Hi Ingrid: That's funny, I was planning on putting my Annie in the exact spot: southwest sun against the house. This spot has an overhanging roof so it doesn't receive much rain. There are 3 bushes in that spot: Radio Times loves the heat and became 5' x 6', Mary Magdalene loves that hot spot, and Pat Austin fried. My second Pat Austin in partial shade, northern exposure also fries at temp. above 80 degrees.

I have Annie in a dinky pot on the cement patio the ENTIRE SUMMER, full sun, no problems. This is our hottest summer over a decade, with temp. 90 to 100. Our weather cools down now, but I moved Annie to partial shade since I get tired of pinching off buds. Annie's foliage can handle 100 degrees temp., if you provide frequent water for its initial shallow young roots.

Our temp. in March was 80's, then 90's later. Annie blooms didn't fry in 80-90 degrees, but I pinched off buds when the temp was 90-100. The sun here is pretty intense, yesterday I pushed my sliding patio door and the plastic was burning hot, I had to use a wash cloth to open the door.

Sorry for the misspelling; of course it's Annie Laurie McDowell....

Strawberry, I think the aridity of Ingrid's situation adds another element . . .

Jeri

From your description of the site, Ingrid, I wouldn't suggest planting any roses against that wall. I know how incredibly hot that exposure gets in these kinds of climates. The best successes I've had attempting to do what you are describing has been when I could plant a very well established, VERY large specimen against overly hot walls like that so most of the solar collecting surface is already shaded by plant mass. It would be very much the same if you were wanting to plant a hedge to cover the wall.

There is so much heat being reflected, absorbed and radiated out from the surface that it actually cooks the plant. You know how roses (and plants in general) quit growing and simply attempt to remain alive, go into survival mode. New growth gets fried as it develops until there is no new growth and the existing growth gets continually desiccated and cooked until it dies back. Is it possible that could be a primary reason why your Reve d'Or is in decline?

I honestly can't think of any rose which is going to flourish, particularly as a small, immature plant, in those conditions. There isn't much difference between that and what many (especially in Texas) experienced last summer in the excessive heat periods when many mature plantings flat out died. Those levels of heat not only suck out all of the water, but inhibit new growth formation to the point of actually killing off the remaining living tissues.

The plants across the walk from that wall are far enough away from the heat source that it is dissipated by the air cushion and air flow. If there was enough room in that space to place a trellis far enough away from the wall to create some shade to block the sun from directly hitting it, perhaps it could help break it sufficiently to reduce the levels to permit a rose to be grown against it. The air space between the wall and trellis would also help insulate the plant from being grown against a "cooking surface".

I've actually had customers in nurseries who have told me on a hundred degree day, they've measured temperatures of over thirty degrees hotter just six inches away from white stucco walls. Imagine what the temps could be from darker surfaces which absorb more heat. Another problem is how long that absorbed heat is retained and radiated out from it. It's the same problem encountered when trying to grow anything against block walls with full sun exposure in high heat areas. Whatever you can do to shade the surface, reducing the heat reflected and radiated from it; move the plants farther from the hot surface; or install really large, mature specimen which have thicker, more insulated, durable canes and which will cover and shade large expanses of the wall surface quickly, reducing the heat issue due to their foliage mass, will significantly increase your chances of success.

As you can imagine, the intensity of the heat in full sun drenched walls will vary greatly from climate to climate. It can vary enough to kill plants over just a few miles (or, even blocks), particularly if you're comparing a coastal to more inland situation, a higher elevation to a lower one or more northern to southern latitudes.

