Thank you for that helpful bit of info, will depend on how leafed out, don't know what to expect. I always water potted plants and let them sit a bit before I put them in. I tend to overwater, and the soil around here gets so dry so FAST these last few years! The new batch coming is going on the east side of the house, oh yes, I got Veilchenblau and 2 Gruss which are supposed to do well in part shade; it won't dry out quite so fast, but it does get dry, and I have to watch it. Next year I may not have to water so much as it seems the roots on stuff I put in last year have gone deeper. We've got rain on the way so I put off watering most stuff except scattered some poppy seeds. Now I have to keep that moist continually. I found a pretty pink columbine at HD and went and planted it out by the garage. The soil looked dry as a bone, but when I got down about an inch, it was nice and moist. Thanks for mentioning spreading out the roots a bit. I wouldn't have thought of that but do always try to dig a little bigger holes than I need and then fill back in to where the plant will be even or just a slight bit deeper. That gives the plant a little better start, chops off competing roots, and loosens the soil around them. My Austins look kind of pathetic but I have high hopes for some of them at least. What must the neighbors think, sticks poking out of the ground with funny shoots on them? Then I have seeds to plant to fill in, hope that works out ok. I will mulch around the roses and leave the bare soil until the seeds get going, if I'm lucky. Thanks again, you are a wonderful help and have been on other threads as well. I fell in love with these purple poppies, so will have to plant those, just came in the mail, so much to do. Those aren't the ones I scattered earlier today. I don't know whether to mix them in with the roses or the yellow and white lilies I have coming or find another spot for them. Here is a link that might be useful: Purple poppies

Thanks, guys :-) Some mildly analytical stuff: 1. The containers that have sprouted are all part of a the ones I grouped together in big garbage bags...I guess that ups the temps a bit, having the big plastic around them. I put a lot of containers in the bags for easy transport and for dog protection (from picking up a container and running off with it...which has happened before). Not all the containers in the bags have sprouted (there's a whole lot more of them), but those on the list above have. 2. The sprouted containers are also with a group of containers that are in Southern exposure. ( I have other bags of containers on my porch, in Northern exposure). This proves why it could be bad to have them in Southern exposure, because now, I'm more inclined to worry, since we now have snow and it's going to be in the 20s or lower tonight. But then, the ouotdoor temps have been in the low to mid 20s every night for the past two weeks and that didn't keep them from sprouting. ..but I'm not looking at those containers or opening them up...not for a few days, at least. Whatever will be will be...and I have a feeling a lot of those sprouts will be just fine. --I think I do need to slip a thermometer inside one of those bags of containers, though. I'm curious as to how much warmer it is in there. Linda

I get where KSWL is coming from (at least I think so). I'm not big on cake mixes either. A good made-from-scratch cake is hard to beat. But there are "dump cake" (I hate that name) type cakes that are not made from mixes. Kind of like an Apple Betty or a fruit crisp. I've made one that is quite good - no cake mix, you make the topping from scratch. Oats are a good addition - as are pecans (as someone mentioned above). Fresh fruit is also used - not canned pie filling. So much better and by using your own recipe instead of a cake mix and canned pie filling, you can control the fat and sugar content (at least somewhat). tina

Well, one down. While we were taking a walk, I stopped by another nursery that is within a walking distance from me and they also had a few DAs, but only Crown Princess Margareta was in bloom. I instantly fell in love. I was very impressed that all the blooms made it through rain last night. When I carried it back home (just half a mile) not one petal dropped at our slightly windy condition today. I did notice that the color is differently reflected depending on where it is positioned so I don't think she should be exposed to afternoon sun, likely to fade I think. Here she is at her new home (I already put bamboo stakes with twine to hold the stems as they are still weak while blooms abundant): It doesn't seem that CPM would go well with MR and MW, so I definitely have to get the second one. :-) I'll go back to the nurseries in a couple of days, when they start to bloom, to see how 'Charlotte' and others look like. 'Tess' on obelisk sounds like a grand idea too! This is the only picture I have of the area with 'Mary Rose' (at the bottom corner) & 'Munstead Wood'. I'll move MW more up front because it doesn't grow too large for me and then perhaps another DA right behind or between them.