Thanks, Joe, for these stunning photos. I made my annual visit to the Cranford Garden last week. I had a great time there as always, but as in the past wish they would display the rose name tags a little better. They grow most if not all of their OGRs along the fences. Lots of these roses I would love to learn their names, but could not find the tags. Lovely, lovely photos. Now I will have to go the one in the Bronx this year as well...

Jana, thanks for the info on Tantau's Nostalgic series. I'll take a look at Piano. I actually also got a Chippendale this spring, and mine has not bloomed yet either, so I guess we can compare notes later this year. I also remember looking at Heidi Klum, so any more info and pics on yours will certainly be appreciated. Princess Alexandra of Kent is not that vivid, but of a deeper pink with a very distinct smoky salmon tint, quite nice actually. Lots of petals in nice formation, it looks superb when it slowly unfolds. It lasts quite well on the bush and in the vase too. I really like its scent, old rose with tea, I'd say. Young Lycidas is of a very vivid color, but I'd put him more into the purple-cerise group. Toward the end his huge blooms fade into a nice soft mauve. And the fragrance is really superb. Claire Austin, now that's a very very vigorous, extremely healthy rose (basically no BS in my no-spray garden), and a very good bloomer too so far. Looks like it wants to be a climber. Its flowers open light lemon fading to white or cream white, with a complex myrrhy scent, not too bad. It blooms in clusters and the blooms are very cup shaped. It's pretty, but I think it just looks a little pale somehow, perhaps because it doesn't quite have the radiant quality of say, Margaret Merrill or even Fair Bianca, and the blooms tend to not quite fully open, staying cupped pretty much until the petals drop. Currently, mine is a tall arching shrub (in its second year with me), but I think it'll look better with some support as a climber, perhaps next to a dark red rose like WS2K. Anyway, so far it has proven to be an excellent garden rose, so I can certainly recommend it. Roselovr, sounds all very good, especially if you're already familiar and comfortable with Nikon and perhaps own some Nikon glass already - did you get the D5000? We'd certainly love to see some pictures! Andrea

rococogurl, you nailed it with that Grand Central train to White Plains recommendation. 12:30pm - Walked out of my room at Hotel Plaza Athenee, upper east side manhattan 12:48pm - Caught the Grand Central Metro North train on Track 112, via the elevator down near track 30 with 2 x 29" luggage in tow at this point... Destination: North White Plains. $8.50 maybe. Odd though - I couldn't use my MCA card to pay for it. There was a kind woman setting nearby who said that even this car opened, at that North White Plains station, although that wasn't always the case. I made the train by all of 2 minutes, so I hopped on the caboose...or the first car available. 1:30pm - I was in the elevator at North White Plains train station! I remember this time clearly because I thought the elevator was stuck. I eventually realized I had to first go UP and change elevators in order to go DOWN. Picked up rental car from the Hertz there. Totally painless. More soon! :-D.

I would love to have Bathers at Asnieres by Seurat. I first saw it in London when I was in college. My favorite artist is Gustav Klimt, and I saw many of his works years ago in Vienna and more recently at the Neue Gallerie in NYC, and any of his works would please me. We saw an amazing Turner exhibit at the de Young museum in 2015. His mastery of light is incredible. Other favorites are Van Gogh, Monet, and Matisse. I also would not turn down a Tiffany lamp or window! Annie, our tour guide in Arles this fall said van Gogh's yellow house was destroyed in world war 2. Is that not correct? We really enjoyed our time there, and also visited the mental hospital where he lived in St Remy and painted so many of his now famous paintings.