Annie Laurie McDowell has many sterling qualities, but any immature plant is going to greatly suffer (and very likely fail) when grown where they are continually cooked to death. Kim

Thank you Kim and everyone. What you say makes perfect sense and that is indeed what is slowly killing my Reve d'Or. In that case I won't put any rose there and will likely grow more marjoram of which I already have two huge bushes against the wall and which I grow primarily for the bees who love it. I'll keep my fingers crossed for Cl. Lady Hillingdon, which is along the same wall but gets shade from about 4 o'clock on. I've had it since April of last year and it's now about 3 feet tall and reasonably bushy. Amazingly it's already put out quite a few buds which I've nipped off to encourage growth. Of course it may be a different story when it grows larger and I train it against the wall. I may just train it up a little and then allow it to hang down so that there's plenty of leaf coverage. I now have a much better idea of what I'm dealing with. Thank you for your detailed explanation Kim. This may also explain why Celine Forestier which is just around the corner on the wall is not at her best, although her condition is not as dire. I suppose I should be grateful that any roses will condescend to grow here in my very own personal heat trap.

Ingrid

You're welcome Ingrid. Perhaps it isn't too late to save your Reve d'Or? If you can provide it some shade and extra water until you can move it, to keep it alive until then, you can probably resurrect it in a more benign spot.

If they're not too "rustic" for your tastes, plants such as Caesalpinia, Leucophyllum and Dodonea LOVE those conditions, as does Bougainvillea, but are much more frost hardy and water thrifty. They won't hurt your foundation and are easily sheared and pruned. They can filter or even prevent the heat and light to that wall and, in the case of the Dodonea, can be sheared into hedging to shade the bare portions of the wall, to reduce the excessive heat, giving the remaining roses a break, helping them recover and get back to growing. If and when they need the room where the Dodonea grows, it's easy to remove, should you decide you want to. They're very fast growing, require no water once established, but will grow excellently in flower beds with normal irrigation. They can frost back in severe freezes, but against the house, they may have sufficient protection from freezing. Should the tips frost back, they recover very quickly once it warms up. It might be a solution to help you get where you want to go. Good luck! Kim

About ALM, KimI have one being held for me at Long Ago Roses and it will be coming to my part shade garden in Pacifica. The opposite of Ingrid's situation. I thought I had read that ALM will tolerate part shade. Please enlighten me on this.

Thanks,
Diane

All things being equal, Diane, ALmD will tolerate a great deal of shade. Of course, as with any type of plant, the actual density and level of shade depends upon how brilliant and hot the sun is to begin with. I'd imagine she would tolerate more shade if you live in the sunnier end of Pacifica than she would if you are in the foggier end. Increase the humidity and dew levels without the actual heat from the sun and more double flowers remain too wet, too long and ball or rot instead of opening properly. That's something you'll have to gauge once you get her there and growing. Also, with your significantly cooler summers and reduced light levels (compared to here), she may take a while longer to mature. Warmth stimulates most plants to grow faster. Cooler temps slow them down. Kim

Hurray! I've just thought of a place where I can place Annie Laurie McDowell. Kim, please tell me if you think this will work. It would again be against a house wall but this area only receives about six hours of morning to early afternoon sun. Also, the area is wide enough that I could put a post and lathe system in place to hold the rose off the wall. Currently this space is occupied by Spice, a rose that is lovely about one month out of the year. I think three years is as much time I want to give it, especially since I very much want ALM. Kim, I'll look up the plants you mention; something that doesn't need too much water and will look good is just what I need.

Ingrid

Sounds like a perfect place, Ingrid. She should love the light and heat levels and it shouldn't get so hot that the flowers fry before you get to enjoy them. You're welcome for the suggestions. I hope they aren't too "rustic" for you. I'm using more of all three on this hill. I replaced an oleander hedge with Dodonea the Oleander Leaf Scorch took out. I'm raising every color Caesalpinia I can get hold of from seed because they start to flower after about a year and germinate SO quickly and easily. The hotter it is, the more they like it. The same with Leucophyllum. All three grow across the South West and flourish in Texas. That should tell you pretty much all you need to know! Kim

Thanks Kim. We're at the northern end of the Pacifica "banana belt" so less fog than some areas but many of my roses are slooow to get going. The Noisettes however are very happy and Belle Amour adores it here.

