So, the next and most important question: Let's say I replace my Autumn Joy by buying a full price plant at a reputable local nursery (that's saying a lot for a frugal WS and swapper!). When I buy the plant it is blooming in a brilliant and delightful shade. Can that brilliant and delightful shade be a product of special nursery conditions, i.e. high amounts of a particular fertilizer, etc.? Can I depend on that color in my garden being close enough to what I saw in the nursery? Let me note that this morning I went out to look at one of my hardy mums blooming. Last year it was purchased and was a fairly common color up here, can't remember the name. It had petals that were pink on the edges and became lighter, to almost a white, as the petals moved inward to the center, which I believe was yellow. Now it still has the yellow center and the petals are a deep burgany. No, nothing reseeded. I have not had any burgandy mums as I don't like burgandy. This was also my first year to really notice spring as a gardener. I checked that bed everyday, watching as each of the plants broke ground. This plant did now show up from seed with the starter leaves, followed by true leaves. I emerged from its roots in the ground with the thicker stalks you see in a returning perennial. This mum reverted on its own to one of its parents. I have seen posters post this before, and many people have responded by saying it had to have been a seed and the poster just didn't know it. I know it with this one. It is the same plant. So, even though I don't think Autumn Joy will revert to anything different, I know it is possible for the plant to behave differently once in the garden. I appreciate all your thoughts and input!

R. rugosa alba turns a gorgeous, pure yellow to go with big fat red hips. Hansa also turns a fabulous yellow, but a warmer color tinged with red. Frau Dagmar Hastrup--mostly yellow, some red. All my rugosas (including Martin Frobisher) show some color--alba and Hansa are the best, tho. James Mason, a gallica, also gets nice color. As does R. glauca. Deutsche Danzig got very nice color for me last year as a new plant (including stems turning red)--I'm waiting to see if it does the same this year. Here' R. rugosa alba. Imagine an entire 6-foot plant looking like this:

Punk, these talented gals here have taught me so much when it comes to creating tablescapes. The best thing I've learned is to shop Goodwill and places like Marshalls for bargains.That, and almost anything can be the start of a fun table centerpiece! I hardly ever buy a full set of dishes, though. Salad or dinner plates are easier to use . . . and store! DD: I wish you lived closer, too! I wish you all did, as it would be such fun to get together for shopping excursions and for some meals, too! Betty: More pinecone plates? Oooooh . . . that sounds tempting, but I think I'm at my limit with those. Thanks so much, though. Your kind offer means a lot! And yes, please do keep an eye out for more pieces of that other set. I'd love to get some of those dishes. As for my furkids, yes they do seem to like to pose for pics. They're both sweeties and I love them. Despite the bad rap dobies get, they are the sweetest, cuddly dogs. Ronin would like nothing better than to sit on our laps and sleep in our beds. We don't go that far, though! We dobie owners call them "Velcro dogs" because they always want to stay close enough to be touching you. Lynn

I used to leave my back yard gate in Venice unlocked because I never expected anyone to wander into my back yard. However, my neighbor told me that a couple of teenage boys (surfers) went into my yard and stole three or four mangoes from my tree. They told my neighbor (who saw them) that they knew me, and when he asked them what my name was, they ran off with the mangoes. I was pretty upset about that. The neighbor's somewhat feeble father-in-law (who lived in the garage apartment in back) once came into my back yard, knocked on my kitchen door and demanded that my housemate Bernard take him to the bank so that he could get some money to buy a steak. Bernard does not know how to drive or have a car or drivers' license, and so he told me that I needed to take this man to the bank. I told Bernard that that would be kidnapping and that I would do nothing of the kind. I told my neighbor about this, and he said that his FIL did escape from time to time and get lost, and they would have a difficult time trying to find him. I did start locking my back yard gate after that. These days I have to leave by gate unlocked when L.A. DWP comes to check my electric meter. I had a friend from New York who said that when he had a car, he always left it unlocked so that it would not get broken into.