So many good suggestions still coming in--appreciate that. I won't be ordering until after Thanksgiving (or maybe after Xmas), so I'm open to any more beautiful ideas. I'm looking them all up. Some I kinda know. But I don't know much of anything about Mrs. Dudley Cross, cherrykist. Is it hardy in Zone 6? HMF say Zone 7--but I know it is sometimes rather conservative on hardiness. And I'm not sure about its height since HMF says 3-5 ft (or something like that). What is your experience--does it stay around 3 ft? It is a lovely rose, but not a type I have ever seen, so I'm not sure what to think about it. It's really cool looking at all the gorgeous pics--thanks everyone. Kate

Yeah, I don't have Folklore ...yet. ;-) Let's get the top-level eliminations done first of all. Your photos and description show me your mystery-rose is definitely *not* Seashell Today Coral Sea Montezuma. Folklore's fragrance is rated as Intense ...and its leaves are rated as Glossy. I'm also leaning away from your orange mystery-rose being Arizona ...whose petals tend to quill noticeably more than yours appear to. But as we've all seen, Arizona blooms look so different in so many locations, I can't quite count it out entirely. Your photos and your description of the blooms' form and color, and the bush's growth-habit (very tall & "narrow"), immediately reminded me of a rose in my yard that I forgot to include on my "Long-Lasting Blooms" list. It is Sundowner - which is a grandiflora, thus matching your rose's bloom-habit. Take a look at the photos at HelpMeFind. Also "matching" is the fact that my two Sundowner bushes were purchased as bodybags at WalMart, like yours. But mine were correctly labeled ...I think. ;-) As I said, your desription of your rose's blooms and their "behavior" matches my Sundowner perfectly. But... mine has at least medium-strength fragrance. Also, its older leaves have leathery texture ...but not what I'd call "very" leathery. To my eyes, they are medium-green, and at least somewhat semi-glossy. You said your rose has "50+ petals." I've gotta ask, is that an estimation, or the result of doing an average-petals-per-bloom count with several blooms? Also, was that a Spring Flush count, or from a later flush? The reason I'm asking is, Sundowner is rated at only 35 petals. Note: I did a 3-bloom petal-count a few minutes ago. My most-mature Sundowner bush produces blooms which average about 40 petals. (Your rosebush appears to be *quite* mature, and thus might be producing higher petal-numbers.) When I was outside counting, I took a "sideview" photo of a just-opening bloom, to show the orange petals with yelow base ...and also made a "whole bush" shot. I'll post them for you over in the Rose Gallery ...or, email them to you. Whatever method you prefer. Sundowner might be incorrect. The fragrance-level and leaf-leatheriness factors don't seem to match. But Sundowner sure does match your grandiflora mystery-rose's described bloom-color, "ageing-appearance," and bloom-form. Regards, JohnReb

My Thessalonikis are doing fine, David. Not very large this year but 2012 seems to be somewhat of a difficult year for tomatoes here. More Perfections! They have just started coming off the plants. The one at the top weighs 7 ounces. I think that the only way I'd appreciate this variety more is if it came in just a little earlier. Plenty of tomatoes and, altho' mild - a very nice flavor. A couple have splits on this bad year but mostly, blemish free! I have belittled Orange Minsk but the single huge plant I have in the 2012 garden is doing fine producing tomatoes. It does have a wonderful flavor and doesn't have much trouble with splitting. The largest one is 14 ounces. There were a few a week ago with more to come. That one there must be the largest on the plant but there was one a couple years ago just short of 2 pounds. Earl of Edgecombe holds some real promise. The one in the picture isn't quite ripe and it is only the 2nd fruit off the plant. There are quite a few more and I don't think there is a split, amongst them! We ate the 1st and it was delicious but then I read a complaint about their tough skins. I didn't notice that. You know, a tomato doesn't need a tough skin not to split. The skin has to be somewhat elastic. There's an old adage that when you are looking for a home and if one looks better each time you see it -- that's the place for you! I'll try Earl again next year and munch down that tomato in the picture in a day or 2 with undivided attention. Perfection has been with me for 2 years and I'm sold! Minsk has been around a few years longer and I can't make up my mind . . . of course, DW may make up my mind for me. Steve The temperature tomorrow morning after this wind storm blows thru is supposed to be 39F. Maybe that will wake up the Kellogg's Breakfast plants!

How about the bicolors? I seem to recall seeing pics of some bicolors that had some pink-ier aspects to them. Northern Lights maybe? ***** Nope. I don't think so. Most of those are gold/pink:red bicolors and the exterior pink is not prominent. There are a few that color up almost entirely, I think I have Mary Robinson in mind, but that exterioe color is reddish, not pink. (I agree, the Gogotha pics I can find look good. It's darker than a strawberry milkshake pink, but it looks good.) Looking at photos is OK to a point, but the only way to know the true color, in any one season, is to grow it. And I say anyone season b/c from season to season, and based on how folks grow their tomatoes as in what amendments, as well as weather, there CAN be color differences for the same variety. (Weird idea: What would you get if you crossed a white tomato with a pink tomato, let it sort itself out for a couple of generations? Great White x Gogotha?) Who knows what you'd get after making some selections. LOL Why don't you look at Big White Pink Stripes first? ( smile) Carolyn, who notes that she's seen the variety Dr, Carolyn as baby pink to adolescent pink to a senior citizen darker pink in various seasons. Sigh.