Diane

If Noisettes are happy there, Annie should love it, too. Good luck! Kim

Music to my ears, Kim. Can't wait.

Ingrid, let's hope ALM does well for both of us. It's going to be very hard to disbud as everyone raves about the blooms.

Diane

You're welcome! I'm eager to see photos of her in both gardens. I know pinching off the flowers hurts, but it is well worth it in the long run. Kim

Diane, it's going to be fun to compare our roses. Mine won't be ready until spring. I don't know when I've looked forward to a rose as much as this one.

Ingrid

That's neat, Ingrid. I'm glad. Thank you! Kim

Hi Bart: I love my present Annie L. Dowell that I ordered 2 more just like you! For a rose to be completely smooth, zero diseases, stand up to heat, and great scent is rare.

A good vertical accent in my garden is Asiatic Lily, that gets tall, up to 4' in my zone 5a. They come in deep red, light pink, orange, and reddish. They are columnar, tall, erect, and NOT messy like daylilies - which I killed due their looking like haystack (Ingrid's term)).

See picture below of my 4' tall Asiatic Lily, planted right on top of tree root. I planted another one next to the baking-hot southwest wall of the house, never water it, and it's always green and compact. Asiatic Lily bloom for the entire month in spring in my cold zone:

I'm with you Ingrid. Almost feel like ordering a second one sight unseen!

Thanks to Kim for "birthing" this baby.

Diane

You're welcome, Diane. I have always loved Renae, and wondered what she could produce. Ralph Moore never did anything with her other than minis, but I knew she had more to offer. I sewed the seed, but what came out was through no 'skill' of mine. Deciding this was the one to go with, I can and will take credit for, though. Thanks. Kim

I have wanted to order a couple of bands of ALMcD, but I would love to see a photo(s) of her climbing on a structure, does anyone have a photo?

I am designing an entry gate so I can design to benefit her, but if that is nor the best structure, maybe she would like it better else where in the garden.

Thanks, Strawberryhill,but my space is really,really big,sort of a clearing surrounded by woods. I need a vertical accent that will be several meters tall. I'm growing climbers on pillars for some height, but I was thinking of something even taller,to put amongst these...regards, bart
P.S. Kim, did you see my question?

Hi Bart: if you google "tall juniper", you'll see "Juniper Skyrocket", which is tall, skinny, and evergreen.

I have a tall & skinny Juniper here and I never water it. It's 6' x 1'. It looks good, and doesn't become yellowish in heat like Tall Arbovitae (which gets tall, but bushy).

Hi Kippy: Below is a picture of my Annie L. McDowell, totally healthy at 70% humidity, after all day rain. She's triangular in shape.

Hi Kippy, I'm sorry, I missed that. I don't know if I'd plant an Italian Cypress in the roses. When I've encountered them in gardens, very little grows very close to them along the ground. I've found their roots to be fairly dense. Between very successfully battling everything else with roots anywhere near them for water and nutrients and the copious needles they shed, they seem to do a great job of eliminating competition. Increase the height of a tree and you correspondingly increase the spread of their root zone for vertical stability and resource gathering. Plants usually have feeder roots which spread out much further than their drip zones as that is where the majority of any moisture will "drip" off the foliage canopy.

Perhaps if you used something like a Juniper Skyrocket, which grows fairly quickly to 15 - 20', a whole lot shorter and smaller than what an Italian Cypress can grow, you may not have quite as much competition.

Or, for even less root interference, something like a Prunus carolina Bright'n'Tight.

http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/2014/bright-n-tight-carolina-laurel.php#.UEjC9JbcC8A

Though this would probably require shearing to retain the narrow, columnar shape you appear to desire. I, personally, don't like putting "trees" in garden beds, period. They tend to have pretty massive roots and root mass. From far too many instances of trying to encourage things to grow in those dense mats of roots, trees anywhere near where you want color of any kind are something I avoid. If there is a shrub which provides you the height and shape you desire, generally, it should have a less massive root system and it should remain more controlled in eventual spread and height.

