Again, ELISA, when properly done, is 100% effective, and has never once, in the 30-ish years we've used it, failed to give an accurate analysis. This is considering the following: 1. We always enclose "blind" samples of known infected and known uninfected tissue -- blind to the lab -- and unless the results come back with them correctly identifying all of those, we would not believe their results on our unknowns. That assures that virus titer is in a usable range on the day the test was done. In actual fact, in all those years, they (WSU Prosser's ELISA lab) have NEVER gotten one wrong, even once. Pretty good record. 2. Once that's done and a rose is "certified" clean (notice that ELISA is just one of the tripod of tests we run -- they're also tested with 'Mme. Butterfly' and 'Shirofugen' cherry -- all 3 must come out unambiguously clean) -- no rose once certified in that way has EVER later been found to have rose mosaic. Not one. Not ever. Not even in cold climates where all the intelligent people live. On rare occasions, the lab has said a test was somewhat ambiguous, and in those cases, we ignored all of the results from that run, and re-ran them later. 3. While we use the three tests for redundancy, we've never seen a case in which one test came out positive while the others came out negative -- in 100% of the roses I've ever tested, all three methods have agreed on their result. So obviously, the point of this long, drawn-out discussion with all kinds of complaints, is moot -- there is no problem here. We have no problem at all identifying where the disease is. No evidence to the contrary has been presented here. I would like to say that you can't argue with absolute 100% success, but obviously, there is one person who is determined to argue continuously with absolute 100% success! So yes, I'm just working our way toward the 150 posts mark, and hoping to keep us focused on the real issues, rather than being constantly drawn into perfectly silly little side arguments that are in and of themselves without merit.

Based on what I have seen here the blue cedar will have a stake due to a deformed rootstock being used, and the tops of the box are plenty big enough for their roots to be matted - the magnolia will not be the only one that needs work at planting. With deciduous magnolias it appears you want to be subjecting them to root damage only when they are in leaf. Otherwise they may just sit there and rot. When a potted plant has the correct proportion between top and roots the top looks undersized to many consumers. This and growers not keeping up with potting on anyway results in under-potted stock being the general situation in the retail setting. Loosening up the outside of a matted root system is not too hard to deal with; corkscrew roots, hard woody root turnips and other severe deformities in the center of the root mass, right below the crown - resulting from stock being left in bands, liners or 4" pots way too long at production facilities - is a different story, and just the thing to spoil a woody specimen after it has grown for many years and made a nice big top. Tall, fast growers like cypresses or pines may even break loose and go over, when part of the root system is caught up in going around and around - instead of all of the main roots immediately leaving the vicinity of the trunk and radiating outward to their full lengths and forming a good anchorage. This post was edited by bboy on Tue, Dec 31, 13 at 16:38

I am with you on the mockery/immitation thing, that would really get under my skin. Since I am the only gardener in our neighborhood (everyone else 'landcapes" if you know what I mean) - I get violent when they tell me I need to trim my rosebushes, or the clematis should be removed since they don't flower all year like thier standard red geraniums (pelorgoniums, actually). I almost gasped when our neighboor asked me to cut down our 25 year old ashes since they are too big and shade the street not to mention drop too many leaves in the fall - I told him thats what trees are supposed to do. I don't cut his cats head off whenever it S^iT$ in the yard - right? I would do the following to mess with them: 1. plant poison ivy on their side of the house (ok probably not the right tihng to do but funny) 2 find out what they hate and buy several of them (pink flamingos, trolls, Greco-Roman statues, Madonna) everyone has their lawn ornament-thing they hate. 3. I like the idea of switching nursery tags (yellow to red rose, etc.) I would plant sedum and name it something long and latin that cannot be translated....Pittospiulinium macrohepatodoethenuem var. albicans sans purpurea 4. plant a prairie, they sound like control freaks and would not like a prairie since they are hard to replicate tell them the next plant you plant is a division from a friend and you have no idea of the name.

My nursery is here on the family farm. It is great being able to work at home, but there are drawbacks... Once people realize your nursery is at your home, some think nothing of dropping in at 7 or 8 pm! Or, 7 or 8 am. This doesn't happen regularly, but it does happen several times a year. Not a huge issue and we never turn them away unless absolutely necessary, but if you have plans for the evening or just need some quiet/alone time (and you will!), it is annoying. If the customer calls in advance, it is a different story...at least they acknowledge the fact that it is after hours. Most don't call. I find these drop-ins often are not big spenders, either. An even bigger problem for us are those who drop in on the day(s) we are closed. We are supposed to be closed on Mondays, but during the peak season, we either have to leave the place or we end up with customers. We have an ongoing joke that Mondays are usually the most profitable day of the week. This is a bigger problem than after hour shoppers...unless you have employees, you will need at least one day off to take care of your day to day needs...pay bills, buy groceries, etc. As suggested, a gate would solve these problems, but living on a farm, we are in and out many times each day and a gate would be a huge hassle. Our personal/display gardens are a big asset to our sales. But we often run into trouble when people insist on buying something that is not for sale. Most people understand and are content to wait until the plants are available. A few aren't so understanding, though. Then there are a select few who insist on "shopping" from the display garden, no matter how many times we explain where to find the nursery area! Pam has another good point...are you going to have employees? There is simply no way you can do all you want to do (design, maintenence, grow, tend to customers) on your own. What about all those other things that will need to be done...ordering plant material and supplies, maybe propagation, advertising...stuff like that? If you want to remain a one person operation, I would suggest you narrow your focus. Pick one or two niches to fill. You can't be everything to everyone without an army of help. Just tending to customers is nearly a full time job. Enough for now. I have been doing this for 8 years and I still have much to learn. I think this is a great topic and look forward to what others have to say!