Hmm, maybe it was Tropicana. The palette looks right in picture. Never saw a labeled one in person so it's possible. Don't know and it's dead and gone anyway!

I was impressed that the other two were labeled correctly. Mr Lincoln and Blue Girl are both doing fine.

Toni, I wish they were only 6 feet tall. My neighbors on both sides keep letting the seedlings grow into monsters that shade my flower beds and ruin my view. It's probably Quercus garryana, which is quite tall and quite ugly. I posted a photo of it in the April chat thread.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q...

Here's the photo again.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/b...

Carey, I'd bet it was Tropicana. It's as widely available as Mr. Lincoln and Blue Girl and it is coral-orange rather than a true red-orange.

Oh, Porkpal, I forgot to answer your question. I can't remember exactly when I planted that one. I bought the first one for 50 cents at the flea market about 25 years ago and then stuck pieces of it all around the garden a few years later. I've taken most of them out because they got too big, but this one was allowed to stay for its oak-camouflaging talent. So it probably has been growing there for about 20 years and I only prune it width-wise, cutting away the new outer canes to keep it tall and narrow.

Now I'm a treehugger, but that's decidedly 1 ugly tree. LOL!

That's why I'm doing my best to obscure them with Wisteria and climbing roses.

In addition to being misshapen and asymmetrical, they have weak branches that fall off and smother my flower beds near the fencelines every time the wind blows. I'm hoping the roses and wisteria will hold those branches in place.

Bee Bop put out its first blooms this year. But most of the shrub is still tight buds not ready to bloom.

That Be Bop looks like a tiny version of my Wild Thing!
oops can't find the pic, will post it later if I can.

Don't forget to check the new bloom parade Zuzu started!! Yummy shots!
The thread "New blooms, first week of May 2012" in Roses forum

I start a new part time job this AM, working for Garden Valley Ranch nursery for the summer.

Sounds like fun!

Sue make sure you wear a hat and sunscreen!
Summer nursery jobs are fun! I did that several years and had great arms from unloading flats from trucks. Never managed to bring home much of a paycheck, though.

I would imagine a job like that is a bad idea for collectors such as myself.

Sue, i hope you are working in sales. What a treat for a customer to ask a question and have someone like Sue there to answer it!

Well, I spoke too soon, I had just talked to the owner yesterday but did mention that I already had a 3 week trip planned to visit family plus commitments a couple of other weekends so they really need someone that can commit the summer hours they need. I am not too disappointed, I would have been stressed with trying to fit everything in, I am getting too old for stress. Besides, it's been at least 15 years since I worked for someone else. I like my freedom.

They don't know what they are missing!

I was selfishly mourning the loss of my lunch and shopping partner, so when she called to give me the news, I naturally suggested that a nice lunch might console her. She agreed that it would. We went out to lunch and then to Sonoma Horticultural Nursery, where we bought azaleas, rhododendrons, and clematises. I think she feels a lot better now. I know I do.

Retail therapy works every time.
A friend of mine came over today and took me shopping. she wanted to see if Lowes had their creeping phlox marked down. They had it marked to 2.50, so I asked the kid with the price gun if they could take it down to 1.00 for us because we would buy a lot, and he did! And we did. I'm putting phlox completely around the perimeter of my formal rose bed. They also had 1 gallon pots of clematis that were so huge they had roots coming out the bottom, and they were $6. I think most had the wrong nametags since the blooms didn't match the names, but I still found a few I needed.
Then we came home and made the most beautiful stained glass mosaic table. All in all, a very fun day. so glad my friend was able to take off work.

Excellent therapy.

What a great day, Cindi!

The past few days were so bad.. I sold my car online to a guy in California and the bank said the check was phony. After going to 3 banks, I finally got someone to clear it. Got a crazy letter from Ks Dept of Revenue, saying we owe money that we don't owe. I found out Chamblees wasn't shipping my roses because the credit card didn't go through, and neglected to tell me, so every day I wait and nothing comes. No clue why the card was declined--it works every place else. It was a big order, 17 roses, why didn't Chamblee care enough to call and follow up? My pain level was sky high, the satellite went out during Dancing with the stars, and the repairman who finally came 2 days later worked for 2 hours, said it was fixed, and then I realized I had no sound after he left. I don't watch tv except for weather channel and DWTS, but I do use the satellite to listen to music because it relaxes me. Went to my doc for acupuncture and told him something good has to happen with all the crap raining down! Left his office, went through a drive through for an iced tea, and they give me the wrong drink. (I don't do sugar) then decide I'm too tired to grocery shop, so I'll drive through another place and pick up a taco salad. Get to the window and the lady says, "the car ahead of you paid for your meal. Enjoy. " I was so stunned I started crying. Poor lady, she didn't know what to say.
What's so strange is, since my girls were young, fairly often, we would pick someone and anonymously pay for their meal. The girls liked to pick older women, people they would call "cat ladies". People who looked like they were nice to cats. i picked people who looked like they needed a break. So my first thought, was I must look down and out or someone thought I sit home alone and talk to my pets. (which I do). But it was incredibly strange being on the other end. I sorely needed a break, and I got it from a complete stranger with acute timing.
That turned the tide, because right after, a good friend (who I met on gardenweb 11 years ago) called and said she wanted me to help her with a stained glass mosaic project for her daughter. Her daughter and mine are both graduating Saturday from the same college with degrees in accounting and finance, but they don't know one another. Anyway, to end this long pathetic story, I got through a bad week with help from friends and strangers alike.
I got to dig in the dirt and plant flowers and the weather was perfect, and this weekend I'll get to see 2 of my daughters, so things are looking up.
And my daughter brought her professional camera and promised to take photos of the garden! so watch for a new parade soon.

Oh Cindi, what a tough start you had this week but it did indeed have a better ending! And it was so sweet to have that random stranger extend kindness, just when you needed it most.