You might even consider something like a Colonnade Apple.

http://www.sunset.com/garden/landscaping-design/apple-pillars-00400000022615/

They generally don't have as massive a feeder root system as many of the more water thrifty type trees. I've seen the espaliered apples and other fruit trees very successfully grown among roses. If and when spraying is required, you can pretty much use the same organic controls you would on your roses. Perhaps there may be a suitable variety for your climate which might provide you with another food source. (JUST what you need! LOL!)

If you had an enormous area and could keep your roses and other color yards away from the roots, I'd say go for the cypress. But, if you are thinking of planting it in the middle of a general garden bed, I don't think you'd like having to deal with the roots. Perhaps that might take longer than you expect to have to deal with it. Only you can make that determination, but I prefer not creating a problem either I, or someone else is going to have to deal with. Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Juniper Skyrocket

Thanks for posting Strawberry! Is yours a new band? I have been looking at the photos of her on HMF. I see the one that Kim posted by what looks like a 6 foot wall and am wondering about the shape as a mature plant.

My guy cut me lumber for an entry arch I decided was too much for the location (oops) so I want to reuse some of the parts to make a trellis on the side of the entry arch. But the sides will probably end up just under 24" from post to post. I am thinking that Annie might just get way way to big for the zone if she grows to the size of Kims photo (or even half the size)

Hi Kim

I think it was Bart that wanted the Cypress.

I did also ask about "Sunshine" between a pair of citrus, but that would be well away from the trees and their mature root zone. Don't want to be climbing in roses to pick fruit. But it will hopefully be a planter zone with a small pergola for grapes on one side of the planter, the veggie garden on the other and outside and on the ends will be the citrus trees. I had seen that rose in one of the cemetery rose lists and thought how much it reminded me of the fruit. I would probably include some lavenders in the mix since we have other purples in that area.

Hi Bart: Kim forgot my username many times, so I won't take it personally if he mis-addressed you. He doesn't pay attention to who's posting the thread, but answers all threads dedicatedly, even to complete strangers. For that I respect him.

Hi Kippy: My Annie L. McDowell was bought as band-size. Kim posted a picture of his Annie growing on his steep hill. His looked like a small shrub to me. Roses grow bigger with deep soil and plenty of water, like Tropicana up to 7' tall at nearby rose park, and Knock-out up to 6' tall. My guess that Annie would grow big as a climber if given plenty of water, deep soil, and warm weather.

There's no way Annie can be a climber in my zone 5a since she will die back to the crown. She will be a mini-flora here.

For all of us waiting for our ALMs, here's a photo of Kim's from Helpmefind of ALM climbing a wall.

Gorgeous.

Here is a link that might be useful: ALM climbing

Yes, that picture is the one that set my heart aflutter months ago. Plus, it's SO superbly trained. I hope it can make do with less room than that. So far, because of the heat, climbers haven't been overly rambunctious here.

Ingrid

Ingrid, I don't know why but based on people's comments I am so excited that ALM may prove to be a winner for both of us. I just reserved two more from Burlington Roses for next spring. My gallon plant is due to ship in a few weeks. I'll take pictures when it arrives.

Diane

Diane

Thanks for posting that link, that is the photo I keep looking at and wondering if what I want ALM to climb is not what she is going to want to. I can put her on the picket fencing instead if that is what will make her happy, vs trying to stay on a more narrow entry arch

I touched Annie Laurie McDowell leaves in the past and was surprised at how thick they were. Today I touched all my roses' leaves between my fingers to test for thickness. It confirmed my hunch that the thicker the leaf, the more drought-tolerant:

1) Annie's leaves are so thick it's like rubbermaid. It didn't mind sitting on hot cement patio at 100 degrees.

