Happy New Year! The good news is we made it through another year, albeit a crazier one than normal, so less 'free' time and fewer pictures taken. The bad news is that the virus introduced here by Panayoti Kelaidis 6 or 7 years ago has continued to spread. 5 areas of the garden have now been infected, meaning that they have had to be turned over to the cultivation of hardy cacti, agaves, succulents and other 'xeric' plants. Actually, I had grown weary of doing battle with various aril and Juno irises so it really wasn't that hard a decision to turn their quarters over to the expanding collection of cacti. Despite their beauty the irises took up a lot of real estate, and were rewarding for a very fleeting period every year. Their homes were tailor made for the cacti, which not only have spectacular flowers, they offer year-round interest with their amazing forms and spines of many shapes and colors. For a few pictures see http://tinyurl.com/bbx9asu/ and http://tinyurl.com/bfdrv3v/. Perfect drainage and dryness at the roots in winter is at least as important as protection from the cold. Three of the 'cactus patches' are unprotected year-round; the one in front of the porch has 8' x 4' polycarbonate covers from early December to the end of February, and the long bed down the south side of the house has polycarbonate covers over the same period, and a wrapping of frost blanket during January and February. The blanket provides about 10F of protection and really works, providing a home for the more borderline temperature hardy plants. There are hundreds of species and forms/selections that will grow very happily in these conditions, including many that I doubt have ever been seriously attempted in this region. They are not trouble free (some die), they have their own likes and dislikes that need learning, and they certainly fight back, but they are so rewarding. Best of all, you can only get one or two rare Oncocyclus irises for a hundred dollars but you can get about 20 cacti! I've also started growing a number from seed, and that is also fun once you learn a few tricks, including how not to sunburn them. Other treasures, such as Asphodelus acaulis, love the same conditions and have been outside without protection for 3 years now (http://tinyurl.com/acawvlf/). Nananthus transvaalensis is one of my favorite succulents (http://tinyurl.com/aqtlyyb/). Superb cactus and succulent suppliers include Beaver Creek Greenhouses (Roger Barlow; http://www.rockgardenplants.com/), Miles' to Go (http://www.miles2go.com/), Sunscapes (Bill Adams; http://www.sunscapes.net/) and Mesa Garden (http://www.mesagarden.com/). High Country Gardens was also great but has sadly just closed. Some other nice combinations this past year were Gazania linearis self-seeding into Delospermas (http://tinyurl.com/bggnxt4/), and back-lit Iris albicans and Pulsatillas in seed (http://tinyurl.com/aunehpc/). Edgeworthia chrysantha in several forms (http://tinyurl.com/ahtw9s6/) continues to be the best shrub in the whole garden and Epimedium Domino in the same link is one of Darrell Probst's very best introductions. The 'orange' form of Claytonia virginica is stunning (http://tinyurl.com/b2kfefm/) and I'm happy to say it is self-sowing all over. Galanthus reginae olgae Fotini is amazing and happily seems to be doing well (http://tinyurl.com/bjjjqpc/). Hurricane Sandy came and went, and left us with a lot less damage than many people - although we did lose a 70' northern red oak when the 60mph winds went around to the north - something our trees are not used to (http://tinyurl.com/bepvk2s/). On its way down it destroyed a couple of large American beeches, but everything missed the power lines and the house. Cyclamen hederifolium continue to take over the hillside - there are tens of thousands of them now and they look great for nearly 9 months of the year (http://tinyurl.com/bepvk2s/). C. rhodium was also lovely this year and is great because it flowers so late, C. hederifolium 'Stargazer' plants are getting big enough to look weird and you can see the flies on Dracunculus vulgaris (http://tinyurl.com/axnls5c/). A white seedling of Iris brandzae showed up (http://tinyurl.com/a9htsnf/). The Homeland Security personnel are getting longer in the tooth. Sadly we lost Felix this year, just before he reached 17, and he was very happy right to the end (http://tinyurl.com/aqr858f/). Tammy is 22 in May but still enjoys the outdoor life (http://tinyurl.com/axl5q23/). Ali's cat Kingston has been coming for ever longer 'vacations' (http://tinyurl.com/arbne4a/). Calico continued to pack on the pounds, in anticipation of the end of the world cutting off her food supply (http://tinyurl.com/b5g2vld/). Please enjoy the images, feel free to drop me a note with any comments, and let me know if I've messed up any of the names. Thanks and all the best, J. John T Lonsdale PhD 407 Edgewood Drive, Exton, Pennsylvania 19341, USA Home: 610 594 9232 Cell: 484 678 9856 Fax: 315 571 9232 Visit "Edgewood" - The Lonsdale Garden at <http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/> http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/ USDA Zone 6b