'double Fantasy' Christmas Rose

A Shade Loving, Early Blooming Perennial
Through the years a variety of plants have come to be called "Christmas Rose"; they are all steeped in a legend that dates back centuries. Most frequently, the plant Americans associate with the Christmas Rose legend is the hellebore.

In late winter the first plants to bloom in my garden are the Christmas hellebores - often first appearing when there is still snow on the ground. Their blooms and evergreen foliage brighten the winter garden and offer a hint of the spring to come. Native to much of Europe, hellebores were grown in Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia as early as 1793 and today it seems that gardeners can't get enough of them. Over the past decade, plant breeders have created many new hybrids of the latter blooming Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis). Now they have started to work their magic upon the Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger).

The Christmas Rose Legend
When the Magi laid their rich offerings of myrrh, frankincense, and gold, by the bed of the sleeping Christ Child, legend says that a shepherd maiden stood outside the door quietly weeping.

She, too, had sought the Christ Child and desired to bring him gifts. But she had nothing to offer, for she was very poor indeed. She had searched the countryside over for one little flower to bring Him, but she could find neither bloom nor leaf, for the winter had been cold.

And as she stood there weeping, an angel passing saw her sorrow, and stooping, the angel brushed aside the snow at her feet. And there sprang up on the spot a cluster of beautiful winter roses,-waxen with light pink petals.

"Nor myrrh, nor frankincense, nor gold," said the angel, "is offering more meet for the Christ Child than these pure Christmas Roses." These the shepherd maiden carries to Jesus, who smiles broadly and touches them, turning them pale pink.

Double Fantasy Christmas Rose Gift Offer
This year we have the brand new double Christmas Rose - 'Double Fantasy' that will make a lovely and thoughtful gift. 'Double Fantasy' features pure white, ruffled blooms with several rows of petals that look even more like true roses. They "pop" against the evergreen dark green foliage. 'Double Fantasy' can be kept in the house and planted in the garden in the spring. It will look lovely under deciduous trees, next to shady patios or courtyard gardens. Be sure to plant your Christmas Rose up close, so you can enjoy its beautiful blooms in mid-winter. 'Double Fantasy' provides a pleasant textural diversion in a bed of hostas, or in a mixed border. And, deer do not eat hellebores.

Planting and Care
'Double Fantasy' is permanent and easy to grow. It matures into a mound of evergreen leaves ultimately almost three feet wide and 18-24 inches high and lasts for decades. In most North American climates, where the soil freezes, a winter thaw will bring the much appreciated floral display.

Keep 'Double Fantasy' in a cool place in the house throughout the winter.

For best results plant in early spring after the danger of frost.

Prefers shade.

Rated as very deer-resistant!

Plant 30-36 inches apart in a moist, compost-rich, well-drained soil.

Cut back the old foliage in spring.

Water regularly until established.

Hardy in zones 4-9.

Fertilize with Cottonseed Meal and Kelp Meal in early spring.

About the Author

Alan Summers, president of Carroll Gardens, Inc., has over 30 years experience in gardening and landscape design. He has made Carroll Gardens one of America’s preeminent nurseries, having introduced more than 20 new perennials and woody shrubs over the years and reintroduced numerous ”lost” cultivars back to American gardeners.

Carroll Gardens publishes a weekly online newsletter written by Alan. It contains valuable gardening advice and tips and answers to customer questions. Click here to sign up for the Carroll Gardens weekly enewsletter.

Every Saturday, Alan hosts a call-in gardening forum on WCBM radio - 680 AM. For those outside of the WCBM listening area, they can listen to radio show via the internet.

Visit CarrollGardens.com to learn more.

In Memory of Virginia Rose Schaber

Virginia Rose

Polyethylene and polypropylene market conditions in North America in March rose continuously

Plastics News resin pricing, according to reports, blow molding grade high density polyethylene prices in the three months to achieve 24% growth. In addition, the multi-purpose injection molding grade polypropylene homopolymer the approximate price increased by 16%.

    It is located in Fort Worth, Texas, the city of polyethylene resin market analyst at technology companies in Mike Burns said, polyethylene price increase is caused by a variety of unexpected factors, including low inventory and ethylene raw material supply disruption.

    Burns said: polyethylene exports in 2009 was a very great year, but December is a month of the history of one of the largest export volume. At that time the United States of processors you want to add stock in December, but soon manufacturers took stock reached the lowest point. "

    As the ethylene supply disruption caused to production problems, which leads to a very high price of ethylene, and the resulting chain reaction led to rising prices of polyethylene.

    Production problems for many companies affected. Chevron Phillips Chemical Co.LLC earlier this month declared force majeure to its level of polyethylene have had an impact; Dow Chemical Company a number of high-density polyethylene with demand management "; and Eastman Chemical Company's production of ethylene have also been restrictions.

    Dow in Midland, Michigan based plastics in North America vice president of the company's business in Glenn Wright wrote in his recent message: in the North American market, limited supply capacity of ethylene will not, at least three months improvement.

    Burns added: ethylene supply interruptions have scheme, there are unplanned, they plan to start in December suspended longer than expected multiple. However, from next month the supply of ethylene will be a little more, the price of ethylene will also show declining trend, down from 70 cents per pound to 60 cents. Export demand will decline, because the current prices of means of polyethylene in North America from the higher outside North America, other parts of ethylene than our low pricing. "

    In the polypropylene market, resin production and pricing is still in a passive state, dominated by raw material propylene monomer. Adopted by the lower prices of natural gas produced raw materials to produce propylene oxide manufacturers save some costs, but the process of production of propylene than crude oil based raw materials to produce propylene naphtha less.

    Therefore, in recent years can be used to produce acrylic resin monomer less than the market. Polypropylene market leader who Leander Basel Industries (Lyondell Basell Industries) located in Lake Charles, Louisiana plant and Ineos Group (Ineos Group), a place unknown factories suffered production problems. It is precisely these production problems to the North American polypropylene market has become more tense.

    It is located in Arlington, Virginia United States city of the American Chemistry Council said in 2009 on the North American polypropylene demand is uneven year, even in parts of the export value increased by 54% of the cases, the decline in aggregate demand or 8%.

    In 2009, domestic demand growth, the only ultimate market, including polypropylene sheet market (up 21%), injection molding household products (up 3%) and injection molding cups and containers (up 3%). Other major markets include polypropylene plastic cover and the ultimate partitions (down by 11%) and film (down 6%) - now the markets have not improved.
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What do you think of these BCS Matchups predictions from Sports Illustrated?

These BCS Bowl predictions came out last week in Sports Illustrated. Not sure the name of the guy who made them.

What do you think of them?

Rose Bowl: USC vs. Ohio State
Sugar Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Rutgers
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Boise State
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Penn State
BCS National Championship: Florida vs. Texas

Rose Bowl: Texas vs. Ohio State/Penn State/Iowa
Sugar Bowl: LSU vs. Rutgers
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Boise State
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Notre Dame
BCS National Championship: Florida vs. USC

With the schedule they have, Notre Dame will probably go no worse than 11-1. I can't believe SI didn't take that into account. But then again there's no accounting for Charlie Weis. Penn State/Ohio St. are in rebuilding. Iowa has a lot back. My BCS is tentative on USC not blowing a game against Washington or UCLA or someone else. No one has the talent USC has. They SHOULD be 12-0, but then again other years ...
*******************
Eric-
The winners of the big six qualify automatically. They don't have to be in the top 16. Although I think you may be right that no Big East will be in the top 16.

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