TB: REB: CULT: OT-CHAT: About time for another installment....

Well, about six weeks ago I saw some leaf spot moving in for the first time in
about three years; pretty bad in a few spots.  Cleaned it up pretty well and
sprayed all over with Fung-Away.  Had very minor outpatient surgery on a
finger; my whole hand reacted by swelling up to an incredible degree, ripping
out the stitches and leaving an even bigger hole.  Still hasn't closed up all
the way, but I finally threw a waterproof band-aid over it last weekend and
went out to survey the damage.  Tons of dead leaves, but very little leaf spot
except on Eagle Control, Different Design, and Judy Mogil.  Spent a few days
cleaning up everything on the hill, and sprayed again.  Finished cleaning up
the older beds behind the house yesterday; sprayed  Fung-Away on them right
before the Super Bowl and Kelthane (for red spider mites) at halftime.  Those
red spider mites can be harder to get rid of than leaf spot; that Kelthane is
the only thing that works and doesn't seem to be available at the local
nurseries any more.  Don't know what I can find when I run out.  Most products
that claim to work are useless.

Rebloom: still (always) going strong is Stingray.  Also Busy Butterfly,
Eggnog, Plum Wine, Rock Star, Cupid's Arrow, Double Vision, Best Bet,
Floorshow, Fancy Woman, New Leaf, Innocent Star, Favorite Pastime, Mabel
Andrews, and Wearing Rubies (well it just finished but deserves a mention).
Barry Blyth and everyone else seems to be very high on Wearing Rubies for the
rare color, but I am more of a junkie for heavily ruffled form.  Keith Keppel
is justifiably high on Decadence, but I'll still take it's parent Louisa's
Song.  A great clump of LS is forming to put on a show this spring; I had to
move Touch Of Mahogany (an even bigger clump) to make room for it.

Okay, y'all probably bored to death by now.
Our 85-degree weather today probably confused a lot of Super Bowl viewers,
"It's January, how come all those players are sweating so much?"
California, love it or hate it (or both), just come for the weather and your
wife will never leave.

John Reeds
lamegardener@msn.com
San Juan Capistrano, CA, USDA zone 9b

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