Exactly where in SW PA? I am in SW PA about 25 miles due north of Pittsburgh. If the location is south of Pittsburgh, my bloom time could be as much as 10 days to 2 weeks later than there. Late May into mid June, I have Weigela 'Midnght Wine' in bloom. This would require a pruning soon after bloom to keep it well shaped, but would be ok unpruned for several years at a time. Dianthus 'Neon Star' blooms heavily during the same time and sporadicaly throughout the summer. It is tolerant of poor conditions and needs no maintenance really. At just 5 or 6 inches tall, it could be easily mowed over when not in bloom. It's foliage is evergreen. Geranium cantabrigienese 'Biokova' and 'Karmina' are also in bloom then and pretty much carefree. This Geranium also is evergreen. Nepeta 'Walkers Low' would also be a good choice. Cutting back in late fall or very early spring would be desireable but not necessary. The Daylily "Stella d'Oro" blooms then and requires no care. And don't forget the ever popular Peony. Carefree and lives forever. Look into the Korean Dogwoods for a shrubby tree. Mine blooms about the end of the first week of June, but a little farther south may bring about an earlier bloom.

Hi Aimeekitty, I agree with you that it's amalgam of fun, excitement and mystery when buying rare roses. When researching a rose, there are four invaluable resources - Gardenweb Rose Forums, fellow rose enthusiasts from the same climate zone, Helpmefind.com (HMF), local Rose Societies, and the rose breeder/seller. In my case with EuroDesert Roses, I ask for recommendations from Mr. Cliff when I do not find adequate information when researching a particular rose on HMF or other rose-related websites. My brother, Paparoseman, is an expert on OGRs and has a garden full of rare roses. He is the first person I approach when I have questions about about roses that thrive in zone 8a. Of course, members on the GardenWeb Rose Forums are an invaluable asset to the rose industry. They truly care about their fellow rose enthusiasts. I am ever grateful to these wonderful people! Oh...and you can also procure a wealth of information from your local Heritage Rose Society. This year, the bands from EuroDesert are much larger than the ones I got last year (which made me very happy!). Some of the roses from my latest collection from EuroDesert even have have buds on them. :) Here are the ones I got from EuroDesert: *Gonsoli Gaetano *Mons de Morand *Directeur Alphand *Avant Garde *Trump Card *Osiana *Milva *Lynnie *Ice folles Happy Shopping at EuroDesert's Sale! :) - Reem Here is a link that might be useful: EuroDesert Roses' Sale

For those participating in the hosta secret swap: Cut off is May 22nd-I must have your info (email-address-first and last name) by that time to be involved. You will be recieving the name of your intended receiver by May 24th; this gives you a week to collect, dig, or purchase what you are going to send. June 1st is the cut off to send your package out. A reminder for those of you involved: it's helpful if you update your exchange page so your sender knows what you already have and also what you want to receive. It has also been asked for everyone involved to have your trade info alphabetized for easier viewing. Here we go.... 1. The hosta secret swap is for at least ONE NAMED hosta. You are allowed to send more if you want but it/they must be Healthy, disease free, named variety of hosta, at least one eye with good rooting system. Please only send a hosta/s that you would be happy to receive. 2. Packages must be mailed out by June 1st. If there are any problems that arise about your package getting to the receiver on time please email me so that I can contact your secret trader. 3. All secret trades are to be mailed out by Canada Post, Fedex or UPS with a delivery confirmation #. Once your package is mailed, please email me with your package # or tracking # as this is used to track the package should a problem occur while hosta/s are in transit. 4. With the weather warming up now, please follow proper packaging of hostas --wet paper towels or wet newspaper around stems and roots then placed in baggy or freezer bag or similar plastic- be careful when using elastic bands to keep in place (but not too tight) around hostas. Label hosta/s on outside of baggy with proper name before enclosing in appropriate sized box when sending the plant/s(as to not harm the contents.) 5.Emails will be sent to everyone involved by May 24th with your intended recipient. Plants to be sent out by June 1st. On a final note; this should be a lot of fun and we can avoid disappointment by making sure that all involved and sign up are committed to follow through and mail their packages out on time. Cut off for joining is May 22nd. Now let's swap. Any questions or concerns, please email me privately. Kim(hostalover-2008)

Interesting, teacats, but I had a very different reaction to them. It struck me that both were featuring far too much pale, off-white, beigy-y, or brown(ish) rooms. What's next: grey walls everywhere? ;) In the past, I think there was much more color. I'm not saying that's the case for every article, but, like in recent issues, there were enough of them that I noticed. Or maybe it's that so much of the furniture and decor was clean-lined - whatever, but I felt there's a lack of diversity to the issues. The magazines, and some of the others out there, seem to be converging, rather than emphasizing their own distinct styles. Of the two, Veranda did it first, I think, and now AD has begun sticking its toes in that water. It's not nearly as extreme with the look as Veranda, fortunately. Oh, yes, and Trad. Home has started doing it, too. If they all feature the same looks, what's the point of subscribing to any particular one? Any one of them will be able to stand in for the rest of them. Frankly, I'm becoming disenchanted with Veranda, and that's a real shame. I used to really look forward to receiving it. I hope I don't end up placing it in the House Beautiful category - I subscribe to HB only because the online deal is so good that the cost is lower than (or almost as low as) buying a single issue in a store. But an article about what's on somebody's vanity, describing a foundation or eyeliner? In a shelter magazine? Seriously? Gee, a rant first thing in the morning! What side of the bed did I get out of? ;)