I am so happy to find this post. I have almost the opposite problem - I live in the hot wet tropics, never cold. I purchased some Crocus (Saffron) corms (was very expensive here so trying to not make mistakes). I put them in my veggie drawer in the refrigerator (all fruits removed from fridge) at 3C/37F. I read that they must have a cold period of at least 15 weeks to have a proper healthy bloom. After being in the fridge less than 3 weeks, each are having a white sprout coming out the top, but no roots. So do: 1. Ignore and wait the 15 weeks (will they starve to death?) or 2. Plant now (they are going in a pot) being very careful not to break the tender shoots and water only once until green shoots emerge from the soil? Thank you so much for the help, Christa

Half my garden is made up of markdowns! Probably more than half. I never buy something that is all dead on top, though. Like , you get a feel for things. Just accept the fact that some won�t make it. The nursery bed is a great idea. Gives them a chance to at least get out of being rootbound. I have one, it's my former vegetable garden, which is now too shady for tomatoes. Still gets too much sun for an ideal nursery, though. If I run out of time in the fall, though, that's where things go. I drove through Dubuque yesterday, back to Chicago. There is a gigantic Menard's there where I always stop for a rest break (yeah, right...). They have the biggest big box nursery I've ever seen. Completely different selection than in my area. So of course, some marked down perennials came home with me. Missing tags, out of bloom: who cares? I scored 3 Bridal Veil astilbe (that did have tags), an unknown white/pale pink Gaura, Minarrete Lupine, Powis Castle Artemisia, and my real prize, a white balloon flower. All beat up, past blooming, or dry, but healthy enough to take a risk on. Not buggy or diseased. I have no idea where these guys are going. To me, the thrill of a deal is worth it.

I still love the deer, they are so beautiful, especially the babies. We put up a deer fence along the woods and now they leave me alone. It is heartbreaking to go out and find your hostas mowed down, been there. Sometimes they are so smart, they come in through our driveway. What I did notice is they only bothered the old solid green junk hostas. Couldn't figure out why, then I thought maybe because all of my good hostas and roses get the Bayer 2 in 1 applied every 6 weeks or so. Maybe something in that makes them taste bad.

Ok. Next year, hopefully, is my first year of not buying plants, because I couldn't get the one's I wanted this year. I live in a 'Flyover' area so my resources are limited. I bought the best resource book I knew of, and I'm following their directions. I'm Midwestern and hot foods do not appeal to me. I garden mostly by the rules that I was taught by my grandmother in the back yard garden. I am a Master Gardener who learns something new about growing (and sometimes killing things) all the time, and tries to share it. This isn't a competition. I'm just trying to help. Peace. Blue Cat.