If I remember correctly, VE suddenly are 'sold out' on many things when the sale notice goes up. Last year there were almost no daffodils left, lots of lilies and not many tulips, as best I remember.Even the 'collections' sold out fast. Brent and Becky had lots of bulbs left last year. Every year seems to be different. If they planned this year based on last years' sales, they'll be sold out, too. They're already out of many specialty daffodils but I suspect that's supply and demand. My opinion is that if there's something that you really want, order now. If you just want volume and are willing to substitute, take a chance on waiting. It's more a game than a good garden plan, waiting. I bought locally and there is a good selection this year. Do you think that will affect mail-order sales? Nell

I am in zone 9b. I buy nothing but bare root from places like JP and Regan. Reason: I can see the healty root system, green and lively canes. And if there is a problem with them later, they will send me replacement. They may be more expensive but the quality of the roses are wonderful. The root systems are huge and not at all comparible to body bag roses. Most of my new roses were bought last year after May. Some right up to July. The ones I got in May/June got planted in the ground. They did not do much except leaf out and grow roots. Maybe 4-6 buds each that did not last long. But come see them this year! What a sight! What a flush! The ones I bought in July, were placed in pots and in semi shade are. They grew much larger then ones in the groud and bloomed constantly. This year, planted along side other roses in ground, they look the same as the ones I bought in May. Good luck, FJ

Jerry, yes, I also tried to look at the scene this way but it isn't easy. If one visits the smaller independent nurseries, s/he can see that they also sell mostly KOs. I tried to talk to some of them suggesting at least trying to carry a few OGRs; they pretend to listen, then they order the newest HTs and Knockouts. It is silly because they cannot even compete with the box stores in selling these because they cannot sell their products that cheap. Or, another example. One lady who came to the garden club meetings occasionally (they just moved down here and bought about 20 acres) alleged that she wanted to do a rose garden around their house but, she said, she loved only 'old fashioned roses' and asked help. I was ready to pull out Jean's list and tell her which roses on that list work in our coastal inferno (not everything is disease free here in the coast that is clean for Jean) and which nurseries she could get her roses from. She then emailed me last winter that her project would be urgent because her daughter wanted to have her wedding in the mother's 'rose garden in July. So I was about to visit her and make recommendations and even planned to call a few nurseries on her behalf asking if they had a few more mature roses. In the last minute she decided to buy Knockouts because one of the local nurseries or chain stores (or our local rose society is heavily promoting one of the chain stores) told her that only those would be problem free for her. The club has three plant sales a year. As to roses, people come and ask if we have KOs! No, we don't. I usually have a few OGRs rooted and so far those who bought them come back for others. But I am not a nursery and I do not even have that many OGRs. Very few is willing to go online and order roses though I offer to provide a list of good nurseries for them. DH told me that the university also installed a lot of KOs "but those looked awful and were not even blackspot free". The ritziest neighborhood in town has mass plantings of KOs in the common areas. What do you think the millionaire homeowners ask landscapers to plant in their private yards? Knockouts - mass planted. BORING! BORING! I am sorry for the outburst, I do not mean to insult anyone who plants KOs but if one would see the bleak landscape in this town, s/he would understand my resentment. Of course, the situation is not much better in the area of perennials either. In time it will change but I will not be alive to see that.

Thanks for the compliments and, um, "sympathy" (smile). It's good to hear other GW friends admit to being crazy, Katie, and I happen to think it's a good kind of crazy. I mean, truly insane gardeners like us don't need to come inside when it starts raining either (like today). I'm glad (and surprised) that daffodils do well in the desert, though come to think of it a lot of bulbs evolved in high deserts in Turkey and such. You might try the low botanical tulips that are the size and timing of crocus, as they like it dry. You're right, Sharon, by this point I can just dig and replace the bulbs by now to plant the rest of the roses, but for me it doesn't really help fall planting. I just dig where I know not enough bulbs will survive, and again in the fall, if I dig up a bulb to plant another one I just replace it and move on. Carol, it sounds like we have a new convert to bulbs and roses, and Canada should be a good place to mingle those, as JJPeace can testify. Cadiarose, I do appreciate the work of keeping up with both obsessions, and I agree that if I had to choose I'd pick the roses. However, self-sustaining bulbs like crocus or daffodils don't really take any work once planted, and they can be at the back of the bed so you can forget about them once the roses start. Just a thought to maintain the insanity a little longer (smile).\ Cynthia