Right now, Madame Hardy, alba maxima, Madame Plantier, Quatre Saison Damask, Chloris, Celsiana, Hallie's Rose, and Harison's Yellow are either in full bloom or just about done. Rosa centifolia was a big surprise, being a deep pink I wasn't expecting. I sent off for it from Canada, and have hardly ever heard anyone talk about it here. My big long eglanteria hedge is in full bloom and Greenmantle has really large hot pink/red flowers. Apothecary Rose and the White rose of York are going for it. Rosa xanthina is all done. Rosa Mundi is happy as a clam. Charles de Mills threw suckers off its rootstock everywhere and has began to bloom again. Variogata di Bologna is all red now except for one blossom of VDB. Everything is about 2 weeks late due to the big rain all spring, and they usually bloom in sequence, not all at once. My common pink moss finally decided to go for it, after standing around for years. Dr. Van Fleet is blooming like crazy, after all the rain. Usually I get two. Blossoms, that is. For repeat bloomers, I have Hansa, Gruss an Teplitz, Therese Bugnet, and Zephirine Drouhin. There's more in the pots,. Lots of people don't have the room for these big specimens, but if you do, it's like Christmas in July. After that, you can put up your feet, turn up the sprinklers and watch the clouds go by. Why not?

I've gotten 3 orders to this point. My first in the first week of March from Floyd Cove were great big honking plants as any of you who have ever bought from them will know. Then I got my order from Spunky1 (Kathleen and Fred Manning) on Tuesday and again, great big lovely plants. Then yesterday I got my order from Breeze (Scott Smith). I only bought 1 dl from him, Rock Candy, and he sent me a triple fan of Born To Run as a bonus. These were both big nice plants with tons of healthy roots. So, thus far, I am more than pleased with the orders I've received up to now. Still no scapes yet, but it'll be any day now, I'm sure. My dl's are growing like gang busters and increasing tremenously this year too. All the rains we've had this winter and spring have really had a positive impact and I'm expecting a fabulous bloom season this year! Jan

Hi. I'm not a daylily expert, although I grow quite a few. Yes, the plants need time to get settled into their new homes and put out roots, then growth, then blooms. The process takes a while. Even with repeat bloomers, the first year you put them in is going to be iffy; they may not repeat because they have to establish roots in their new holes. Depending on the maturity of the plant, they really take off in the 2nd or 3rd year. If you buy a single small fan or a very immature plant, then the 3rd year is when they start putting on a show. A more mature plant will put on a show in its 2nd year. You are in zone 5/6. We have very short growing seasons. In warmer climates the plants get more time to get established and grow, so they usually mature more rapidly in warmer climates. Any kind of gardening is about patience. Drat! I'm not a patient person myself. :-) But next year and, especially, the year after, you'll be glad that you put those plants in. Have fun!

I used to love "Iron Chef" (the Japanese version), it was so fun and funny, but of course USA had to beat it into the ground the way we do with most things. It is well known that I love Michael Chiarello but I don't have cable anymore and he's not on much (which is probably why I still love him). My favorite cooking shows are now on PBS, I ADORE Lidia Bastianich's Italian cooking show, and also like Sara Moulton and even Martha Stewart's everyday cooking, and several others they show from time to time, including Julia and Jacques Pepin. I've never liked any of the "Test Kitchen" recipes I've made, they've been OK, but do not end up being my "go to" recipes for anything. But the show is tolerable only because it has a certain kitschy humor IMHO, like most of them. But Lidia is my all time favorite. PBS really does these kinds of shows well. I think they should do more.