The Lindleys have had this nursery for years and, like many of us as we get older, are retiring. Rather than close they were looking for a buyer to take over and continue. Not many of the younger qeneration are willing to do all the work running a nursery requires or can handle the investment. That plus rising property taxes and heating costs makes it hard to make a profit or live on the income without holding down another job. Michigan Mini Roses, just down the road from them, closed a few years ago for the same reason. Interested? For about $600,000 you can buy the business, property, inventory, and the home.

I am sorry to hear that they are closing down. Sorry to say I have bought rose from Home depot and they have always dead on me after a month of being planted. Out of the 18 roses bought at wal mart only 1 rose was marked wrong. So I figure 1/18 is not bad. All my rose have to survive in pot all year round, until we find a house and the can be planted in the groud. Up to date I have 85 pots and 1 hanging basket. I have from roses bushes and climbers, daylillies, iris, to clematis, and 1 orange honeysuckle for the hummingbirds and othe planets for hummingbirds. My oldest rose is a climber and has been in the same pot now for the past 7 yrs. I have great blooms every year on this one. I don't use any chemicals at all on my HT and some have alot of problems with BS (using vinager for BS and it works great) My roses just look great even for in pots. I can't use chemicals on any of my rose, because my bunnies get my roses to eat. They just love them, my bunnies look so forward to summer and getting Mom's roses as a treat. So you see I can't use chemicals at all. Everything is all natural fertiziers and natural fungisied on my roses, just because for the the sake of my bunnies, even my cat eats some of the rose petals as well. I like to make rose butter to eat, I would never want to eat poisions myself. So I definaly don't have to suit up to have a great rose garden. I have been using only natural or organic sprays on my roses for over 20 yrs and have never had a problem. My rose garden is a sit back and relax and enjoy the flowers and watch the bee's just go crazy around my place. People see my garden, I live on a very small place of 20' by 45' and I have plants all over. Alot of people have said I should write a book. Gardening in small places and in pots. The only thing is I might be able to do this in my area, but if you live back east, you would not be able to this in pots all year round. I lived back east, Its alot of work in the fall diging trenchs to lay your climbing rose under ground to protect them from the very long winters. But if the weather changes keep going like anything like last winter. We in Vancouver had alot of snow for the month of November and that is not normal for here at all. Back east had a great winter time until Janurary hit, then the winter cold finally hit them. To me it just depends which roses I am looking for and where I can find it. I would like to aedd a few miniture climbing roses to my garden next year. I know I will have to go the a nusery for those. I am thinking of getting a roses called Black Jade, Auntie Louise, "Rubies 'n' Pearls', Mini-Flora ÂIngridÂ, janice

The Squire is a very good Austin and the only Austin I have that holds its bloom on the bush or in vase for at least a week. Of the 'red' Austins I have this is the only true red. Prospero and the Prince are very nice but not reds and my SW2000 is pink,pink,pink in full sun. Tradescant is deep purple here, absolutely gorgeous but I would not call it red. I would say get Taboo (Barkarole) if Pickering can ship it to the US (last year they didn't). I can also recommend Royal William. If you spray Velvet fragrance is a bloom machine, rather shrubby, produces a lot of flowers but not always on long stem.

Karl, I was excited to read that in the newsletter as well - but afraid to make too much of it in case it falls through. (I know that these things aren't final until the ink is dried on the dotted line.) I was very worried that with the real estate market the way it is (esp. here in Michigan) Roger and Nancy wouldn't find the buyers they needed. They're such a wonderful couple that they deserve the best and certainly deserve a wonderful retirement! And the thought of Great Lakes Roses coming to an end this year was so sad. How nice to think of a new couple taking over - I am keeping all my fingers and toes crossed and waiting anxiously for that "formal announcement." Anne