I personally love tragic stories, especially star crossed lovers. The sadder the better..lol. Beautiful happy stories are nice but we always remember the sad ones the most. It is perhaps in many ways cathartic. I have been working on a series of paintings that depict tragic couples in world history eg Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, Deidre and Naoise etc. They are still in the initial stages. Having said that, I actually didn't realize that Jude is a man. I always thought it would be a woman for some reason. I will try to read this book in the future. Overall, I think it is proper to have roses named after people or characters. For me it adds a certain depth to the rose. Thanks True blue, I will remember their stories when I do get a chance to paint them one day.

Still very healthy, I spray maybe once a month or so. I cut a bunch of blooms last week because we were due a good frost but today there's maybe 3 more buds getting ready to open. Grows about a foot over the season. My only complaint (if such) is that I wish he'd get bushier, he's still quite an open plant

Jennifer We must live near each other because we are in the same zone and state. IÂve had my Jude for 5 years and to me it is a sparse bloomer. The roses on either side bloom fine so I guess it gets full sun. ItÂs in an east-west hedge; Lillian Austin and Crimson Bouquet to the west and Traviata, The Squier, and Fragrant Cloud to the east and all are good to near constant bloomers. I get a good spring and modest fall flush. Care: I cut back only in winter, I do not dead head (maybe I should try, but it doesnÂt set hips so IÂm not sure what the point would be), the bed is well amended and raised about 8 ", bone meal, packaged manure/humus from Lowes and maybe rose tone at planting. I only use rose tone, I have no time for Miracle Gro. Once each in spring and summer I put a 3 month application (3x the dose), I have about 30 roses and donÂt have time to coddle them every month like the pkgs say. IÂm weeding out the most BS prone for this reason, too. I spray for BS about every 10 days. I keep it because: 1 Â I like the color, itÂs somewhat unique 2 Â I need a tall one in that spot, mineÂs about 7-8Â. So I would say itÂs a vigorous grower. 3 - It is getting better with age (may be by the time I retire IÂll know what everyone else is talking about). ItÂs BS resistance is about average for most modern hybrids from my experience. Mine is grafted from David Austin, Tyler Tx. I have a mixture of own root and grafted in my yard and IÂd say the grafted may do a little better but not enough to say for sure. My Abe Darby is own root and is a really good bloomer. I have 3 TraviataÂs, 1 grafted and 2 own root and the own rootÂs are smaller but bloom just as well and are just as healthy. They are also 1 year younger from the original one I bought locally. Since all the roses around yours is healthy, I would either order a new one from a different vendor or root a cutting from your present bush and see what happens. What do you have to loose? Now is a good time for rooting (may be a little late, but with global warming it may not be so). IÂm doing that with my Mr. Lincoln because it has done really poorly for me since we moved here in 2001. It is my only JP box rose (what was I thinking). Dennis

Skybird, I did some research before I bought it last year. Believe I got the 60% cloth. It is the commercial grade greenhouse cloth. I put it up last year with a 52" cattle panel along the bottom and then the top part with no support except a T post every 4' and a wire stretched along the top to tie it too between the posts. It worked great even in the hard 50 mph winds. It doesn't stop it all but sure makes a big difference. I have used the shade cloth on my cold frame this spring as I move new plants to it. Makes hardening off easier and it stays put there also with no problem. I got this chain link fence for taking it down from and old gas plant. It is the commercial grade and have seen it piled to the top with tumble weeds and never bend or go down. So feel good about it. But then again I've been surprised before when my "great plans" went awry. Thanks for the concern and I'll knock on wood as I know it can happen but feel good about it at this time. That is why I only did the south side last year was to see if I could hold it and how the fabric would hold up and how much support I might need. Will see how it performs this year. I know others that have put wood, tin or sheet metal up as high as 6' high for wind breaks for their gardens but really don't want to go to that extreme if I don't have too. Jay