I'm not at all sure Perle d'Or is gone. Since I came late to the cemetery I did not see everything, and plants Jill pointed out to me as we were moving on the the next area are a blur in my mind. I did not get pictures of them. But several roses were gone and many others are greatly diminished. This seems to be the fate of roses in that cemetery. Roses at the mission age getting at least some care. Roses in the Settler's Cabin park have signage but are overgrown with weeds. With budget problems and the cutback in rangers are getting very little care, just what the few (one?) knowledgeable volunteer(s) can give. Roses on private property range from those receiving decent care to being weed-choked on a vacant lot. As for the celebration, do not judge attendance by the crowd in the pictures I took. I deliberately took the indoor pictures before it officially started. I thought you would be able to see more clearly without the crowd. The outside vendor pictures were taken while the event was actually happening. Based on the times I have gone, I would say that attendance was down from its all-time high, but still very reasonable. Rosefolly

Greybird- I was tickled rose-pink to see 'Ruths' German Rose' covering a large plot in Miriams backyard, it wasn't in bloom when we were gathering roses for Morcom Park, but I got a thrill just seeing the plants. Old Blush-Yours is the most beautiful photo I've ever seen of Nat. Noisette" really stunnning. Jeri, do you know where Fred found "Le Pactole"? it is one of my favorite Tea roses. I also am a fan of " Grandmothers Hat", a voluptuous rose. I forgot about "S.G.C.M" I was heartbroken when it failed in my organic rose garden, too much p.m. to thrive in our cool coastal area. Thanks to all of you, for posting back. I have happy memories of most of the roses posted, its' like remembering old freinds, that others have known. Lux.

Like many here, my mom was my first mentor in many things. She was as pragmatic about everything as I was and continue being. She would learn what she could about something she wanted to grow, usually from her mother who grew everything, determine if she could easily create conditions they desired, then moved them if they didn't like what she could give them. She would push the envelope to determine what they would accept until she determined her boundaries, or theirs, then she would put them everywhere they would agree to and enjoy the dickens out of them. I did, and still do, follow her "Southern gardening advice" to share plants. It's completely logical. Everything is pruned by Nature, either by being eaten, burned or frozen, so sharing cuttings of something follows Nature's example and plants respond by growing bigger and better. The same goes for dividing plants and sharing the offspring. Most perennials require thinning. Sharing the thinned pieces not only provides room for yours to fill out again, but shares your pleasure with others who enjoy them and provides you a source for replacements should something happen to yours. Her best advice was to keep it simple to keep it fun. That I blindly follow and never regret. I joined the ARS, ignorantly thinking they could teach me how to grow good roses. I did the whole spray, over prune, over feed thing until I began to question the wisdom of constantly using chemicals whose labels warned me of probable eye damage, potential cancer, likely prostate disease and so on. Though not all blatantly stated on the labels, a bit of digging unearthed the known side effects of "long term, over exposure" to the active ingredients. Though careful, accidents can and do occur and I was (still am) too young to deal with the potential risks. Fortunately, I didn't do the chemical intervention routine that long, and I WAS always very careful with them. I hated what I considered "wasting" money on chemicals when it could be more enjoyably spent on new plants and books. I was and am fortunate that there are roses I like and enjoy which don't require the chemical intervention where I live and garden. I know many others aren't as fortunate in that way. I blindly followed the instructions given about how to propagate the roses as a volunteer at The Huntington, figuring they knew what they were doing as they'd been at it far longer than I. Being the heretic I am, my mind began to wander, oops, I mean WONDER, what might happen if I tweaked this or that, and shortly, I took the success rate using their methods of less than half, to nearly a hundred percent each time I struck cuttings. Same with growing roses. Fortunately, I am also a very lazy gardener. Not for those for whom I try to work my magic to create beautiful, sustainable vistas, but definitely in my own. A "past time", "hobby", should never be THAT much work, or it is, well, WORK. That's what I've always done this to get away FROM. So, after studying what roses wanted in Nature, without our intervention, I began permitting them to do their own things with as little intervention from me as possible, while I learned what THEY wanted where I grew them. Those which expressed gratitude for my benign neglect, received all the neglect they seemed to enjoy. Those who demanded more intensive attention and intervention, usually went to other peoples' gardens. A tried and true rule given by my mother and grandmother is, "They ALWAYS look better in someone else's yard". Ain't that the danged truth?! I can't tell you how many times I've admired a rose or other plant in a friend's garden, only to be told, "YOU gave it to me!" I did? Hmmmmm... And, life is SO much more fun without the "cocaine addicted, French mistresses" populating my garden. (no offense to anyone of French descent, honest!) Ralph Moore was probably one of the most influential "mentors" I could ever be blessed with. Every aspect of gardening and many about life in general, was affected and influenced by his folksy, home spun, usually highly scientifically based and always observationally supported comments. On one our first visits, I commented on his effective use of weeds for ground cover, all over the ground, paths, flourishing in the pots... His response? "If you don't plant something, God will!". Well, yes... I commented on how his plants received no real "care". He responded, "We test by stress. If I can't kill it, you shouldn't be able to". OK. Many of his roses they released, if grown in climates similar to what he created them in are quite bullet proof. That was part of his selection process. Anyone can create a beautiful flower. He admonished to create a good plant first, as hanging a pretty flower on it later was rather easy. Quite a twist on the traditional process. He advised to watch Nature, see what she does and how it works, then do the same. He taught to "think like the rose". Consider how what it receives stimulates it to do what it does and why, then do to and for it what it needs to encourage it to respond the way you want it to. How much easier could it become than that? He actually stated to let the rose be your guide, exactly what my Southern gardening ancestors did and taught, but never really said. When I inquired what he thought about using dangerous, expensive chemicals to manipulate chromosomes in breeding, he responded that you COULD, but why would you want to when, "the rose will find the way". When asked about what his thoughts on special rose foods and extravagant feeding regimen, he responded, as he did frequently, "Why? Roses can't read!". So, if the fertilizer fits the desires guaranteed analysis for the desired results, it honestly doesn't matter what the label says it's good for, it should please the roses and like your dog, they can't tell the difference if it's something that agrees with them. Fortunately, both my original mentors and Mr. Moore advocated observation. Watch it and see. The rose, and pretty much any other kind of plant, is going to show you want it wants. I advocate that in pruning. Unless you're trying to force the plant to your will, permitting it to show you where it wants to begin growing and flowering before cutting it, then letting it do it will result in more flowers, faster. If your desire is for landscape color, this will give it to you by the wagon load. You can always clean up any issues when you do your usual pruning. Special needs such as wind or snow require their own attention, but those are things I've been lucky not to have had to consider. I learn as much from other forum participants and those whose gardens I have visited and enjoyed as I may have "taught" others. There are so many right ways to garden and grow roses. No one can try them all. No one can try them everywhere and with all roses and all of us don't have the same gardening styles or requirements from our gardens. Seeing through your eyes teaches me so much. Each one who observes, considers and comes up with new discoveries and knowledge mentors ME. I love the interaction with others who share my rose "obsession", the personalities of each one, their individual garden visions and desires. It is the dynamic knowledge gleaned from the interaction that floats my boat, stimulates my brain and pushes me to push the envelope further. Mr. Moore admonished, "Don't stir the pot, bring something new to the table" about rose breeding and growing, meaning observe, study, learn from what is going on around you. What you read as gardening and rose growing "law" or "rules" is so very often blindly repeated legend plagiarized from other books. Look at what the plants do by themselves and what they do in response to what is provided them and what is done TO them and learn from it. Listen and read. Test it for logic and potential sound reasoning and consider why it may work where it is reported to work. If it resonates well with your style, desires and conditions, test it, try it and see if it works for you. If not, why didn't it? Tweak it, massage it and test your modifications to see if altering it allows it to make your situation better, then share it. Elevating one, elevates everyone. Your sharing your observations and knowledge stimulates mine, teaching me, which in turn stimulates and teaches someone else. Fortunately, both ancestral mentors and Mr. Moore also stressed that knowledge unshared, is worthless. If you know something which will benefit someone else, keeping it to yourself is a sin, shameful. Not that it should ever be forced, but it definitely should be freely given if asked. Being a good steward of the knowledge is its own reward. Fame, praise, reputation, attention are OK, but knowing someone else is better off, their problems or distresses are improved simply because you offered what others shared with you and what you discovered or observed, IS what matters. That is one I have and continue to "blindly follow". Kim

