Full sun, 76 F, 12% humidity and no fungal infections. What else could one want? Merry Christmas! Kim

My list for Santa Claus is always blank.
I bought three rose bushes I really wanted this week.

I was hoping to wake up this morning and find that Santa had planted them for me.

I got some really froufrou feminine gifts such as Deer Off, for lovely scent; knee pads which are better than a day at the spa; and a huge bag of bird seed, which makes a delicious, low calorie snack. What more could a girl want? Diane

I hope everyone got some great gardening gifts, too!

We've long ago given up the idea of gifting for adults, but it's my special pleasure to give extra donations to favorite causes such as Sea Shepherd, the ASPCA, The Ocean Conservatory, help for wolves, seals, turtles, snow leopards, domestic animals.....and on and on. Would love to have millions of dollars to be able to bring about some significant change. I didn't forget myself, ordered three roses lately, and artisan-created earrings and a vintage necklace from e-bay.

Nothing garden-related. My older son and his girlfriend got me a set of two big wooden trunk-like boxes with roosters on them (I'm a chicken/rooster collector). Also got a pair of scissors that are paper shredders. Interesting. My younger son and his girlfriend gave me a new beater for my Kitchenaid mixer that has a rubber flap on the edge to make scraping the bowl easier. Oh and a big fancy metal spatula for getting up cookies or whatever. Nothing from my husband, altho he did stop by HD to see if they got their bareroots in yet. They didn't. Last yr on Xmas Eve they had a bunch and he picked a few of them up for me. Unfortunately they all died. Maybe it's better that he didn't find any this yr. LOL

I like collecting roosters/chickens too. So does my really good friend who's also a rose lover/gardener. I wonder if it's common amongst gardeners?
Carol

I got an old stained glass window (of roses) for my horsebox ....and because I had been remiss in leaving book lists around, I bought a stash for myself. Also, a great cabinet for my seeds, a winter cherry (subhirtella autumnalis).....but mostly, a peaceable day (a massive blessing in our argumentative household).....although now we have arrived at Boxing Day, it is no holds barred and shoutiness as usual. No fisticuffs yet though (so far),

I just love you`all!!! I find myself reading these posts and believing I know each of you!!! After years of reading this forum I think of you`all as dear friends that live far away! Looks like great gifts were received by all! My husband made me a beautiful book filled with pictures of my garden of 2013. He has made them before, so I can see the beauty and differences each year brings. He does this on the computer and it means the world to me. Sometimes I forget the beauty and focus on the troubles ( Voles, blackspot, beetles!) All the joy gardening can bring to each of you in 2014! Cheers...Lesley

Sounds like we all had a wonderful Holiday!

Kim, I so envy you that 76 degrees and 12% humidity!!! Wishing you good rains in 2014!

Steve, maybe you can get some of Santa's elves to help you plant!

Lol, Nana, I love your"froufrou" gifts!

Ingrid, that is so kind and thoughtful of you!

My best friend (since kindergarten no less) is a chicken collector, Beth!

Maybe it is a trend, Carol!

Oh, Camp, your window sounds lovely! Post a picture when it goes in. We managed to not have too many "fireworks" here too. It was tough with 3 of us in the kitchen tripping over each other most of the day!

Lesley, so true! Sometimes I'm closer to everyone here than I am to the people around me. You guys just understand me so much!

Sounds like everyone is having a happy holiday. Wishing you all the best this coming new year!
There were great successes and sad losses for us this year, but thankful for all our blessings.
Christmas gifts for me included new gardening books, rose gloves and just the pleasure of some down time with family. Below is technically my sonâÂÂs gift, but a pleasure for the whole family. I guess she could be considered a gardening gift, as IâÂÂm sure she will be trying to help me out around the yard.

I got some men's rose gauntlets (my hands are too big for women's gloves), new chipper/shredder, and a plants v. zombies risk board game. :)

Rose gauntlets, a whole box of gardening tools, a self-propelled mower for my small patch of grass, jewels, new lifetime guarantee leather handbag, and best of all -- a huge trailer load of horse manure/wood shavings -- manure makes my heart go pitty-pat.

And like Ingrid we do our part to try to save the world and it's animals from humans, which is a daunting task it seems. Gardeners as a whole seem to be more sensitive to what we're doing to our environment. If Wall Street and the banks were run by gardeners, the world would be a better place.

