Dichelostemma ida maia.

I'm less than 30 miles over the border, so maybe I can make a couple suggestions--although I am Zone 6 and most of my reds and whites are Zone 6 or 7. I'm assuming your sister is in Zone 5b? Is that right? First, it depends on what your sister has in mind as to what a rose is. Inexperienced gardeners usually have long-stemmed roses (like a Mother's Day bouquet) in mind. Those roses are hybrid teas--and all the hybrid teas I personally know can't be grown in Zone 5 and/or need to be sprayed for blackspot. However, there are wonderful shrub roses, if your sister can accept them. However, the only ones I personally know that are hardy enough for Zone 5b are Eutin, Braveheart, and Double Knock Out. All three of them are red. Eutin is guaranteed hardy--I used to grow it in Nebraska. It blooms in large showy bright red clusters (each individual flower is rather small). Quite an amazing show when in bloom, but it has some down time between flowering cycles. I don't think I've ever had to spray it. It's about 3.5 x 3.5 ft. Double Knock Out--all the Knock Out roses are fool-proof when it comes to diseases--their strong point. The regular Knock Out is a bit taller, which is why I'm recommending Double Knock out--about same size as Eutin. In fact, the color is about the same as Eutin, but it doesn't bloom in clusters and the individual bloom is not as well-shaped as those on Eutin. On the other hand, Double Knock Out blooms almost continuously and forms a great splash of color in the yard. Braveheart is my favorite--big full blooms--just gorgeous--wonderful red that stays red instead of fading to purple as many reds do. It doesn't bloom as much as the above roses, but its blooms are 10 times more beautiful. My one hesitation in mentioning this one is that it might need to be sprayed for blackspot occasionally. It's fairly disease-resistant, but not as good on that score as the above ones are. That's all the help I can give you. My climbers aren't hardy enough for Zone 5 and the whites I grow are too large for what your sister wants. You might try posting again but specify in the subject line that you want some recommendations for Zone 5. That would alert the more northern gardeners to stop by and give you advice. There are many hardier roses that you could consider--they would know what were some good ones. But maybe you'll luck out and in a day or two more northern garderners will show up here with some other choices for you. Good luck, Kate

I was there in August and surprised myself with all the photos I took of bark features. The gardens are celebrating their 150th anniversary next year. Those metasequoias were planted shortly after WW II, and are truly majestic. Nearby is a zelkova with wonderful fluted trunk taper. I noted a parrotia that was peeling and flaking, and several maples, not just paperbark, with beautiful bark. Guess i need to go back after leaf fall and take more pics. Truly a world class garden. brian

Wow, that is a nice big clump of Basjoo. I'd like to get to mobot someday, I've heard good things about it. And I'd look up that Basjoo too. Gives me hope that maybe mine here, in a suburb East of KC will someday be some nice plants. I have a friend in the bootheel of Missouri, about 200 miles South of St Louis, that I'd like to try some plants like Basjoo, Monkey Puzzle, straight Southern Magnolia, cacti and more. Although he's a good friend, he's not what you'd call a plant lover, he's more of a tree cutter than a tree planter. I mentioned a Banana in the backyard by his inground pool and some cactus in the front and his response wasn't too favorable. I can see why he might not want cactus because he has small kids, but a Banana would be ideal, and rare there. Back by the pool, in the backyard, on the South side of his house would just be ideal. Maybe its just me, I don't know, maybe I have pool and zone envy! But the plants are only 8 dollars right now! I'll just kind of show up with the plants in tow, then he can't refuse! Will