be something catastrophic stroke or heart related. We worried Voodie might have inherited the same thing. She lived a long life for a Dane of 13 years. Sorry long story. I have a very special place in my heart for Danes. They are incredible animals and extremely intelligent and loving.