number of thoughts .... THEY LOOK GREAT.. what is your problem?????? rotflmbo .... first.. if you plant 10.. expect to lose one.. 20.. two .. etc .. you really didnt think they would all prosper .. did you??? next.. first pic ... is the leader dead.. or is that a spring oak with leaves hanging on still .. if not oak .. trace the leader down.. and prune just above the last green branch ... it already looks like it has a new leader trying to get going ... next .... looks like some branch browning from rough handling... trace those back ... and prune again ... once you remove all the brown.. you will be amazed how much better they look ... next ... too much weed competition ... roundup the weeds and add some mulch ... it will last a few years .. until the trees can be free range .. yeah .. its work .. and it will cost money .. but your trees will be better able to handle the drought ... finally .... buy a few to replace the dead ones in fall ... too late now ... or buy them now.. and keep them potted in the shade.. with the pots sunk .. where you can give them some TLC until fall planting .... the new ones may seem out of size... but in 5 years.. you wont be able to tell which were replacements ... ken PS: one foot of growth ... by the second year after transplant .. in total drought... geez o petes ..... this is one workhorse plant ... you should be reveling in them.. not complaining ... you really didnt buy the hype of 3 to 5 feet per year.. did you???? they might do that... but it will take a few years to grow the roots to support that kind of growth rate ... and it will take water ... they are fine.. relax ...

Marg,Thanks, I love that green throat too. Ellie; Thank you.I am glad I have the bucket all figured out now, too.bet you be having lots of blooms soon too,if tyou have scapes now./ Avedon;Thank you for looking and commenting. Kay; Thank you, well,JUlia hit on the reason I couldbnn't upload my photos,and then you said awhile back hot to get them on the forum with that HTLM thing,so I rremembered that,and between you and JUlia,I finally have it figured out. I bet every one is happy I can get them to photobucket now,and stop fussing about I cant get them uploaded :) Jean

Thanks ladies! Val, I've book marked that page. Interesting thing -- I know how to hand sew Victorian lampshades and I figure I could teach it too, just don't know if I like doing it all that much. It's hard on arthritic hands. It could be interesting to teach people to do small GG windows. Decals would be a snap. However, to teach it here I need a huge piece of furniture moved downstairs and would need to buy a new DR table... mine is a small round antique with no leaves. Still, it sounds like fun if I ever get this house in shape, and that is happening. Tracey, I once taught guitar at a local community college, so you're right that is an idea. Your friend is clever to be getting $ from two sources, both the school and cookbook sales. Hmmm... makes me think... Well, my son came over, finally. YAY! I've been unable to start the lawn mower. I took it to the shop and they said it needs a new starter -- which I got for it last year. My son mowed my back yard (YAY). He can pull the rope and start it; I seldom can. Then he said he thinks the outlet I plugged it into was tripped off. We'll see... he wasn't sure. But he messed with it. Anyway the good news is he got the dandelions before they went to seed, something I've been trying to do with no success. Then he put the bird room closet door back on it's track. It was the back door and I couldn't fix it myself. Then he climbed to my roof and stapled up my sagged down rope light that looks so awful laying there every night when it automatically comes on. Then he took down my old curtain rods and was arguing with me about how to put up the new ones when he decided he had to leave for his dinner appointment with a group of friends. So what he didn't do is affix the new GG window -- though he did take a good look at it and he's formulating a plan for how to do it. He also didn't take down my swag there, or re-do the trim around the window. And he didn't end up helping me get the drapery rods up. But maybe I can do those myself after all. Next time for the GG window. He did say upon seeing the window in person for the first time that my photos of it absolutely don't do it justice (I agree). He said I should try taking pictures at dusk. Now, about teaching classes, I'd have to decide if the best money was in teaching classes or in doing commissioned work, wouldn't I? Because if I teach it you can bet someone is going to get out there and do that commissioned work. The thing is, if I want to do the commissioned work, how should I advertise it? Most folks have no idea what this craft even is, let alone what can be done with it. Another question is how to price the work? This window took me an unbelievable number of hours. I can see this streamlining over time, and especially as I worked out some designs to offer.

I grew it for years. The shifting colors were always beautiful, and that smokey layer was so unusual. It was one of the last to bloom here; being a bud builder it just kept hanging in there. Learned after a few years not to cut the scapes down too soon. Mine finally bit the dust over winter one year (in a pot outside), and just no room to add it again. I would if I could..........Maryl