A friend of mine grew Crazy Daisies from packaged seed, and their was a surprising range between some of the plants. Some were single, some were thin and spidery-looking, some had twisted petals, some were very full, like extra-double. And I remember reading a bit about others who had similar experiences after Crazy Daisy first came out. If you go to Google Images, type in 'crazy daisy plant' and look at the differences in the flowers. Personally, since it's a hybrid, I suspect it's not a stable one. I guess you have to sow more than you want and let them grow on to where you can weed out the ones that don't strike your fancy.

I bought almost all my seeds from Baker creek this year. The pink pearls are the most massive producers I have ever grown, although I havent really grown much, this summer and last summer were the first time I had my own place to try and grow, but they dont taste as good as they produce, they are good, but for as many tomatoes as I am getting, giving away, and throwing away, it would be nice if they were super! My squash from them did great, but I think powdery mildew has finally done in most of them, except the golden zuccs which I started later, and are far away from the green zuccs, and other squashes. but back to toms, I planted, WAY late, carbons and cherokee purples I bought from them, transplanted them when they were very tiny, we had no rain and horrid hot weather all of June, of 17 plants I think I have 11 left, but they sure tried! as badly as I treated them, and still coninue to, ( I dont fertilize, and they get watered when it rains) I cant believe how they are growing, and they have tons of flowers, and pretty fair amount of toms on them, some getting big. Unfortunately I thought they were all CP's. so planted all in one spot, then turned my container around and realized one side of my box was CP's and one side was carbons, so we'll see what I ended up with, although I am not usre what either really looks like:) My Striped Romans and Purple russians I bought from Baker Creek were decimated by early bad weather, but started to come back, then one night deer or something came in and pretty much decimated them again!! I almost cried. amazingly enough they are coming back, whats left of them, and even some some baby romans, ( 2 left of 6 plants after the raid) and even the purple russians are trying to make fruit. I think Baker Creek must sell some pretty sturdy seeds!! I have put mine through hell, and they are still making something for me to eat later! AND, I planted Grerat Whites from baker creek also, from seeds, they looked awful at first but now I have little baby great whites! or after reading these posts, who know?? I havent read much good about any of the white tomaotes flavor since I planted them, but like others, I just wanted to see one! So I hope these give me something, and really turn out to be white! They are next to the white habanero, so they know what to do hopefully1

How long do you want to go back on this one? I got Old Blush in the late 1990's ('98? '99?) It was planted in the driveway bed which, at the time, was the only spot I had for roses, or flowers of any kind. It was the first to blackspot, shed its leaves and just sit there the rest of the season. It sent up about one new cane a year, just to stay alive and the few blooms were modest, at best. It was nearly dead when I moved it to an east-facing bed behind our house last year as an experiment. It is still small but growing for the first time. No blackspot, even though pressure has been moderately high this year. It is rarely out of bloom. Even the blooms are prettier. Who knew??? A more recent one is Smiling Jean. I got this one 2 yrs. ago because it was supposed to be disease resistant, nearly thornless, and could take some shade. I had a spot for a rose like that and liked the bright coral blooms. While still in its pot, it promptly blackspotted and lost its leaves. The one bloom was pepto pink and it sent up one new cane, well armed with thorns. That fall I planted it where I had intended, hoping for better. The next year it became a one cane (with thorns) wonder, with an occasional pepto-pink bloom. I had to move a rose because it outgrew its spot by the path and put this one in its place. This year it's a different rose. It's growing well and no longer a one-cane wonder. No blackspot and rarely out of bloom, now truly coral pink. Still thorny- hopefully it won't get too big to be by the path!

Thanks everybody. I am going Sunday to the brunch and will gain a true perspective then. Following a passion and all . . . I am a musician, but I'm a bit in the cracks there as well. I do still play in one group in my old town an hour away. The options here are either the really good group where someone pretty much has to die for a spot to open, and the come-all band that has way, way too many folks playing on my instrument. But then these folks don't really socialize outside of the rehearsals, so . . . Tish - thanks for the invite, and you are so correct about the hiking. So. Much. Hiking. And I agree there is potential in some of the other interest groups. But it is a challenge I think with a single mingling with couples (pinkmountain was spot on with that). Maybe not as taboo here in the west as it would have been if I were still back in the South, but not ideally what I was looking for. Single women are my comfort zone at present. Baby steps and all.