May ended up breaking records here for total rainfall. If I get my drip lines laid out and keep the soil moist, it should be a good year. If I let the ground dry out, I'll end up with record-size cracks! Excessive spring moisture can lead to all sorts of difficulties when the weather changes to dry and windy in the summertime. The countdown has begun...I have to have everything weeded, Preened, mulched, and drip where it's needed before the end of the month. Actually I have a big group coming to see the garden on June 13, so that's my early deadline. Right now, I'm on schedule, even with being gone for 10 days. Crossing my fingers that I can keep up.
Antigue Rose Emporium has a sale going on right now with 15 different roses at $10 each. I think I'll resist that one, since I ordered from Brecks, J & P, and Wayside last week. I was very very pleased with the quality of roses I received from all of them. When their quality declined about 10 years ago, I quit looking at them, then when people at gardenweb started raving about them this year, I decided to try again. The roots were huge and healthy, and so far, all have leafed out beautifully.
Two that I got from Palatine early this spring still have not broken dormancy. They are green, but not doing anything. The rest of that order are already blooming.