2) Lynnie leaves are second thickest, along with FlowerCarpet roses. I don't water them.

3) Knock-out leaves are 3rd thickest, not as drought-tolerant as the above.

4) Mary Magdalene, my most heat-loving Austin against a baking hot SW wall, has very thick small leaves. Christopher Marlow has thick leaves, never get droopy. I rarely water him since he's in partial shade.

5) Water-hog Sweet Promise which gets droopy: has shiny glossy foliage, but medium in thickness. Mirandy which fries has even thinner leaves. Bolero floribunda has shiny glossy leaves, but much thicker - it's compact so doesn't require much water.

6) The thinnest petal, like paper is Crown Princess Magareta, my biggest water-hog as a newly bought gallon. She's in the ground, 5 hours of morning sun. I have to give her 2 gallons of water per day - she gets big, and leaves get droopy if not given daily water in hot temp. above 80's.

When I visit the rose park, I'll do a leaf-thickness test again, and will report which one has the thickest leaves like Annie Laurie McDowell.

I'm sorry Bart and Kippy. Mind like a steel sieve...

I'm not running into issues of massive root systems and thick, uncontrollable roots from the Leucophyllum, Caesalpinia, Dodonea, etc. They aren't "trees" and aren't woody like them. I guess, if trained as one, the Caesalpinia could be considered a tree, but they aren't presenting the issues so many trees do here.

Thank you for the compliment on how Annie is trained on that wall. That is actually at one of my detail gardening client's house. She wanted the rear walls covered as she was tired of looking at block walls after thirty years. I gave her the plant years ago as I had no where to plant a climber. I care for it weekly and have 'cutting rights'. The plants many of you are ordering from Burling and Long Ago are from that plant. She was actually very easy to train there. I attached the wires with the Tumax Trellis Kit and began tying her where I wanted her to go.

My client's husband is not a plant person, but he sits in the shade of that plant every afternoon to throw the balls for their two Goldens while he smokes his cigar. I deliberately selected Annie for that spot because it is right by the gate, he sits under it every afternoon, she smells wonderfully and the rose won't bite him. Once I explained that to him and told him of the dear friend for whom it was named, he really appreciated the rose and thought which went into its selection. The across the wall neighbor isn't a plant person, either, but he and his girlfriend enjoy Annie's look and scent. She particularly likes how she can pull the rose down to smell it and not bleed from too close contact. She had no idea there were "roses without thorns"! Annie Laurie would be quite pleased.

That plant is on the north side of the block wall. It receives overhead sun this time of year, but mostly reflected light the rest of the year and she is quite happy. The soil is rather good, being old orchards and agricultural fields, quite sandy and very well drained. EVERYTHING you plant there does well. The houses are about forty or so, years old.

This plant is one Burling budded for me at Sequoia, quite a few years ago, when Mel Hulse brought me the huge ice chest full of flowering stems I used to ask Annie Laurie for her permission to name the rose for her. Burling budded three plants for me. The first is this one. It needed to get into the ground and I had no where to put it. I offered it to my client and she's been thrilled with it for all these years.

The second, I gave to jiminshermanoaks as he loved the rose, too and none were available anywhere as I'd lost the original seedling. Mel had his plant and the one at Santa Clara University. The one I gave Jim turned out not to be Annie, but one of her sisters. When he showed me what had flowered, I recognized the rose. He asked what it was called and as it had never been offered by any name, I suggested he name it for his great wife, Jane. That's how Super Jane came about. Burlington sells Super Jane and Bierkreek budded Super Jane in their fields this past Monday. Fed Ex did their job, getting the package of bud wood to The Netherlands in record time. Hans received the package Monday, emailing me that evening all had been budded the day of receipt! Keep your fingers crossed!

The third plant, I retained far too long in a fifteen gallon can. She pleaded, she begged and held on as long as she could, but I had no where to plant her. She gave up the ghost shortly after moving the garden here to Encino. Many others followed suit, so she isn't to blame.

