@meredith_e i haven't had time in past years to do much in my yard. This summer I'm taking off from my studies so I'm getting my front and back garden into shape. Hopefully once I graduate and go to work I'll be able to keep up my garden. I've always wanted to have everything in a color scheme and I'm finally doing it. I also have a small pond with a water fall that has mostly ferns, vine type plants and pansies growing around it right now with a pretty bleeding heart bush on one side. So the pansies all have pinks and reds in them to go with the bleeding heart bush. Isn't gardening relaxing? I only wish my mother would have let me do some gardening with her. I probably would have learned a lot from her. She always yelled at me to get out of her flowers because she said I didn't know what I was doing. Unlike my mother, I always ask my daughter if she would like to help. She'll help me plant and then takes photos since she is into all forms of art. She then takes those photos and will either print them out or paint what she photographed. She's been working on a beautiful pastel chalk drawing for awhile now. I can't wait till its done. I showed her some online photos of the roses I just purchased and she is as excited as I am but not for the same reasons. She wants to photograph and paint them.

Thanks so much for your help Patty! Youe just one of those few rare people that people meet on these forums. You just seem so eager and willing to help anyone! I'm very happy with what I ordered even though yet again, I have not been able to order my 'Minneola Tangelo'. I am bound and determined to get this tree, and so help me....I will have one before this summer comes to a close. LOL! I will let you know how these arrived, and most importantly, how they grow and perform for me! BTW...my 'Star Ruby' is 4ft 5 in. tall and about 3ft 6 in. wide. Right now it is loaded up with TONS of small clusters of flower buds. Patty, I am SUPER excited with this tree, and knowing that in another week or so, I will have TONS of open flowers which will perfume my entire apartment! This year I have set a few goals for my me and my citrus. At the top of the list....ROOTING MY OWN CUTTINGS! Weird. IT's just one of those things. I can remember over 15 years ago I could root my own Ponderosa lemon tree cuttings with no problem but since then, NOTHING, and what's really strange to me is that now I have my 600 watt HPS light! I am going to try Dip N Grow this year. One last thing, I don't remember if you told me that the 'Page' required heat to sweeten the fruits or not? Thanks again, Andrew

You go girl!! I keep putting roses in the Hortico cart myself. Never get around to placing an order tho. I actually already have a big order coming from them next month. Was supposed to go out in Dec or Jan, but I guess the harsh winter pushed the order back. I want a few more climbers to put inside the veggie pen, to climb all over the fence to cover it up, so been scoping those, plus some other roses, including the newer DAs that they added recently. I got my FREDERICK MISTRAL from them last yr. It only got this one bloom on it, but I'm sure this yr it will do great. And you will love JESSIKA! She's a real beauty. I've had mine for over 20yrs.

“At a whim,” I love it, you’re my kind of gardener! Wonderful choices by the way, I’m interested to see how your Princess Alexandra of Kent performs in bloom frequency and color. I go back and forth about getting her (all those petals and that pink just grab me) as I’ve heard mixed reviews here about her turning an awful salmony color for some. I have several DA’s and our temps here usually get to a high of 95 -105… at that point the new growth on all my roses that don’t get afternoon shade fry. I have to cut them back a bit after it passes. They do recover nicely, as if it never happened. I also have drip irrigation and use the Dig brand adjustable micro bubbler. I set it on the 6th notch when twisting to the left. My zone runs for 6 minutes on M, W, F and Sat. When the temp gets above 80-85 consistently, then I water twice a day and everyday but Sunday. I have very heavy clay soil but amend the holes I plant the roses in. I’ve never had a problem with any signs of over watering. In fact, I became so aggressive with the watering after a frightening experience when on a 90 degree day I looked out my window and my Falling in Love hybrid tea rose was bent over limp… canes laying in the ground! She survived and is thriving but I felt like a terrible rose mother. As long as the soil isn’t a constant sopping wet I feel like the roses can take the water… keep in mind that where I live it only rains in the winter… I get no rain for spring and summer so adjust your watering accordingly. Also, drip irrigation only waters a small portion of the roots, so it’s not like the entire bush is sitting in water. It still amazes me how plants survive with this method. Give it a go, trial and error in my opinion is the best way to learn what works for you, your plants and their environment. I’ve had plants that we’re supposed to perform fail and ones that should have failed excel. My supposed winter blooming hellebores mystify me and only bloom in the spring and summer… go figure. BTW, I agree… in no time you’ll be offering advice to others here. You got this!