Actually DD roots quite easily for me. A my old house I had a hedge of DD planted along the sidewalk in my front yard. It never failed to stop passersby who smelled their wonderful fragrance. All but a few were rooted cuttings. It took a couple of years for them to become full size but once they did, they performed as well or better than graftted. All were removed and brought here and are growing well supplying me with the blooms I give to all the women, old and young, who visit. I have at least 12 bushes and all are own root and hardy. Although they dieback to the ground each winter, by late May they are blooming fools. DD remains my favorite rose!

Thank you, Al. I should mention that this potting bench will be seen through the formal dining room window. Currently the view consists of a grouping of trash cans and garden shed, so we keep the curtains closed. For another spot not seen from this room, I'd consider something hand-made. I love a whimsical rustic look but I think a purchased potting bench will make a more attractive scene through the window -- assuming I keep it tidy and neat. And my husband will be happy too. :-)

I haven't made any for a long time so don't remember what I used except orrisroot. I have a couple of articles that give ideas tho.(I'm trying to organize my craft patterns & ideas into large notebooks )Victoria magazine Dec. 1991 page 116 has Christmas potpourri-2 cups dried cedar tips, 1 1/2 c. bay leaves, 3/4 c.dried orange rind, 1/2 c.cinnamon pieces or chips, 1/4 c. rose hips,2 dried orange slices, 2 pomegranates, 2 pomegranate stars, 2 doz. assorted pinecones of all sizes, 2 Tbs. orrisroot chips or cellulose chips,10 drops cinnamon oil,5 drops bergamot oil,1 drop pine oil. Gild some pinecones, bay leaves & 1 pomegranate with a good gold color paint, let dry, Mix orrisroot & oils in small container. Place remaining ingredients in another container with a tight fitting lid. Add the orrisroot/oil mixture to it cover & put in dark cool place, shake occasionally for 2 or 3 weeks. Place in pretty bowl. To make the dried orange slices Cut juice oranges thinly & place on rack in a single layer put in oven at 200degrees with door ajar. Bake until they are thoroughly dry to the touch. About 12 hrs.or dry slices in a dehydrator. Victoria 1987/88 winter magazine suggests making nosegays(sachets) of dried flowers, I dry roses & buds from mini roses, fragrant herbs & cinnamon sticks. I think huggybear made sachets of lavender, don't know if she had anything else in them or not. Look at Dec. 2008 stuff down at bottom here & you should come across her beautiful ones. Another article I have suggests tea leaves, garden herbs like cinnamon, whole allspice, whole cloves, rosemary, thyme,vanilla bean ,lemon balm, adding fragrance oils,such as rose, lavender,orange, better pharmacies & health food stores are places to get the oils, not same as extracts-much stronger & keep away from kids-could be very dangerous(bro. was saved by having had ice cream before he climbed in stove & got mom's peppermint oil. He reeked for quite awhile. ice cream coated his throat & stomach. Dried apples have been popular in recent yrs also but some of this stuff is strictly for a fancy bowl of potpourri & some could be used as sachets, I had article on making your own lotions & sachets & bath salts etc, but I can't find it . So hope this helps! Jan

What attracts you to this sporting breed? Is someone in your family a hunter? All the setters are beautiful, flashy dogs. The coats are fairly easy to care for as long as you perform a short daily maintenance brushing and combing (10 minutes)to prevent tangles and remove debris. Gordon Setters are, of course, quite similar to English and Irish Setters. Generally MUCH healthier than the Irish (which is plagued by cancer and epilepsy) but like all setters, they bloat easily and can be prone to dysplasia and PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) so a good breeder is a must. If you aren't going to hunt, look for a dog from show or "bench" lines. Field lines, as with other sporting breeds like pointers and retrievers, tend to be smaller and much, much more active. I prefer to call them high-spirited rather than hyper ;-) but mazer is correct .... exercise and structure are a must. They need more than a walk..or several walks. They need to be able to r-u-n, especially when they are under age 7. If you aren't particularly active, I suggest working with a rescue to find a suitable older dog because until they are at least 4-5, the activity level can be overwhelming. they are very calm and quiet when they get adequate exercise. They are very destructive and "barky" if you are dedicated to tiring them out. This is true of all the sporting breeds (and I daresay many other classes of dogs as well..at least the herders), so if you have previous experience with retrievers or pointers, it's certainly nothing exclusive to a Gordie. As a sporting breed bred specifically to work off-lead in the field with a hunter, they can most certainly be trained to be reliably off-leash, but you must put in the time necessary to train them to a high degree of reliability. As hunting dogs, they are generally friendly to people/other dogs, but cats can be a problem and they will certainly self-hunt, spending hours planning and executing(ha!) the eviction of every squirrel and rabbit on your property.