I knew from very early this rose wasn't the run of the mill. I'm glad she's proven herself as easy for others to love as she has been for me.

Kippy, I think both you and Annie will love her on the picket fence better than a narrow arch. Try Renae on the arch. Her wood isn't as thick nor as stiff as Annie's. She's as fragrant, as thornless, as healthy and shade tolerant as Annie, but they don't really resemble each other, so it shouldn't feel as though you don't have variety in the garden.

My plant is still small and struggling in the too dry soil here combined with the extreme heat and light reflected from the second story living room window. But, she's developing and she'll make it. Thanks! Kim

Thank you Kim for taking the time to give us the history!

Picket fence question:

I have 3 sections that I "could" put a rose on in a couple of months. I need to repaint 2 and want to wait til the passion fruit vine is done (we have others in better spots but they are babies) One section is on the north side of the house and gets some morning sun but then is in almost total shade due to the massive old jacaranda (and will be constantly bombarded with jacaranda debris) The next section is on the other side of the jacaranda but gets sun late afternoon and with the wind, less jacaranda stuff lands there. The last section faces the hillside and west. Hotter but also a bit of shade from a variety of trees.

Would 3 Annies be happy in those different sections?

And how wide might a happy Annie get in those situation? (Each section is 20+ feet)

Feeling very lucky I can ask you these questions about your rose!

May I join in this discussion?
I am thinking of replacing a climbing Souvenir de la Malmasion.
It flowers mainly in February here. Just when we are getting most of our annual rainfall.
All the blooms ball and look terrible. I cannot dead head it as they are out of reach.
It hardly flowers at all the rest of the year.
It is climbing into a pomegranate tree and gets mainly sun in summer. None at all in winter.
Would Annie Laurie McDowell do well there instead?
Daisy

You're welcome Kippy. It seems as if Annie should be OK in those situations. I can't stand the debris from the danged Acacia baileyana purpurea and the White Birches over the walls, plus the spent flower petals, fallen leaves and spider webs, so I blast Annie and the other climbers out with a strong stream of water and a high pressure nozzle several times each summer when the stuff really builds up. It's a perfect way to dead head Annie, also, as she doesn't set hips. The spent flowers all blow off cleanly. You probably will want to do similarly, particularly where the Jacaranda poops all over her.

Hi Daisy! Do you think your Malmaison is spring flowering because of the genetics of the plant, or where it's planted? If you think it might rebloom if it grew in a more suitable place, I'm not sure how happy Annie would be there. The lack of direct sun in winter shouldn't be a huge issue. Most plants' light requirements are significantly reduced during winter months. If the growth and bloom issues are root competition, I don't know. You are aware Annie wants to flower instead of growing, right? You should probably grow her for a good while in increasingly larger cans to get some "oomph", some momentum behind her before stuffing her into that pomegranate.

In winter, that plant on the wall doesn't get any direct sun across the face. As long as the pomegranate isn't going to keep the plant in full darkness, and the root interference isn't going to completely rob it of all resources, I'd think she would eventually overcome the spot. But, get ready, it's going to take a while! You're trying a plant which wants to flower instead of growing and putting her in a very difficult spot. Seriously, you probably want to either have her budded and grow her a while, or take her up to a seven, ten or fifteen gallon size before dumping her into that bush. Not that it's impossible for her to work her way through it, but it is otherwise going to take her a while. How patient are you? Kim

Thank-you Kim. That is very helpful.
I think that it is the genetics of the rose, rather than the situation that prevents it flowering after spring. It makes an enormous amount of growth during the summer in spite of the proximity of the pomegranate. Also Blush Noisette, which is planted just as close, on the other side of the pomegranate, flowers all summer and autumn.
I have a very tiny garden and am very greedy!!! so I know that if I put a lot of plants close to each other, I have to treat them well, if I expect to get good growth and flowering.
I will order one from Beirkreek and follow your advice to grow her on before planting.
Daisy

