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Many of you asked about some of the plants in my yard when you were at the Spring Plant Sale. I find it hard to remember who asked what, especially with so much going on that day. I promised many of you that I would send this information out in an email to you, but I got your addresses all jumbled up as to who wanted what information. So, everyone is getting this. OH BOY, I hope I'm not annoying you.

The Lilac shrubs that I have, which bloom in Las Vegas, are named, Common Lilac, "Syringa Vulgaris." I am not sure if the hybrids will bloom here, I have talked with others that say they are not getting blooms from some hybrids. Syringa Vulgaris blooms for about a month in my yard. I have 4 of them and the first one begins blooming in March and the others follow with each one blooming one week later than the previous shrub, and in order, from west to east. I'm not guessing as to why this happens this way. I just enjoy this miracle of nature that keeps me in lilacs much longer. The last to bloom will finish about April 14th. The plant likes to have ALL the blooms cut off, it will become a fuller shrub if you do this, as the energy will go to making more branches instead of seed.

The yellow Lady Banks Rose was in full bloom for the Spring Plant Sale in mid March. It will finish about mid April. These two plants seem to be blooming at the same time and I think look lovely together in a flower arrangement. (Which I'm not real good at.) White Lady Banks Rose has a fragrance, yellow has no fragrance. Both lilac and Lady Banks are evergreen unless we get a hard freeze for several days in a row. Mine have always had leaves through the winter.

Many of you have asked about the Rose (top left picture) in front of the entrance to the main house porch, (eastern sun). It is a 'Climbing' First Prize, by Jackson & Perkins. It's habit seems to be more of a tall and compact plant rather than a rambling shrub with spindly branches. It is not pruned in late January the same way as other roses. This climbing attribute is due to an abnormality, a gene defect, discovered in a First Prize rose that climbed. I like the results of the defect very much. Previously it has been hard to find and because of this I have suggested to many people to snap it up when you see it.

The top right picture is one of about 20 Simplicity Hedge Roses in my yard and this one was the first to almost bloom out completely this week. I ordered them from the Jackson & Perkins rose catalog 10 years ago. www.jacksonandperkins.com. They were just little bareroot sticks at that time and I didn't hold out too much hope for their survival in my dirt. They are full grown now at over 6 feet and most are used as a fence separating my yard from the nursery area. They have been completely disease and fungus free, are self cleaning and require no pruning. I find them very care free.

The remaining bottom 2 pictures are Color Magic whose blooms all seem to be a little different and positively seem to glow. It has little fragrance but the blooms are so amazing that people knock on my door to ask about it.

The Lemon Tree in the front yard is a Meyer Lemon (no pix). It produces ripe fruit in Las Vegas beginning in November. In areas with warmer winters the tree will blossom and set fruit continuously. Because of our colder winters the tree only blossoms in the spring with the fruit developing by late fall when we get a zillion lemons all at once. We pick all of them off the tree just before the new blossoms begin to develop in the spring, to make room on the tree for another zillion lemons. Why we need a zillion lemons is another mystery of nature.

This variety of citrus is the one I recommend for Las Vegas, but Meyer lemon still needs winter protection from the cold NW winds. Mine is planted on the west side of the yard next to a wall and is also protected from the north winds by the house. The standard size will grow 12 feet X 12 feet but, there are dwarf varieties available locally. I prune this tree to thin it somewhat and also remove the lower branches that touch the ground. It has thorns, so I wear glasses when I get into the tree. There are permanent Xmas tree lights strung through it to keep it warmer on freezing nights. I don't know if this makes a difference, but the tree looks pretty when lit and the neighbors think it is our singular effort towards a Xmas decoration. It is very care free if planted in the right spot and does not like to be overwatered. In 10 years it was fertilized only once. Typically, citrus do not survive our winters unless grown in a pot and brought inside during freezing nights.