Chamblee's description of "Lover's Delite" is: "Found" Tea rose. Whatever it may be, "Lover's Delite" is not a Tea rose. I say that with 100 percent certainty. I bought the rose from Chamblees and have grown it for four years (unless I tossed it last year). I also grow 45 different varieties of Tea roses, more or less at any one time. A number are found roses. "Lover's Delite" has nothing in common with the Tea class. The color is not tea color, the bloom form is not a Tea form, the canes are not Tea canes, the foliage is not Tea foliage, the prickles are not Tea prickles, the growth habit is not Tea growth habit, and the scent is not Tea scent. Therefore, "Lover's Delite" is not a Tea. As for "information on the internet" sullying the reputations of growers... I did not originate the questions about the identity of "Lover's Delite." I did convey the above information to Chamblees by email years ago, well before it appeared "on the internet" other than on this forum. They never responded or acknowledged my email in any way. I am sure they are very busy and can't respond to every email they get. They do respect the study names given by the finder of a rose, and I applaud that. In the interest of accuracy, tho, I also believe it is unwise to call "Lover's Delite" a Tea rose when it so clearly is not. Once a rose has been identified, I also consider it imperative to mention the accepted name. The information from David Austin's USA operations is incomplete. You can confirm for yourselves that Fisherman's Friend can be bought at no fewer than 10 nurseries that supply the USA. Fisherman's Friend was listed with six different Northern American suppliers as long ago as the 1990 Combined Rose List: Heirloom Roses in Oregon, Hortico, Limberlost Roses, Pickerings, Rose Acres, and Yesterday's Rose. I do not suggest that Chamblees is trying to mislead anyone. I'm sure their hearts are pure. I am suggesting that anyone who buys this rose as a Tea rose should check the facts for themselves. That way they won't be surprised when they receive a violet purple pink, old-rose scented, muddled but old fashioned bloom on a plant with viciously thorny canes with both prickles and acicles and modern foliage that rusts. Chamblees won't be the first person to be fooled by Austin roses. Our heritage roses groups of knowledgeable, honest rosarians collected a lovely, quartered, highly scented, thorny, repeat blooming rose with Portland-like foliage from two different Gold Country locations, including on one old grave. We have almost certainly identified that rose as Gertrude Jekyll.

camp, I don't know if you ever saw it but I did wander over to the ARF in a weak moment last year & posted a tasteless ditty illustrated with some birds but it didn't last long, it was on a thread you started about posts disappearing. I am out of my area of interest with roses but I can just imagine the financial carnage. I've been ordering more grassy material to build this pocket prairie and wouldn't want to make those folks over there feel jealous & inferior over the big bucks I'm throwing around for 'Blonde Ambition' skeeter grasses, more bluestems and especially the very red Big Bluestem turkeyfoot named 'Red October' I can't wait to try out once I figure out a place to plant him. Maybe close to those new stiff blue Indian Grasses where they'll catch the late afternoon sun rays picking up that bright red? I'm already pining for next fall to see the results and bemoaning my lack of space. Greenhearted, my new fav name I ran across recently is Wanda Dudwash. Maybe she can be Fendler's girlfriend. The bladderpods are nice because they bloom so prolifically and early then dry up to almost nothing with the hard pods. You can easily snatch them up if you want to control next years crop. In their habitat, they will make the landscape a sea of yellow as early as February. Mine were in a seed pack I bought from Native Seeds of Sonoran Desert mix along with some other interesting off the beaten track wildflower mixes. I couldn't resist trying this very red Big Bluestem and I can't wait to see it color up next fall. This time of year I am always planning for next fall/winter interest. Come winter, I will be thinking of spring. Here is a link that might be useful: http://shop.nativeseeds.org/collections/amaranth

Okay, got a golly gee whiz question: If/when a person transplants a blueberry from one spot to another (in winter while they're dormant), should the following season be treated a a fresh planting? As in, remove flowers and berries to let the shrub focus on re-establishing itself? I have no intentions of moving my current shrubs, but if the situation ever calls for relocation I may want to get another shrub or two the prior year so I do not miss out.

Hi Mel, I'm new to Northern NSW and new to rose growing here (or anywhere!) as well. I've been growing roses (in pots) here now for about 3 years. Not only do I live just south of the border (Byron area), where it's humid, but i'm also smack-bang on the beach. So have some coastal carry-on to deal with - which is the main reason I grow in pots - wouldnt care to plant my dahhlings in the sand here.. When I first mentioned my plan to grow roses in this area, I got all sorts of well-meaning (but WAY BORING) warnings against trying to grow roses in this area (people didnt think growing in pots would make any difference), but to be honest, I reckon I've done well. I've got 14 roses growing fairly well (some thriving, some just cruising) now and I've never tried to select roses good or not good for humidity/coastal conditions - I just buy them on 'prettiness" and "fragrance strength". Last year, Treloar threw in a few freebies so those ones were a wildcard obviously - and not selected for prettiness or fragrance strenght... Anyway, I'll give you a rundown of what i've got bc i've had mixed results (all are alive and doing well - but some are absolutely thriving and some are just cruising along with their various issues (blackspot wotnot) as i say). Jude The Obscure (fragrance lychee, apricot, lemonade). Adores it here. (good bc i adore it right back!). Barely even gets blackspot can you believe? Me either. no other diseases. I've nicknamed it St Jude bc it really does have saintly behaviour! Sacred Heart (fragrance meringue). same. Spirit of Peace (fragrance not sure yet, can't nail an analogy yet). likes it here also.. Mon Petit Chou (no analogy for fragrance yet). same. Alister Clark Blueboy (fragrance damask with heavy cinnamon - spicy!). same, but a bit more suseptible to blackspot. Duchesse De Brabant (fragrance musky-peppery...). I would marry this rose. it gets some blackspot occasionally but i dont care. it's sooo pretty and such a delightful, strong fragrance that basically it's my favourite-in-the-garden and can behave however it wants. Best Friend. Up and down. who knows what it's problem is (not me YET!) - sometimes it's thriving, sometimes it hates my guts (not your typical best friend, eh?). Neptune. He's newish. I dont think he's loving it up here. he keeps putting out STUNNING sized (and fragrance-strong) blooms, but he seems to be struggling with leaf deformities and stuff. maybe mosaic but i dont see those telltale patterns...so yeh, dunno about him yet. wouldnt give you the nod on this one at this point. Stanwell Perpetual. this rose..oh god, i really love it, but goodlord, what a handful it's been to work out how it likes to be treated! it is THE THIRSTIEST rose known to man... i give it a drink every single day (other roses just every second day) and still it cries (wilts and sags). for a while it was getting leaf tip burn, not sure how i remedied that...and then it got really...