Rosefolly,

I was thinking about this today also. I've only been here since 2006, but this forum's presence in my life has been fairly constant since then. My love of old roses began about ten years before then but until I discovered this forum, I knew very little, really. I'm still a beginner rosarian, and may be until I die. The more I know the more I realize how much more there is. I guess that's part of what is so wonderful about roses.

I think rosarians are by nature independent minded, opinionated and passionate. It doesn't take too much to stir up the pot into conflict. It seems to pass, as you say. I miss some of the posters from previous years but am tickled by the new folks and their love of roses. It is so much fun to talk about roses, to share pictures and problems.

As long as I grow roses, I think I'll probably always enjoy this place. So let's keep talking about them!

Gean

Although I don't post quite so often now, I still spend considerable time reading the posts on this forum.

I believe that I am out of the mass aquisition stage of OGRs, and I am currently in the evaluation stage. I'm enjoying watching which roses will thrive in my no spray situation, and, remarkably, I am no longer "devastated" when a rose fails, even when I was sure it should do well here. I've been moving roses around to fine tune my gardens, and this has been a lot of fun for me. I come from an artistic family, and, although I don't think I'm very artistic, my garden is my canvas, and my plants are my oils.

I'm eagerly awaiting some of my own open-pollinated seedlings to show their stuff, and for the most part, I'm very pleasantly surprised. I've got some promising youngsters developing.

I do enjoy sharing anything I can with my rose friends...whether it's an extra rose I've propagated (there are about 100 or so in my driveway awaiting a good home) or advice/suggestions for someone.

I've developed some wonderful friendships from my former internet buddies, and I encourage others to do the same. I know that Connie's socials have been a great opportunity to develop this fellowship.

Although you may not see me posting as much as I did a couple of years ago, I'm still a presence.

Robert

I have been here for a very long time, and intend to remain. Sometimes I am too busy to post, and other times I can use this forum to express how I feel at the moment.

I appreciate the support and encouragement on this Forum since I personally know few people who grow older roses -- or even any roses at all.

It is my fault that I don't know many rose grower since we have a very good group of rose growers in our local society, but they meet on Sunday afternoon. That is not good for those of us who work full time, but it is excellent for those who need to drive into town, and do not like to be on the road after dark.

I wish we could start a no spray society in our city, or even one for growing older roses. However, I don't want to only grow one type of rose, I like my choices.

On this Forum I can always find those who I can identify with, and that makes it nice for me.

I regret that many have left the site, and regret that many waited so long to leave. LOL I like it here.

Sammy

I also visit here almost every day. I leave a bit of advice or an answer to a question when I can, to encourage newcomers and share whatever is happening in the garden here.

There are folks here who have become friends in real life, and email friends I value. I call them my Internet Dates ... and I would be a poorer gardener without them.

This place allows me to compare notes with others who have collections and interests similar to my own. How else could I carry on a conversation with a rose grower 3000 miles away, sharing observations and roses. It makes me feel a bit less of a freak, with all of these roses in pots and plans to add more.

I share a lot of what happens in my garden on my blog, but that is mostly a one-way communication. (Yesterday I shared photos of some of the yellow roses that are blooming in the garden right now.) THIS place creates an atmosphere for a true conversation ... a give and take of ideas among a diverse group of rose growers.

I like it here.
Connie

Here is a link that might be useful: Blog

I participate on other forums with different subjects. The fighting is nothing unique, it happens all over. It's just human nature.

I come here to talk about roses and talk to rose friends. I can ignore the one or two that annoy me or just post nonsense. Well, most of the time I can :)

Discovering this forum was one of the best things I've ever found. It has become a real family for me and those I have actually met have become very, very dear to me. Families do squabble, even fight, but they hang in there with each other, support each other, are interested in what each other does, and this is how this forum operates.

