I can relate to so many helping others. I let me sister come and root through my seed box and have just about anything she wants because her husband has been unemployed for over 2 months. They need a lot of veggies and they don't have any flowers in their yard. My mom's property is also bear. We bought her 3 trees several years ago, which have finally payed off this year, but she needs some flowers and definitely veggies, too. Then, of course, there's me. My yard is also bare. We moved in 4 years ago (Yah, I know it was a long time ago to still have nothing in our yard, but I just thought it was too expensive to have gardens before.) When we got here and all the way until now there has only been a crepe myrtle bush in the front and four 'o clock in the back. Well, there's also some kind of ornamental grass that I think grows from a bulb that I have no idea what it is, but apparently doensn't take much attention to keep alive. LOL Anyways, I haven't gotten Patty's Swap package back quite yet, either, but I think mostly because of these 2 big swaps and some generous SASBE offers, that it is going to make our gardens bountiful and beautiful. I seriously cannot wait to see it! It does surprise me how many seeds it takes to even notice that you have a garden! LOL! I'm sowing thousands this year just at my house alone! I can't wait to see all 3 of our homes when everything comes up! Sooooooooo, I'll take any doubles with my name on them, whether flower, herb, or veggie/fruit. I'll give them all a very good home! :-D Blessings, Angela

Thanks Jay. I look at it this way, whatever going to make it through this winter will probably not going to die anytime soon and this kind of freak weather probably won't occur for another 10 years so there's no where to go but up from here. I'm not too bum about it. I noticed your imbe, their looking good. I also have one too. It is quite cool tolerant. Read somewhere that it is graft compatible with a mangosteen but haven't been able to confirm it yet. Also what is the name of the pineapple your growing there? Red, have you tasted the capulin cherry before? I had some before and wasn't really pleased by it.

Wow Jacob, I dub you the Harry of SoCal! I can't believe how many tropical/subtropical fruit trees you have. I especially love your Mangosteen tree. Can you give me some pointers on what you feed it, how often and what kind of water you water with. Do you do any foliar feedings? I just recently got into citrus also and was looking for a blood orange myself and after doing lots of research, I settled on a Smith Red Valencia. I just purchased a citrus juicer and juiced bags of Moro and Taroccos blood oranges and depending on where I purchased the fruit from, it was very sweet and delicious or very tart. I really wish I had a backyard as large as yours. I can imagine how wonderful it would be once most your trees are in full production. You guys with large yards make me so envious. Thanks for sharing all your pictures and information. Simon

Thank you, thank you, all! Well, one thing that gardening has taught me is how much it means to have a community of gardening friends. I was completely heart-broken yesterday but now much more hopeful and encouraged after reading all your advice and support. Ugh, I have a lot of landscape cloth that we use to cover plants when frost hits in late spring and could have wrapped some yesterday, but didn't even think about it. I'll surely try it for the rest of the winter season because the ground is frozen and it's too late for caging now. I will also try fencing the entire area but I'm still not sure how they get in from my neighbor's yard because the gaps between the wood fencing are very narrow though it's clear from the tracks that they get in from there. So I still need to cage each rose but will also fence the beds and borders for winter. That's a great idea about leaves and I always have plenty. Just this year I gave away some 20-30 bags of leaves. Next time I'll keep them for protection. I'm thinking to perhaps fill in the caged area with some too... I am always for the humane treatment of animals, pests included, and completely understand the concern about the discomfort that pepper can leave on bunnies, but I just can't let this happen again and there is so much snow around that just licking it can hopefully give them the relief from this temporary discomfort. It's really just to teach them that this is not an area for having yet another feasting banquet as they did two nights ago. I might alternate between chili pepper/petroleum jelly, following Christopher's recipe, and shredded Ivory soap that was also kindly recommended. And as the final touch, I'll use the best deterrent of all (credits go to Virginia! :-)). On the cage or leaf bag next to each rose I'll stick different rabbit recipes, starting with Brunswick stew (though myself I've never had any and do adore bunnies, but not when they eat my roses).