Thanks, Daisy. What you describe from the other roses does make it seem the issue is with the Malmaison. I'm sorry, I forgot you weren't here in the US. You can only get Annie budded. US customers can only get her own root. Presuming their stock is suitable for Crete, your Annie should take off a bit better than US own root versions. I'd still get her going in a larger can, though. At least then, you won't lose her in the jungle! Thanks. Kim

For cold-zoners who want to try Annie Laurie McDowell, it's best to winterize her in a garage for the 1st year. If you put her into the ground to winterize, it's best to enclose her in a plastic bucket (bottom-cut-off), then fill with dirt to 6". Since she's thornless, there's the risk of vole (field mouse) eating her.

I have a painful prick in my index finger this morning from Golden Celebration - supposedly low-thorn, but it's a dangerous stabber with hooked thorns, which can be broken off and got imbedded. My finger is swollen now. Annie L.D never cause me any pain, I like to run my fingers through her 100% smooth canes. Check out her lavender-pink bloom:

Oh, I'm swooning over that picture. Thank you for posting it, strawberryhill. I hope your finger gets better soon. If not, a doctor's visit may be in order since an embedded thorn can have all sorts of dire consequences.

Ingrid

wonderful photo, strawberryhill. makes me want it all the more. it's going to be awfully hard to disbud until i've got a larger plant. will have to allow a few buds to open every once in a while.

diane

Hi Diane: That photo was taken in cool and wet weather. In hot summer, it's more pink. I'm after Annie L. McDowell's lavender/lilac scent. In my garden Annie leads the Hall of Scent Fame, beating 15 Austins, Comte de Chambord, Paul Neyron, Jacques Cartier, Firefighter, Nahema, Sonia Rykiel, Frederic Mistral ... I have 30+ top-notched scented roses. Last night I sniffed lavender essence oil from a bottle (NOW brand), and had the best sleep. Annie smells heavenly like lavender and lilac.

There are many studies that back up the relaxing benefits of lavender scent. Here's an excerpt from the link below:

"When brain waves were monitored in a lab in a 31-person sleep study in 2005 at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., whiffs of lavender in vials changed the quality of sleep compared to controls... When people sniffed the lavender before bedtime, it increased their amount of deep sleep, or slow-wave sleep, says researcher Namni Goel, now at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia. Subjects who breathed the lavender, administered intermittently for a total of eight minutes at bedtime, reported feeling more vigorous in the morning ..."

Here is a link that might be useful: The Wall Street Journal on

Thanks, Kim, for your comments re planting cypress tree in rose garden...maybe I'll go for Prunus Amanagowa, instead. Thogh this IS a tree,too, it's not a native like a cypress, so would hopefully sort of be "playing with the same deck of cards" as the roses would be...bart

Hi Ingrid: Thank you for your kindness - my swollen finger is better now (I released the pressure by opening it). I should buy a self-surgery kit, rather than poking around with a needle....

Glad to hear it's better. But the "surgery" must have hurt...

Ingrid

Strawberryhill, I had read about lavender and gave my husband some dried lavender pouches to use when he has trouble sleeping.

Fragrance is really important to me for the garden. As I mentioned, I now have 3 ALMs reserved because everyone's raving about the fragrance.

Diane

Hi Diane: Lavender essence oil also helps breathing. When my kid was under 5 years old, she didn't even how to blow her nose, and got stuffed up with a cold. I made her sniff a napkin soaked in lavender oil, and that helped with her breathing. I also mixed in Camphor oil which acts as a decongestant through vapor. Vicks work the same way.

Dang, Diane! I hope her scent is one your sniffer picks up and loves! Kim

Thanks Kim, I hope so too. I was just reading the thread on "wafting" scents and felt sad because we rarely have temperatures warm enough for wafting.

Appreciate that lavender info Strawberryhill.

Diane