I guess you could say that things grow and change, go forwards and backwards here in the same way that our gardens do. I've been on the forum more than ten years. I've made some wonderful friends here. Some of them have even come to my garden from all over the country. Some I've not been privileged to meet personally but are friends in my heart. The sense of community is important to me. I enjoy sharing opinions, triumphs, joys, even sorrows with other gardeners. Spirited discussion is different than insults and accusations. Fortunately there is very little of that. Cheers everyone, and new people please join in. You won't be new for long.

This forum and the people on it have been wonderfully fun, interesting and educational, a welcoming place where I have felt comfortable and at home. But suddenly, it "just ain't what is used to be". That's really my fault. I feel so incredibly stupid that I am reluctant to post anything. What if I'm stupid like that again? Naivete is fine for a 20-year old, but at my age it's called being an old fool. It makes me sick. I screwed up and damaged this forum. I wanted to apologize the other night but couldn't log on. Maybe that was a good thing at the time. So I'll probably lay low for a while. I am sorry to all of you for my part in this last episode. I wish I could take it all back. Hopefully, I'll learn to be more discreet and to check for water in the pool before I jump in. How devastating that a 'small' thing can snowball and become so harmful to a truly beautiful place filled with beautiful people who love beautiful roses.

Sherry

You just "took it back" Sherry. You have a history, and we don't judge. Please feel comforatble to be yourself and share your knowledge. We cannot always be held accountable for surprises that we confront. We all can be awkward at times and say things we regret. (I don't know what you are talking about now, but if I see it, I will remember what you just said.)

It was years before I knew that GW had pictures. My time goes back to when my computer only could put down letters. Yahoo had a search engine and when I entered "roses" I would first get a gay nude resort near Toronto (thank heavens there were no pictures), then a Suite 20something site that talked about roses and then GardenWeb started showing up. Then UseGroups roses started showing up.
There weren't people locally who wanted to talk roses, they just wanted to show roses, and I was fearsomely frustrated in wanting to read roses though it took me at least a year before I said anything.
Rose Lady V, up in the DC area was the first to reply to my first post. (Yep, I do remember that.)

I also remember some real nastiness from short termers directed at me and that they went away.

I have learned so much and had so many good experiences because of Rose Forums and Antique Rose Forum in particular.

Without GardenWeb, RRD would still be thought "not to infect cultivated roses" which was the standard bit when we first started seeing the disease and locals told me we didn't have it here.

I guess that's what comes from lack of a local mentor. I found a more widespread group and that's been a good thing.

Sherry, I didn't see what you posted, so I have no idea what you are apologizing for. All of us say stuff that we don't really mean or in the heat of the moment. But as sammy said, you have a history. It's not like you joined GW today just to make a nasty post about everyone.

Please don't leave or even take a break. And I know what you mean about feeling stupid. I feel that way constantly (no jokes, ok!). I think we feel that when we get to a certain age we should know everything. But that would be kind of boring.

To ann's point, I will never forget the first time I came on the Antique Rose forum and said I had teas. Well I was instantly slapped down with 'HTs are NOT teas'. Boy I felt stupid! But now I know. And now I am something of a rose snob, but I try to remember that everyone has to learn, just like I did.

I got slapped down on some of my first postings, too. I think things were more abrupt when I first joined GW six or seven years ago - and I was very much a novice. From those experiences, I learned a lot about unfamiliar roses, about regional differences, that a rose called the same name could be different (or that roses called different names could be the same), and that there are many different styles and opinions when it comes to roses.

I learned to be more careful about my answers. As people used to say "YMMV" - your mileage may vary. And to try to be kind to newbies and to not let my feelings get hurt if people weren't kind to me.

I value the friends that I've made through this forum and other internet rose groups. Once when I was getting ready for a rose weekend, DH said "they aren't REAL friends, they're just INTERNET friends." He doesn't say that any more - he'd better not! He has learned that the friendships and connection that we feel through roses can indeed be real.

I do miss some of the people who used to post, and often feel that I came to the party too late. Rosefolly, you are right that in years to come, we will be thinking nostalgically of the present time. "These are the good old days," Carly Simon used to sing.

