I have grown RR. RR, you either love it or you hate it. In CA, it grew like a weed, had the ugliest foliage this side of Chrysler Imperial. The flowers are large, very fragrant, make excellent cut flowers if you like the color of dried blood. BS I don't know about, but it did mildew badly--did I mention the awful foliage? Vigorous, kept trying to grow back after I shovel pruned.

Months ago I put a bar of Irish Spring soap next to Gruss an Teplitz rose. Deer came and ate 3/4 of Gruss. Plus our spring rain made a soapy mess. Deer are frightened by objects hanging rather than the smell of soap. My hanging white plastic bags from trees and putting strings across to block them work 100%. Floridarose reported a guy hanging CD's discs from a tree and successfully kept deer away. The year that I hung CD's discs on my cherry tree was the year that I kept birds away so I can make cherry pies. There was a previous thread on keeping deer away from roses. Both studies, Illinois Walnut Council and Connecticut Agriculture concluded that fence works best, second is stinky egg-wash, which can lasts up to 3 weeks if no rain. Mint repels deer well, is used in a few commercial deer-repellants. My Mom surrounded her 5 acres land in Michigan with a border of mint, garlic, and pink yarrow ... we never see any deer for the decades living there. I found this clever info. on using mint to fertilize roses and keep deer away, see link below, written by Ita West: "At the end of that first growing season we moved some roots of mint into the bed with the roses. The thinking there was that mint brings a substantial amount of minerals and other nutrients from the sub soil to the top soil because of the itâÂÂs deep roots. During the year as the mint grew to around a foot tall weâÂÂd cut it back and mulch around the roses with the cut mint. WeâÂÂre still doing that now, so the roses get fed and weâÂÂve got lots of mint for tea. The routine now is that during the year when the roses are in flower theyâÂÂre constantly mulched and fed with cut mint, in the winter theyâÂÂre pruned hard back and mulched with layers of hay." *** I think it's clever to use plants like mint to fertilize roses, plus to keep deer away. Nutritional analysis of mint: 9% vitamin A, 2% vitamin C, 2% calcium, 7% iron, and 6% manganese ... the last 2 are much needed in alkaline soil to fix chlorosis. Here is a link that might be useful: Growing roses without manure This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Thu, Jul 25, 13 at 9:17

my favorite of these pics are ALL of them, too. I love every one of them.You always have such gorgeous pics to see, iz look forward to all of your pics.That said, Now let me comment further on these beuties.Quietness is a beauty.i almost got that one years ago but, seen otherts i wanted too snd never did get this rose. The foxgloves are really pretty, too.thats one I have never tried to grow, now i wonder why not.now, I DO have Distant drums and love it.your LARISSA rose is a very pretty one too,I have never heard of it befor. POPe JOHN is a pretty white one. I love your landscape pictures.wE dont get a lot of snow here but its bad for ice storms here.We will very seldom miss a winter with no ICE STORMs HERE. One year. w,e had 2 bad ice storms 2 weeks apart in December.I was lucky that year and didnt lose power while others lost theres for weeks.. I love looking at pictures of snow, but dont wanr to live in it.I lived in it in ILLINOIS , where i was born and raised and said when I was grown I am moving out of it, and I did and havn't been back but once since then.Thank you for posting all these great p.ictures and pictures of the cats too. Jean

Ravishing of course ! I'm on your tail Diane, going through the Roses Forum posts , drinking my tea in bed. i couldn't resist the topic but should rest my eyes in awhile. My squat little RR after I trimmed it down for Winter is nestled into leaves. It's the first year I have tried a leaf blanket instead of just hilling the roses with extra dirt. I hope it won't create a big soggy mess in Spring. i thought the leaves could then be worked into the dirt for added nourishment. It may start forest of ginkgo trees. My RR got some yucky leaves in Fall; after the worst leaves were plucked, and a few milk showers, it has perfect leaves again. I'm learning what these roses like. For anyone considering Rouge Royale, you won't believe your eyes, the bloom is outrageous . I totally agree with you Diane for a vase rose it's hard to beat even by any Austin. My RR baby came from Northland Rosarium - I love their nursery.