Aaaw what a cute puppy!!

The chicken thing, for me, started way back before my husband and I got married. I was collecting kitchen things ahead of time for when we did get married, and just happened to like the chickens and roosters theme. It started with a beautiful ceramic chicken that I put in a basket with excelsior. It just kinda grew from there. Then about ten yrs ago (maybe more) I discovered why I had this passion for them. I was born in the yr of the rooster! That explained it! I'd love to have chickens in my back yard, and I'd love the eggs, but I'm afraid the chickens would eat the roses. I think the dog would eat the chickens. Acck! Nevermind...

Oh, Pat, your puppy is adorable!!! What her name?

Doc, my hands won't fit in the ladies gloves either but I find the fingers are too long on the men's gloves. Sigh...I guess I'm doomed to be gloveless.

Oooo, florida, I like the sound of those jewels, lol!

Beth, I don't think chickens eat roses. Never heard of that before. My friend Mary's obsession started with a painting she fell in love with of a a rooster and hens in a barn yard. She bought it but couldn't get it home as it was quite large. So it got passed around from friend to friend until some one could get it up North to her house. She's been getting and collecting chicken thing ever since.

I never had chickens eat my roses, but they did almost uproot several in their hunt for bugs. My girls were finally banished from the garden because of all the scratching and because they wouldn't quit laying eggs in my potted plants. The coyotes finally picked off the last hens, and I really miss them.

Hey Seil,
Her name is Bella, and she is a sweetheart! Our other dogs, cats and even horses are all rescues, but Bella was born to a friendâÂÂs dog the day my sonâÂÂs lab passed away. They insisted she be a Christmas gift for my son. He's always wanted a Golden Retriever, and well, who could resist this face:

BellaâÂÂs first selfie

My neighbor's chickens ate the buds off my roses, I watched them do it. Good fences make good neighbors.

knocking on wood

So far the biggest issue with have with the chickens and the roses is the digging and hunting for worms since the roses get some water.

They have sampled a leaf or two, but they must not taste good to chickens, or to our chickens. They do love apricot leaves.

My neighborâÂÂs chickens frequently get out of their pen and come over in our yard. They root around the base of the roses and generally make a mess, but I havenâÂÂt noticed them actually eating the roses. It is possible they are, and I just havenâÂÂt noticed. They are cute, but IâÂÂm really not a big fan of themâ¦brings back memories of constantly getting flogged by a neighborâÂÂs chickens growing upâ¦much prefer the decorative fake chickens sitting around my kitchen.

Sounds like a nice Christmas was had by all! And Bella is gorgeous, by the way!

Santa was good to me too - two new gardening books, a new pair of pruners, "Rose Cottage" Ravensburger jigsaw puzzle, new rock climbing shoes (VERY exciting!), and best of all, after 70+ hours of disrupted electrical service - during which the house reached a frosty 1 degree C - Santa arranged for the power to be restored late on Christmas Eve.

Oh, and I don't know Santa arranged this or not, but when the neighbour's tree dropped a 12-foot, ice-laden limb into our yard, not only did it not hurt anyone or destroy anything irreplaceable, but its absence renders my centre flower bed full sun!

{{gwi:348157}}

OK, so chickens are out, lol!

Redwolf, so glad to hear you got your power back! Sounds like you'll have a new bed for roses now!

Yes, I'm also glad your power is up and running, but my, was your house cold! How did the pipes survive it? I wish one of our trees would have an "accident" so some of my roses in too much shade would have more sun. Looks like you might have some firewood, too. Diane

Diane, once it hit 4C (39F) indoors we drained the pipes and shut the water off and ran to my husbands' folks' place, cat and all. The worst that happened was that the pilot light on the hot water tank went out, which isn't a big deal at all. When the tree broke it tore down our phone/internet/cable wire, but my hubby is very handy and he was able to MacGyver it back together until the servicemen can get here (which hasn't happened yet). And yes, we now have bountiful firewood!

BTW, my hubby thought I was nuts when "Hey, I can plant more roses now!" was the first thing out of my mouth after that branch came down! lol

About chickens - who woulda thunk they'd munch roses! I've been a city slicker my whole life and so never had any of my own, but I've been privileged to work in the company of many different types of animals, and I find it special no matter how 'mundane' the critters. Although now that I think of it, I could probably live without so many urban squirrels... talk about garden-destroying thugs!