Glad to collect multiple viewpoints. I know jdulac to be a gardener, and damascene offered to answer questions when she saw jducoeur earlier this week, too. Happy to hear from you and helwen as well, and others I haven't named!

Advice invited on tomatoes, roses, pruning, hedges. Also if anybody knows what those thistley things are that grow really really tall with a single stubborn, hollow, stalk, please say.