Motria: Last fall, some Chicago person wanted a Maltese Cross plant. Is that you, by any chance? I can bring one. Purple plants: I can bring little seedlings of Tovara Painter's Palette, and I'll get some cuttings of Purple Joe Pye--they should root, if you keep the dirt moist. I'll bring seeds, just in case. I'll bring agastache seedlings, too Linnea: Tomato-wise: I can bring a few seedlings. Unfortunately, no Black Krim, I lost a lot of seedlings when my dad was in the hospital :( Do you still want Siberian Iris? I'm afraid I don't know what color, but I will bring some. Would you like some Goatsbeard cuttings? And, if I could bring you just one foxglove plant (should bloom this year) would that be ok? My Lamb's Ear, started last year, turns out to be...giant mullein! The plants are HUGE, and they are edging the sidewalk! They are crowding out the other plants, as you can imagine.

Hi McGill..., Any upper-midwest ACE store can get it out of the Wisconsin warehouse. I'm up in Fargo, ND, and our ACE orders are shipped from there twice a week. We've had CC on our shelves for a year. Average retail is $35-$40/gal. It's made by the Insul-x co. If your ACE doesn't carry it, they can get it via their internet connection with ACE from the WI warehouse. If they choose not to stock it, the minimum order is a case of 4 gal's I believe (they can't just ship 1 gallon to a store). Each retailer's "special-order" requirements vary, so check with your store to see how they will handle your request. You may get lucky if your ACE decides to carry it; you wouldn't have to pay any special freight...all they'd have to do is add the upc/sku/$retail # to their system, and you're off & running! Thanks, Faron

Exciting MAJOR event coming! The North American Lily Society is holding its annual convention in Chicagoland! This is a rare opportunity, if you live anywhere close. You can also visit the NALS website for further details and registration information. http://nals2016.lilies.org/ NORTH AMERICAN LILY SOCIETY TO HOLD 2016 SHOW/CONVENTION "SATURDAY IN THE PARK" AT BOTANIC GARDEN JULY 6-10 The North American Lily Society will hold its 69th Annual Show and Convention, "Saturday in the Park," at the ChicagoBotanic Garden on July 6-10, with receptions and dinners at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago-Deerfield on Lake-Cook Road, just East of I-294, the Tri-State Tollway. Rooms are also available for those wishing to stay. Best way to learn all the details is by checking NALS' website, which gives all the details of who and what will occur, and when and where it will happen. Be sure to attend to see hundreds of lily stems and attend their lectures and tours. Lecture/classes will be held at the Botanic Garden, along with tours of their research facilities and a special tour of rare books at the Garden's library, with a focus on those about lilies. Most of the lecture/classes repeated in four different blocks, allowing our local Society members as well as the general public to pick and choose. Judicious selection will allow you to attend all of them, without missing a single one. Lecture/classes include: Dr. Johnny Randall of the North CarolinaBotanic Garden will speak about Sandhills lilies, Lilium pyrophilum. Brent Heath, of Brent & Becky's Bulbs, will give two different presentations: first, Lovely Long-Lasting Lilies and Awesome Alliums, and second, Bulbs as Companion Plants. Franc Officer of North Star Lily Society will give tips and techniques for lily photography, and weather permitting, a photo tour of the garden. Bring your camera. Kathy Anderson of Pennsylvania will lead a judges' panel, talking about what's new in the lily judging world. Brian Bergman of the Ontario Lily Society will talk about lilies for gardening and hybridizing. Dave Maltby, also of the Ontario Lily Society, will discuss the Eastern hybrids in North America. Warren Summers of Michigan will also give a talk about lily hybridizing North America. Art Evans of Arkansas will give a presentation about Rhizoctonia, a new and deadly fungus that is invading North American lily gardens. Kathleen Hoxie of Virginia and our own Bill Hessel will give a demonstration of floral arrangements featuring lilies. The ChicagoBotanic Garden's Library will conduct a special tour of its rare books, featuring those on genus lilium.

There was a very good turnout! Hope you will join us at future events.