I take it back again. I do have something else blooming besides the Pleuro. alata. Aerangis kirkii sent up another spike underneath the leaves, and I didn't even see it until lo and behold, one bud bloomed. You can't see it from the top, but if you look from the side, suddenly there it is. This kirkii is crazy. Single blooms have been popping up on and off all summer. And now a hidden spike underneath, a more visible spike on the side, and what looks like the beginnings of a spike off the other side. The obvious spike is coming up from the spot where it has been blooming its one flower at a time, previously. I guess we'll have to wait til next year to decide if this is normal behavior for this one. It's rather interesting, keeps you on your toes, and gives me a reason to pay close attention to it (which I obviously haven't been lately, if a spike could start blooming out of nowhere.)

Holà , Nadine! Ici dans ma fraîche Belgique, je viens de récolter tous mes cynorhodons -15 jours d'avance cette année-. Inutile d'attendre jusqu'en Décembre que les oiseaux les mangent... A propos des "déchets", des "chétifs", je ne partage pas non plus l'avis des "pros", qui, il est vrai, n'ont ni beaucoup de temps ni assez de place. Je ne jette jamais un semis, même noir de Marsonia, chétif, mal formé etc, avant quelques années. En effet, des fleurs diformes peuvent devenir superbes sur une plante de trois ans, mieux "musclée" pour les nourrir ; une sensibilité aux maladies est le plus souvent l'indice d'une préférence pour des conditions de culture particulières (mi-ombre, sol frais, ou le contraire). A l'hybrideur amateur de les découvrir! J'ai pour l'instant un semis issu d'une reconstitution -supposée- du croisement qui a donné "Géant des batailles". C'est un petit truc rikiki, 11 centimètres de haut, tout blanc d'oidium tout l'été (plus rien maintenant), des folioles de 0,5 Cm de long....et des fleurs minuscules, semi-doubles, noires, oui, vraiment noires avec des reflets bruns, et des étamines jaunes qui ressortent d'autant plus. Et du parfum! le désespoir du parfumeur, bien que pour l'instant je l'appelle "Dracula" (humour belge). N'importe quel pro flanquerait celà au compost dans la seconde ; pour ma part, je vais le bichonner ququ années avant toute décision, rien que pour cette couleur et ce parfum. Et ce temps me permettra de savoir où et comment le cultiver pour éviter l'oidium! Bien amicalement, Pete.

This time last year, found myself digging & potting established garden beds next to the house in an intensive effort to preserve plants from a small crew tasked with tearing off & replacing our large & complex roof (storm damage). Some big roses & shrubs were protected in place with scaffolds for tarps. Several hundred plants, along with 60 or so roses, were parked on rows of landscape fabric pinned to the ground & the overflow tucked beneath trees for the duration. Planned to replant them come Spring, but an unusually wet & dreary season prevented working our clay based soil. A two week window of sun & drying ground allowed progress on that plan before unusually high temps struck & continued unabated from mid-June through mid-September. Back to the drawing board, basically ran a temporary nursery throughout the season. New experience for me on that scale with its own learning curve. Usually bring in more roses over the Summer to grow on in pots before planting out, and this year was no exception despite the exceptional circumstances. Seems my Rose Fever accelerated with the heat. So, along the way, I've doubled the number of roses with which I began. Within the last two weeks, these new roses arrived, with more scheduled for the coming week. From A Reverence for Roses, run by a delightful couple who send very well grown & developed bands that grow by leaps & bounds, judging by a prior order (2 Reve d'Or, Aloha & Belinda's Dream): bands of Cato's Cluster - Cornelia - Setzer Noisette - Mme. Caroline Testout, Climbing (2) - Pink Perpetue (2) - Rhode Island Red (2). Total shipping USPS 2-day only $16.65 for 2 boxes & sale 8 bands for $70. From Brushwood, who recently began shipping again: bands of Colette & Garden Sun ordered 2 months ago. From Heirloom's recent sales: gallons of Dancing in the Wind (2) - Double Delight - Highfield (2) - Lady of the Mist - Love Potion - Wedding Bells - bands of Joseph's Coat VID (2). From Northland Rosarium: bands of Colette - Rock & Roll (2). Shipping from A Reverence for Roses, ordered while sale was still on 8 for $70: bands of Aloha - Belinda's Dream - Cato's Cluster - Jaune Desprez - Papillon Rose (2) - Penelope - Pinkie, Climbing (2). In transit from Heirloom sale: gallons of Crepuscule & Portlandia (2). Haven't been this enthusiastic for many years. Succumbed to a now-or-never impulse. Here's hoping for an extended Indian Summer & great success to us all! Sue

Well, It's great you're trying new things. "Recall" or the "Come" command is often very challenging, but it has to get to be so, so solid, that the dog will come 100% of the time, unless you're in an enclosed area, or the dog could be killed (traffic, drowning, cliffs--I know a dog who went through bushes and right off a cliff chasing a rabbit) or injured, or whatever. (Side note: One of my best dog trainer's personal dog could not be trusted completely off-leash, and that's where dog's individuality comes into the equation). I personally have learned a whole lot of tips and tricks about training recall, but I have to say, there are so many aspects to the process, that I really think this is going to need a trainer. A class. A book. A bunch of videos. Some relevant things that I have learned include: -starting on a 30' lead -starting only in enclosed areas -high-value rewards, that the dog never knows about until she comes a-running, then gets surprised with a bit of hot dog -calling the dog but facing away from the dog (turn your shoulders and be walking in a direction-don't face dog directly; and this is an agility thing trained over time--dogs and a lot of other animals naturally watch which direction your shoulders are facing, and that is and can be reinforced over time). Takes a lot of practice, for you and the dog. -gradually increasing the stimuli level, so the dog learns to choose coming, over whatever level of stimuli she's choosing between -never, ever, ever, ever, ever, punishing a dog in any way when eventually she does come to you. Never. No punishment at all, just praise. -excited voice, not demands like "COME". -in fact in agility, there are levels of "come". The "come" command is reserved for instant approach all the way to the human, whereas, "Let's go" and/or saying the dog's name (and the like) is softer and more geared to getting the dog's attention, driving excitement, and re-orienting the dog, typically towards the handler... there are nuances. And there's more. You can watch youtube videos for help. But what you need is going to be a lot of trainer input, instant feedback, and correction of the way YOU do things. Not a judgment or any criticism meant! Just that there's a lot of training of handler in how to train the dog. You need help.