If that is true after the rain we had in early April, get ready for lots of color this May.

Some of the most conspicuous May flowers for Modesto are the many types of roses. I especially like using climbing roses in the small yards that are so common now. They give lots of color all summer long and don't take up much sq. footage. Our selection is chosen for maximum amount of color all summer long. My favorites include Cl. Sally Holmes, a single light pink to white; Cl. Eden, an English style double light pink; and Cl. Altissimo, a bold Chinese red single.

We are continuing to expand our selection of perennials in 4" pots with color as the main criteria. Tapien verbena, Bidens, Nemesia, Gold Coin, Scaevola are just a few of the plants we carry. In addition to color perennials we also have a great selection of grasses and other interesting plants for texture and line for pots and small spaces in the landscape.

I would like to invite you down to the nursery and see what new things we have. Check out the displays for new ideas and check out our street plantings for interesting combinations of plants and colors. Go into our perennial section for new plants. And as always Amy is busy putting together interesting combinations of plants in containers. There is always something new and different to look at.

At home Donna and I are slowly getting pieces of the yard set up as a Donna and Jim Garden. We removed one clump of junipers and replaced it with a mixed planting of one landscape rose (for a spot of sun) together with Phoenecia azaleas, Kanjiro sasanqua camellia, a couple of ferns with Australian violet ground cover and accents of Crimson Curls coral bells, carex, lamium and nemesia. We also cut holes in the remaining juniper screen and planted a Chinese dogwood and a Seiryu Japanese Maple.

I expect that we will continue cutting holes in the back side of the remaining juniper screen until we think we are ready to remove the entire bunch of Junipers

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