Davis Garden Show

Don and Lois,

Hi! Where can I buy a rose with varigated foliage? Hybridizers should try breeding varigated roses regularly. That would be a nice new trend in roses. After all there are so many other plants with varigated leaves. I now have irises and geraniums with white varigated foliage. They are a lot of fun and very pretty. I have viewed pictures on the internet of these roses, but can not seem to find somewhere that sells them. Your help would be much appreciated. Thank you for so many useful and fun broadcasts!

-Robin in Southern California

Don and Lois,

Hi! In between all that is happening in my life recently (if recent it can be considered after nearly two years of this horror that I live through. Some of the huge wonderful parts of my life being Eric and my daughter.), I decided I have another comment to write to you about. I am listening to your April 28th broadcast in podcast form as I type this comment. I have handled Flannel Bush when I volunteered directly at our local public garden Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSABG.) I have handled bare handed the healthy live parts of this plant and have had no reactions to it. However, when I have handled the dried flower heads, I have found it hurts my hands. It is like holding a bunch of little sharp needles and they break off into my skin. I have cautioned Eric to be careful with the dried flower heads of Flannel Bush if he should ever come into contact with it. In fact I would caution anybody to be careful with dried Flannel Bush flower heads. By the way, sometime I should call in again.

-Robin in Southern California

Don and Lois,

Hi! I have recently discovered a remedy for cracked finger tips. I do not know if it is sold in your area, but it is absolutely wonderful. It is called Mango Mend by California Mango. They have a whole line of products with mango in them as well as all of them are mango scented. The mango hand and body lotion also works well. I thought I would mention these products because a lot of people who work with their hands, such as gardeners, can develope cracked finger tips. Cracked finger tips are so painful, but these mango products not only heal them, but work as a great preventive. I apply them once in the morning and once at night. My young daughter enjoys using them too. They are eco-friendly as well as the company is California based in Huntington Beach. Thank you for all of your helpful advice. Your podcast is the first one I listen to after I download all of the podcasts I listen to.

-Robin in Southern California

Don and Lois,

Hi! I have some exciting news to tell you. As I was opening my bedroom mini blinds, I happened to look down on my window sill into the pot I had planted the egret flower bulbs in. There inside the pot was a little green shoot poking out of the soil! I am very excited that one is actually growing. I have been very nervous about this. On a side note, my nearly three year old daughter (you could probably hear her in the background when I had called in) is very interested in gardening. She is a huge help to myself and Eric. She can plant bulbs, cuttings, and seeds. She can also water plants which she does very carefully. She would enjoy getting her hands into the soil (she calls it that and not dirt.) She has some small plants of her own which Eric gave her (he gave me more for my birthday which I am enjoying.) I reccomend that if anyone has child(ren) that are interested in gardening, nurish that interest and let them help you safely with your garden. Thank you both for answering my questions. Your answers are helpful.

-Robin in Southern California

Don and Lois,

Hi! I had to share with you two gardening miracles. I can not think of another word to descibe these wonders of my potted garden. Not only is my gerbera daisy blooming after over four years since it last bloomed, but now my butterfly iris are also blooming after an even longer time since they last bloomed. I have done nothing new to them myself, however during the early Fall Eric did give them some compost tea. I also moved to my new home about eight months ago. Plants do seem to be thriveing here and not just for me. Could these gardening miracles be due to our microclimate, the compost tea, both, or something else? On a side note, my Egret Flowers are going to arrive within a week. Is there anything special I need to know about their care?

-Robin in Southern California

Don and Lois,

Hi! Thank you so much for letting me talk on your show. That made more than my day. It was also great talking to you Don the day you had Laryngitis. Both times were very helpful to my gardening. I look forward to hearing what Eric thinks of my question and your answer when he hears the podcast of the February 17th podcast of your show. I was recently stareing at my potted bulb garden, when I noticed that one of my irises had grown larger than last year. From my observations of bulbs, corms, etc., it seems to me that these plants need to be larger before they will bloom. That is to say a bulblet is not likely to bloom until it is closer to full size. Is this true?

-Robin in Southern California

Don and Lois,

Hi! Thank you for mentioning on your show my comment about Egret Flowers. I found it really exciting that my comment and Eric's questions shared the same day of your show. As for the Western Garden Book, I had been wanting my own copy of it, but found it too pricey to buy at this time of my life. Eric knew how much I missed having a copy at hand (my father has a copy that I used to bury my nose in often.) So Eric surprised me with a copy of it for Christmas. Eric and I are having lots of fun reading and learning from our copies of the Western Garden Book. I am looking up in it all of the plants in my potted balcony garden. Mine has a place of honor on one of my kitchen counters near some plants. My first official Horticulture class used the Western Garden book as our text book too.

-Robin in Southern California

Don and Lois,

Hi! I remember Eric sending you a picture of a flower that he wanted identified.It looked like a white bird in flight. It turned out to be an Egret Flower. It just so happens that I received a catalog, that I do not remember having ordered, which showed the Egret flower on one of its pages. I have ordered two of them and would like to share the name and website of the company that sells them in case any of your listeners are interested in buying them. The company is called Van Bourgondien. Their website is: www.dutchbulbs.com. I look forward to my Egret Flowers arriving soon. I am also looking forward to another year of your wonderful gardening show!

How can I get to watch Megan perform ??? She said I could ,but cant get it to come up.
She is so cute.