Dan Hinkley wrote a book on it, but I don't know if you could get him to come or not. He DOES speak to groups, but is away much of the time, may limit who he speaks to in some way (in addition to being physically absent). Try heronswood.com for more information.

Jeri J, Thank you for bringing to my attention, a correction in the October 2005 “AEN” supplementary “Rose” List. Should a correction be noted on ARS or my part, the correction will be addressed in a following post. The November post will reflect a correction, removing the name Bevoniensis from the list. As stated in the header, the primary purpose of the “Supplement Rose List” is to compliment the 2005 AEN, by address Corrections / Additions / Deletions a continuing process. Devoniensis is listed in the 2005 AEN, indicating eligibility for Dowager Queen (the reason it was originally included); therefore its removal from the list is in order. Happy Holidays. Ronald Schwerdt

Well done! That's a nice and very productive plant. It's a shame that you're retiring it. There are many things to do with those ghosties. Powder is one. I just made some strawberry jam what would easily take - and tame! - the heat of those BJs. While few people can get past the heat to remember the flavor, BJs have an almost sweet, berry-like flavor. (Then your soft palate melts and runs down over your teeth.) In the right recipe, that flavor comes out. Or maybe there's someone in your area that would take the plant? Ghost peppers are becoming more well-known. I had some luck with craigslist last year. Dennis

Yeah, I suppose it is true. There certainly are good points about exterior painting in the fall, but from the perspective of actually running a painting business, it can be bad too. The perfect painting conditions in my mind is 55-60 degrees, no wind and no sun. These conditions exist in the fall for sure, but you can't paint wood that has dew or moisture on it so sometimes you can't start painting at 6-7 am like you can in the summer...you may have to wait until 9-10 am. You can't paint as late in the day either because your paint needs to be fully dry before those evening temps dip. Also, the house takes longer to dry out after a rain in the fall. So, the conditions may be better for painting in the fall but there is also a lot more downtime. Bottom line....I'd take a summer job over a fall job every time. Your contractors want fall work though...times are tight and they may say whatever they have to say to win jobs. Painting in the fall is just fine as long as you are careful with when you actually slap the paint on.