Cath, Magnolia grandiflora is one of the more tolerant magnolias, and is certainly a magnificent tree, but I'm not interested in it. I long for the deciduous, mostly Asian magnolias: M. stellata, M. denudata, the Soulangeanas, the x loubneri group, the yellow-flowered hybrids of M. acuminata. Actually, I plan on getting a Loebneri magnolia: I think I actually have a place, one spot in our thirty-three acres, where it will grow. Magnolias are fairly common ornamental trees down in the Po Plain below our hills, and in our local town, which is located in a valley and has good alluvial soils. It's five miles away and about 225 meters lower than we are, and they can grow plants that we can't. Conditions vary. It's not that I haven't tried magnolias, but much of the soil in the big garden bears a close resemblance to adobe brick when it's dry, and they just can't handle it. The shade garden either has dry unfriendly soil, or it floods, and I don't think magnolias like to be flooded either (roses on the other hand can handle tremendous amounts of winter water). Also much of the shade garden is shady, of course. But I do have one spot I think will work, and I'm looking forward to getting the right magnolia, and then seeing it in splendor in a few years. They are magnificent, glorious trees. Otherwise I may get a pear for one spot where I want a flowering tree. That may not sound obvious, but pears have a heavy noble structure and a massive whiteness to their bloom that makes them, in my eyes, the hill country aesthetic equivalent of flowering magnolias. harmonyp (Beth?) I think you're right about dahlias. I got rid of my numerous family of them a few years ago after a very long drought because I didn't want to water them; and I got tired of lifting the tubers and keeping them in my mud room through the winter, then replanting them, and staking them. Right now the garden has just three or four survivors that have made it through two unusually cold and wet winters without rotting. I have a handsome pink one growing in the cottage bed next to the house where it flourishes in clay and with little supplementary water. Dahlias come in a great variety of forms and colors, many of them very beautiful: rich burgundies, violets, soft oranges, waterlily pinks. They're undemanding about water and soil. They don't get any pests or diseases to speak of. They make excellent cut flowers. One of the things I liked about dahlias when I was growing them in quantity is how they're movable foliage, excellent for filling in gaps when the shrubs are young; and they have big, bold, flourishing dark leaves with never a trace of mildew. They bloom when much of the garden is quiescent too. Now I'm wondering why on earth I don't have more dahlias. I don't quite trust them to be tough enough to thrive out in the big garden, where life is a battle: they're more suitable to the vegetable patch, and I have very little of that kind of space. Perhaps one year I'll be able to conjure up some room for dahlias. They are wonderful flowers. Melissa

Wyndyacre, I never thought of trying anti-dessicant spray. I usually wrap in burlap or else cover with an old box. That's good to know that it works well. Does anyone else use this product? I also heard that mulching the plants year round (or at least for the winter) helps prevent winter dessication. One theory is that by mulching the frost doesn't penetrate the ground so deeply, allowing the roots to thaw out quicker in spring and start taking up moisture. As long as the plant is taking up moisture, it can replenish moisture lost through the needles or branches by the sun and wind. Here it was a fairly typical winter with the usual cold spells. I have yet to do a 'tally' of what survived, but alot of plants look good. I was amazed at how well my sungold falsecypress survived, basically covered with newspaper and buried under snowcover. My Hick's yew, however, suffered winter damage but more because it warmed up so quickly in late March, and I kept it covered too long. I shouldn't have had the blanket touch the branches, at least not when it warmed up. Another theory of mine is that sometimes it's not the winter temperatures that determine how well plants survive, but the fall weather. A few years ago we had an unusually cold October. By the middle of the month the highs were only getting a bit above freezing. I don't think the plants had the proper warm days and cold nights to prepare for winter, because the next spring many conifers were damaged and especially plants in the 'prunus' family such as my purple leaf sandcherry and 'Rose' sour cherry. Glen

OK, looks like everyone is as busy as I am. Hate to let my sister down, as I said I would check this board every day, but alas, Tomorrow starts two (2) weeks of the state high stakes testing. The pressure and stress is sooooo heartbreaking. I teach 5th grade, I had 2 boys crying on Friday over something really insignificant, but you know it's the pressure of these D**** tests. They are so worried they wont be able to go to middle school with their friends. I've been in meetings all week signing my life away that I wont look at the test, etc. Now I have to turn in a seating chart of my testing environment, signing that they were 3 feet apart and not able to cheat. Sorry for rambling, but I really get angry, our politicians have forgotten these are children and not all children are college material. I'm going to give the next two (2) names, because this will really be a busy week.... first....triciae then... hostabuff thanks for letting me vent, hope everyone has a great week. It is starting to look like spring here, so the next couple of weeks should be great. Patty

David, When I go to Digit's Page, in the top right corner next to the "follow box" there's another "message box" I can click on and then I get a place to put in the message and send it. When I go to Your Page there's only the "follow box" and no "message box." When I go to My Page I don't have either "box," so I guess I need to be Somebody Else to be able to see what's there!!! In Advanced Settings do you have "Who can message me" set to "Allow anyone to message me?" The only other thing I have "enabled" in Advanced Settings is that I have "Send me an email when: someone messages me" set to "every time." But I don't think that would make any difference in someone being able to PM you--only in whether you'd get an email to know when there was a message in your "inbox." Can you see the "message box" when you go to My Page??? Skybird