Hi hartwood, Your list of found roses that you grow is impressive, and I love your photo of "Bryan Freidels Pink Tea" is it available in commmerce? I grow seveal found roses, my favorites are "Angels Camp Tea" "Rockhill Peach Tea" and "Secret Garden Musk Climber" "Angels Camp Tea" was found in the gold rush country of California and it is a breathtakingly subtle rose. A freind who saw it in bloom this week said just one word regarding its blooms; "Exquisite". It's one of those roses that appears to be lit from within. To me it appears alabastor overlaid with pale cameo pink, touched with peach in the center, with a lick of amber at the base of its petals. In the full hot sun of August it produces pure white blooms. "Hauselt Plot Tea" Pretty and pink, and blooms every month in my garden from March through November. I bought this at a Sacramento Cemetary sale. Little scent to my nose. "Rockhill Peach Tea" I like the color of this Tea very much. It is a pleasant hue of peach, and the plant is quite healthy. "Catos Cluster" Noisette. I love its' soft grey green leaves, pretty pink cupped roses that have a slight lilac tint in cool weather. Not much scent to my nose but I like "C.C." better than the more popular "Blush Noisette" "Georgetown Tea" re-blooms as soon as I turn my back on it. It is quite suseptible to p.m.. in my garden near the North Calif. coast, but it produces very lovely flowers. "Secret Garden Climbing Musk" One of the best of all roses, in my opinion and I thank God that Joyce D. saved it from extinction. Found roses I wish I had room for; "Westside Road Cream Tea" found by Phillip Robinson, not far from his home in Northern Califorina. Its' cream colored roses are produced against a bushy background of light green leaves. One of the smaller roses of the Tea class, when mature it makes a very pretty bush of about 4 feet tall. "Secret Garden Noisette" One of the most fragrant of all Noisette roses. I held one bloom between my fingertips, to smell it, and its' strong scent lasted for well over 2 hours on my hand. The color of bloom can be a bit stark white in full hot sun, but its' bright pink petal edges do not fade. Luxrosa