Sherry, I try to stay out of contentious threads - I posted several hot replies to the "annoyed" threads and deleted them! I'll bet that you will do the same in the future. No hard feelings on my part, and I would miss you very much.
Anita

hey sherry, surly sue sending love and hugs....its just words, ya know, not bullets

Paula, I think your post is wise and "poetic". I say that meaning words that somehow touch and move the reader.

I first joined here in, I think, 2004 and have learned so much that now I am the "expert" with many of my friends. Amazing. When they ask something hard, I usually say, "Hmm, let me think about it," and hurry here to see what you all have to say. I too, miss some of those who used to post regularly and were so kind and helpful, but who have moved on. Others come who are COMPLETELY different but they, too, add a new and interesting flavor.

Although I would call my presence here sporatic and limited, it's a place I'd call one of my favorite "haunts."

Sherry, if I had a nickel for every thing I've ever said that I wish I could "take back", I'd be a millionaire. I'm not sure what you mean either, but as far as I'm concerned you are welcomed here with open arms.

FWIW, I tend to avoid posts that make me say, "Youch!"

a forum is a collection of people and their contributions to it.

So the good old days can be any time when lovely people post lovely things. The solution is not to leave, but to add to the forum what you want to see of it, and encourage threads that you want to see.

Sherry, Please don't leave. :(

Sherry, you're one of the many gems on this place. I love Sammy in particular this morning, who said: (I don't know what you are talking about now, but if I see it, I will remember what you just said.)

I just realized this morning that the reason my cuttings are not doing well is that the humidity level is so much lower here that I can't treat them the same way I did in Alabama. Duh.

Who else but you guys would appreciate a lightbulb moment like that???

Gean

Sherry, I think I know which post you're talking about and, believe me, it was very mild compared to what others contributed, and I saw no malice in it. Let's just all move on and consider this unpleasant episode over and done with, and forgive ourselves and try to forgive others (still struggling with that one in one or two cases). We have too much fun here to let an episode like this destroy the warm feelings most of us have for each other, and I for one am not about to leave this forum unless I'm "shovel pruned". The people and information I've encountered are much too precious to ever give up willingly.

Ingrid

This forum was the only IM site for me to get fast answers. When I first logged on in 2005, I found answers to me rookie questions.
Sure, I was surprised at some of the REALLY mean answers and responses, but I stuck to my guns and did not walk away. I still get on the site to browse the antique forum. Life has been throwing me curve balls and my time is limited. I will always be a participant on this site and with the people who continue to add their two cents......
Many thanks to those who have helped me through the years and have steered me towards old roses and antiques. I am currently working on planting me two year old potted roses from Sacramento and Vintage. No more pot ghetto!
Daun

Sherry- Don't worry about it. I think we should all take a deep breath and go forward from here :)

Remember, we've had an unusually hot summer and many people have probably reached the end of their rope with this heat. Let's just move on and remember why we're really here.

As for the tea/hybrid tea remarks, I had that happen, too. Honestly, there are no tea roses in eastern Washington, so people usually refer to hybrid tea roses as "teas" which I found out very quickly, is WRONG! LOL

Next time, we all have to remember...as it's already been well stated...don't feed the trolls!

Though I still feel like a newbie, thanks to GW and everyone's help, my rose knowledge has grown considerably.

Some days my garden is my mental therapy. Other days it is just hard work. Some days I ignore it. But almost every day I come here to learn a little more. Conversations with DH more often than not include something said on 'the rose forum'. I read gardening books extensively, but this forum is precious in that a question can be asked, an opinion given, a picture shown.

I learned early on, however, that the written word can be dangerous. Something written down can have a completely different 'tone' to it than if it was said verbally, with a smile. Not one to like conflict, I generally ignore the threads that become controversial. I wish we could all remember that we are all just nice people, here to learn, and that what was written perhaps wasn't meant in such a harsh manner.

Sherry - I have loved looking at your gardens. It gives me hope for the future of mine. I love that you ask questions and express your feelings. You are a valued contributor.

