Chuy, I've had the same with a couple of mine this year. I removed all the leaves before wiping them down with rubbing alcohol, gave them another run over with the alcohol a few days later and left them to leaf out again. Someone else on here can probably advise you better, but it find it best to get rid of the leaves if they are so bad Kind regards Averil

For their prices, I do think T&M can be a bit stingy with seed counts, but their selection is so fabulous, and customer service is great too - I probably finance their employees' summer vacations. I also assist Tiffy in doing the same with Gardens North - worth spending the money on! One place I've always gotten high seed counts - usually enough to trade many times over - is Swallowtail Gardens. And Pinetree Gardens usually packs a small seed pack (peas and beans excluded, you get lots of those) but adjusts their price to reflect that. The theory is most likely that the average suburban gardener doesn't need 100 of any one kind of marigold - so I order a lot from them, too. Hope that helps, Kim, who is off to make a Gardens North wish list now...

Thanks, all, for your suggestions, support and information. I was hoping to pick the brains of the enormously gifted gardeners on the NE forum. I think that folks who garden with extreme weather variations, and also like to push the envelope of what is âÂÂnormalâÂÂ, come up with unique techniques. So, as usual, I learned many new tips from reading your posts. The fact that hellebores should be placed upright and not on their sides when I put the pot out was a real âÂÂsaveâÂÂâÂÂ. Thanks, DtD! Yes, I know, I know---- I should have walked on by like you did at MahoneyâÂÂs, but the price and the look of âÂÂCinnamon Snowâ just drew me in. Winter in New England should be a time of planning, not planting! This sure is a pickle I created for myself. I knew it would be a challenge to take this beautiful plant home and I'm guessing that many of the others who also snatched it up from TJ or WF may have done so because they thought it was an indoor plant. So ---- considering all of my limitations --- no garage or enclosed porch, no compost pile, huge winds off the water in the back that also affect our exposed deck on that side, IâÂÂve narrowed my options. IâÂÂll keep it in the least warm area of our house and then plant it along the east side of the house when the ground thaws a bit. Here are some shots of 'Cinnamon Snow' as she resides now in a cold back bedroom --- Happy New Year and hereâÂÂs hoping that the first storm of 2014 treats you all kindly!

Oooohhh, I haven't had one of those brownies in a long time...may need to try them again :) I remember a looonnnggg time ago in my hippie days growing a large crop of that special "lettuce" in an old car that broke down. Used to clean out some seeds from that lettuce and some must have fallen on the floor. The car broke down and was parked out in the back lot...months later there was lots of green stuff growing! It made the perfect greenhouse. Wow we had an awesome party that night and the next and the next.... Too bad the lettuce I have growing in the basement is not the special kind. I wouldn't want the fuzz to come down on me LOL. Kim Here is a link that might be useful: Check out my blog!