Tammy, You are so good with plants to have had all that success! I wonder if we are still doing this swap in the fall. I will try to remember what I had luck with. I should have kept a list. I have one kiwi that made it, the dragonfruit is still alive(although it is still about the size it was when it arrived), the Yukon Gold potato was a big success. Blue potato grew a few potatoes that were large enough to eat - mixed in with some grocery store ones when we ate them or else there never would have been enough, but it was fun to see what they look like! The other potatoes grew into plants, but if any potatoes at all, they were just tiny ones about a size that would fit in a teaspoon. I know someone sent some herb cuttings and those made it. A willow and pussy willow managed to get roots but died after a few weeks. This has not been one of my better years for getting plants to root and I don't know why. Seems like the weather has been more agreeable than most summers. I have taken cuttings from my own plants every few weeks and those have not been rooting either, so just an odd year. Jeanne

I completed 3 for our local hospital peds unit and will try and make 3 each month for other groups. There is such cute novelty prints to select from; wish I could use up some scraps but I don't seem to have the yardage and I don't think most people want a lot of seams to lay on. A great project.

These are all excellent ideas! I'm going to get my nails done this afternoon and will pick up some polishes, etc. dgw, the sloth thing is what they are stuck on and I looked at ordering some tiny felted sloths on etsy, but yowza they were expensive (which I get 'cause they are time consuming to make). I settled on the pins instead and they are really cute and well made. I love those little sea creatures! mtn, I am always stuck when I have to get gifts for boys - girls are waaaay easier - IMHO. becky - yes - keychains! They need those - always losing house keys. I might as well just leave the spare in the door lock. annie, great ideas - but what are pocket charms? rockypointdog - I love the idea of something they can do together. There is such a spread in their ages, they don't always do that, but now that the youngest is getting older (and slightly less annoying) they are starting to get along better and do more bonding. That would be really lovely b/f the oldest leaves. gsciencechick, yes, I could do more giftcards. I needed the reminder I could do smaller amounts to ice-cream places, Mcdonalds, etc. Thanks, all! Off to do some shopping.

Here in my Southern Ontario, z5b garden it's hard to choose. SO MANY roses are just marginally hardy here, and so a little bit of extreme winter weather can kill them, whereas most winters will not. A warm period followed by a later freeze can also kill them. So do you take a chance, or do you skip such a vast number of great roses? We have overcast, wet, humid weather here a lot and there is blackspot like crazy. And of course this area is swarming with Japanese Beetles. During the height of their swarms I can pick/shake off over 100 day, which is a lot for my ~20 roses. Some will have none. Some will have dozens. Every year I wonder why I put up with it. Then every June when the first flush hits and before the big problems come I remember why.