I am especially glad Celeste posted pictures of her garden. What beauty. It brought me such joy to be reminded of the beauty of spring. Where else could you find such inspiration in the dog days of summer?

The knowledge, the connection, and the inspiration - I love this forum. :)

Clarification - I didn't "post" those hot replies, I drafted them and let them set for a bit - and then deleted them. A good way to vent without anybody knowing about it!
Anita

Oh no Sherry! I could just see immediately that you had made a mistake. I didn't see malice in your reply and I saw how it happened. Sometimes we are a little hasty. I regret sorely any time that I have been. Please don't take a break. We need you.

I'm here to stay, can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate and have learned from this forum.

Sherry, I didn't see your post, but you have been such an inspiration with the challenges you face and I appreciate this!

Thank you all!

Well, I feel like you all have grabbed me by the ankles and dragged me back on the field. (Maybe that's because I've been watching football. Go, Bucs!) Yes, there are "many gems" on this forum, and you have made me feel better, thank you very much. When I was in the dumps, I figured y'all probably wouldn't want any part of me, but that's not the way you are. You're ALL the best, even Surly Sue. :))

...Time has passed since I started writing this, because I've been on the phone with Gean. She called out of her concern for me. It was the first time we've ever spoken, and what a joy! How perfectly sweet and wonderful is that?!! You have ALL cheered me up. I so appreciate and admire everyone on this forum. You blow me away with your kindness.

Sherry

We're all like a bunch of roses in a garden, some of us are quite prickly, some very flashy, some endure year in and out despite travails, some rarely bloom, but are beautiful when they do...some no thorns at all. :)

I like the plain Web 1.0 interface--other forums have the avatars, blinking stuff all over, mottos and personal slogans--so much junk to scroll through. Here the areas of plain white screen plus some text is oh so soothing.

yes, me too hoovb

Newbie here (to the forum, not to OGR's where my passion dates back to the publishing of Christopher's "In Search of Lost Roses," but hope to learn from the rest of you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Musings

Professor, I can see how Christopher's book awakened your rose passion. I hope everyone here has read it.

UGH BLINKING GIFS, I hate those.

(now if we could only get those adds at the top of the screen to stop popping up and covering my text... haha...) ah well, nothing is free. ;)

Professor- your blog is lovely! :)
Just so you know, I noticed in another thread but forgot to say, you can link to specific parts of your blog if you like. Ie, if you want to highlight something we are talking about in a thread with a similar topic from your blog... then if you click on the main subject of the desired blog entry like,.. "Sucker for Stripes" that takes you to a page with JUST that one entry. So then you could copy that URL and post it here. :)

Professor, your musings are quite enjoyable. You sound like a fun guy.

Sherry

Thanks sherryocala and aimeekitty. Hope you enjoy it. The blog is kind of an experiment...I've been posting daily but will probably eventually slow down to a couple of times a week...just so I can concentrate sometimes on work :)

Mendicino_rose, you're right, everyone should read Christopher's book if they haven't already. I've got two cemetary roses of my own from learning to rustle from that book :)

Aimeekitty, thanks, I'm learning...right now trying to add a picture in a post and not having much luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Early Roses for the Prairie

hoovb - Good one, I would like to think myself as a rose.
My description of me would be - OGR, dark, deep purple, burgundy, rich old rose scent, blooms under happy conditions, water, heat and room to stretch out my limbs. A lovely view prefered, no required!

Several years ago my son gave me Christopher's book --it was such a joy to read--

I'm not going anywhere---I check in here when I can (between operations and Dr's orders)---

I can't garden the way I used to so can't contribute much anymore.--I Love this place and love all the folks oldies and newbies----

It has been a wonderful ride and hope to be here as long as I can.
Sherry I think you are a wonderful addition to this forum and don't have the slightest clue what you are referring to.
I guess it didn't upset me---LOL

Love to all of you and your beautiful roses. They bring me great joy----

Florence/zeffyrose