Hi, Zackey. I just got them a few minutes ago and wanted to answer a questions you had in your letter. The inside of the package was very moist. So, I planted them straight in the shade, without soaking. With the thicker stemmed varieties, I have luck, just planting the nodes. Since this kind has more slender stems, I kept them intact, straight up and down, with just the top leaves showing. I wasn't able to taste your samples, because they became alcoholic, on the way here. I was able to show my family how they look and salvage the seeds. Most people know things like pruning spurs down to the second and third node, every year, but not why the grapes come out different than the ones from the store. I'm ttaking the time to learn how it's done on farms and coming up with new ideas of my own. I wasn't worried that the leaves had started to go into dormancy for the year. I do not typically water when the plant is showing no heat stress or when the plant is not in fruit, although it is sometimes very dry, here. I find that very slow watering of fruiting vines makes the grapes big without splitting them.

I agree, forum is better than working with a decorator! Best wishes as you go along with your project!

Welcome Mar! My first suggestion would be to start organizing your pictures. Most people go chronologically, but you don't have to. Some have an album dedicated to all of the Christmas' they have had, or vacation books, etc. Organization is the key. (do what I say, not what I do...) I really try to get them organized before I use them. It makes it a lot easier. I got a little file box at Meijers for about $6 and it uses hanging files. It's a little smaller than 1/2 the regular sized plastic carrying ones that Office Max and those guys carry. I can easily grab it to take to Crop Nights. I label them like "Trip to Greg's Cabin", "Karin's pregnant pictures", Christmas '99", "Y2K", etc. Then you can further break them down into specific pages if you want. When you go to start laying out pages, all you have to do is pull out a file and all the stuff is there. (I also use matchbooks, drink coasters, postcards and have them in the file) Then, when you have some organization, go to a basic scrapbooking class. I feel that this is a must. There is nothing like a hands on class for you to get the feel of how to do this. I love going to Crop Nights at my LSS because I can see others sweating out how to do their pages and I don't feel as lost. A girl across from me a couple weeks ago saw that I had misspelled "throw" on the page itself. There I was, all done with the page, but the journaling and screwed it up! She was into stamping and saved me. She took a piece of the paper I was using for matting and stamped a frame on it and I journaled onto that and glued it over the spot...now I have to justify why I spent $20 on stamps that night. It worked out great, even made the page look better than before. Oh, dear. I think I've gotten carried away again...

I can't wait to see pictures of Maggie. Love the name. If you wanted to try another DA rose, I have had great success with Pretty Jessica which laughs at the heat, is upright and stays small but tall for a DA rose. I would say mine is about two to three feet wide, if that and about four to five feet tall. Constant bloomer. Next one would be Princess Alexandra of Kent but give her room to grow. She is a beaut! Flowers bigger than my hand in spring and fall. Smaller flowers in the heat. She takes a beating and keeps on ticking! Next would be Munstead Wood. Love, love, loveo him. He also takes the heat. All three have to be the best DA roses I have seen for the heat. Now, that being said, my first timer roses that have been in the ground about six months (if that) and on their own roots, that seem to be doing pretty well for me are also Lady of Shalott and Alwick. They are both babies and being subject to full sun all day long and until this week, 100--110 degree heat. Both are producing sporadically with tiny flowers but their leaves look good and they are continuing to put on new growth. I think once they get established in a couple of years, they will be fine. I hope Lady's flowers tone down the orange a bit in the future. Another rose, still very young and on its own root that seems to be doing well is Occhi di Fata. It is starting to put out a few more blooms and the growth is good. It is a charming rose and I hope for great things in the future.