I am a newbie so not much help, but I did grow New Day last year and LOVED it. It looks like it made it through the winter with some die back but I did not winter protect at all (with last year being my first year I just kind of wanted to see what would happen and what would survive, I do plan to winter protect this year) Here are two New Day blooms in a bouquet with Double Delight, Headliner, and a few other soft pinks (probably Bewitched) and Lady X. If New Day had not made it through the winter I would definitely be replacing it because of the few yellows I planted last year this one was the prettiest with beautifully shaped blooms. I am no help with New Zealand, just looked it up on hmf because of all of the praise in this post, it does look like a nice soft baby pink and I would love to add it at some point. You'll have to keep us posted how it turns out if you decide on that one. New Year has always looked pretty to me on hmf, I bought one last year but it was mislabeled. I just bought one this year so hopefully I can give it a go. Never thought I would enjoy those oranges as much as I did last year since I'm a soft colors fan, but I really wanted to give New Year a go and couldn't pass it up when I saw it last week in one of those bagged pots. We'll see. Thanks for your suggestion to not dig up stuff so early in that other post about SPing. I had no idea that some could show life as last as June, and that if it did come back I could replant deeper. I thought it was done when that bud union went through one of our winters above ground! Fortunately I only pulled out a few that showed no life but the rest I'm iffy on I will leave in and let spring work its magic.

Seeds were waiting when I got home. I great selection and a couple things that I have been really really wanting. Thanks to all who sent seeds and especially to Willy for doing such a great job, AGAIN. BB

WIP: I always serve Biscochito cookies with them but anything chocolate would be fantastic, as well. One cooking hint when making anything chocolate, especially for Mexican/New Mexican foods, is to add a bit of cinnamon while mixing it. It adds a richness to any chocolate dish. My good friend, a home-ec teacher, taught me this. For example, to add richness without actually tasting the cinnamon flavor, I add 1 teaspoon to chocolate cake batter; 1 1/2-2 tsp if I want to taste it. We also frequently add cardamom and chile powder to chocolate. BTW, here's my favorite recipe for biscochitos. The purists and old timers use lard instead of Crisco, margarine or butter, but my DH is a family practice doc and would have a fit if I used lard ;^D Lynn's Biscochito Cookies Ingredients: 1 cups butter, Crisco, margarine or lard, chilled 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided 2 eggs 2 teaspoons anise seeds 4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt About 3 tablespoons brandy 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Beat Crisco/butter and 1 cup sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and anise seeds, and beat until very light and fluffy. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture along with the brandy. Mix thoroughly to make a stiff dough. Place dough on a long piece of waxed paper(approx. 3 feet) at one end. Bring the long end over the top and press dough until it's about one inch or slightly less in thickness; refrigerate until chilled. Roll out dough between waxed paper to just under 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with flour dusted cutters into the traditional fleur de lis shape or into 3-inch rounds. Combine the 3 remaining tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon in a shallow bowl; dip unbaked cookies into the sugar-cinnamon mixture on one side. Place cookies on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until tops of cookies are just firm. Cool cookies on wire racks. Makes 4 dozen cookies (These can be frozen up to six months, if stored in a tightly sealed container)

My family, for generations back, begins the New Year with black-eyed peas with hog jowl or any cheap cut of pork (these are seasonings, not a main meat ), collard greens, and usually cornbread. I must add the vinegar sauce from a bottle of Trappey's Hot Peppers in Vinegar! Mom is upset that I cannot find old-fashioned hog jowls here. I use ham hocks instead, and I picked up a small smoked pork chop to add to Wes' plate. I forget to get fresh collards or kale last week while in town so I have to do with what the small convenience store here had on hand - frozen whole leaf spinach. It's a leafy green so it will do, and Wes loves spinach. I cooked my peas and ham hock yesterday. I added onions, garlic, diced green peppers, and diced tomatoes to the pot. To help reduce some of the fat I slow simmer the ham hock separately the day before, let it cool overnight, and remove the solidified fat before finely chopping the hock to add to the peas. At least it gives me an illusion of almost healthy! We'll have a small bowl of the flavorful peas for lunch with a side of spinach. We're going to the neighbors' for supper; I don't know what they'll be having, but I know it will be good. When I first got here I couldn't find "Trappey's Hot Peppers in Vinegar" anywhere. I was distraught! I moaned to my mom and to my best friend that I could never enjoy any type of greens, beans, or peas without Trappey's. That Christmas I received a box from Mom with six bottles in it. My friend also sent me six bottles. I was in pepper sauce Heaven and used every drop of every bottle. The commissary now carries it, and I try to always have three bottles in the house. When a bottle gets low on the vinegar, I remove the inner cap, poke the peppers with a skewer and refresh them with a top off of hot vinegar and a bit of salt. I do this only once. When that batch of vinegar is gone I use the key from my chatelaine to remove another well guarded bottle from the treasure room! Through the centuries the women of the household have had to lock and guard their tea, sugar, white flour, herbs, etc. I guard my pepper sauce! LOL We use the peppers, too, usually in any dish calling for red pepper flakes.