I went for the first time last weekend and it is a garden not to be missed! If you want to learn what a particular rose looks like when fully mature, here's the place to go. You can see it in comparison to so many others too. How might it look in your yard? What does that foliage look like? What is the ultimate shape of the plant? As Eurodesert is closing, and roses are being sold all the time, there just won't be an opportunity again to see and be able to purchase such a variety of very rare roses. Some never seen in North America before. So put on a pair of comfortable walking shoes and plan to spend the day absorbing rose history and adding something very special to your own garden. Here is a link that might be useful: Cliff's High Desert Garden

I didn't get there until later in the morning and things were picked over quite well by then. Intended on going earlier but it just didn't happen. However, I did get a couple of Shasta Daisies, Sweet Annie's, and Tomatoes. I wish I would have bought the one red rose that was left but talked myself out of it. Uggh! Why did I do that? LOL. Oh does anyone know if there is a place online that lists the roses that are grown in the field nearby? Basically if you walk straight out of the payment booths, the rose I must have is on the second row. It is orange, pink and I think red on the same bush. I loved it along with Singing in the Rain and one called Red Orange. Do you know if you can visit those at anytime or do they charge?

I can still remember back in the old days when it seemed the UT Gardens were more about plants than whatever they are about now days. Hardscape is nice, but it needs plants to go with it. Some garden art is great, but tacky garden art is tacky. Lots of tacky garden art without plants looks even more tacky. I'm still looking forward to seeing what they do this year. Maybe things have hit bottom and will improve from this point on. At least I hope that's what happens. FOG is doing a good job on their publications and newsletters. I got my quarterly newsletter a few days ago and thought it was one of my horticultural magazines at first glance.

Late to the party to reply to questions ... sorry about that. Anyway ... The Old City Cemetery is owned by the City of Lynchburg. They have a wonderful cooperative relationship with the Southern Memorial Association, which has made the cemetery into the destination for tourists and for local folks that it has become. Support buildings were moved to the cemetery, or built from scratch, including a depot, the Pest House, a visitor's center, a beautiful chapel, and the new Comfort House. Rose garden, including a separate area for the Carl Cato collection, is but one of the things that I love about Lynchburg's wonderful cemetery. (Jane Baber White wrote a fantastic book about her work restoring the cemetery's roses, planning and planting the new gardens, and developing the rest of the grounds. It's fascinating!) As far as roses for sale ... The largest variety this spring for browsing and buying in person may be at Lynchburg. The sale at Tufton is much smaller, and it includes only a few of the rarest varieties from their garden. At the HRF conference in May, we will have roses available for sale at Saturday's banquet. (I don't have the list of those yet. I can let you know what we have as soon as I know.) Connie