Christine, we probably crossed paths -- wasn't it a gorgeous day? So many roses in bloom. I stayed until closing time at 5 and took lots of pictures. If I can figure out how to post them they may end up on the Roses Gallery here. Our Los Angeles Rose Society club met in the classroom, as we do every third Sunday (except July, August & Dec.). Also the San Fernando Rose Society was having the second day of their rose show in the hall. Roses everywhere! I saw that Yellow Lady Banks -- completely covered with blooms and thornless. It gets huge if you let it and doesn't repeat in fall, but I want it anyway! I met a lady in the garden named Amina who is a volunteer at the Huntington Gardens in San Marino, and she told me they have some special program there (ending next Sunday) about roses, focusing on the ones in Empress Josephine's garden at the Malmaison. I may try to go next Saturday.

HIlda: I was very interested in the article on Fertilizer: Organic vs. Inorganic. He says: "Organic fertilizers are not immediately available to plants. Before the plants can use them, they must be broken down by soil microorganisms into simpler, inorganic molecules and ions." This is not a big deal if the soil in your garden is healthy with an active Soil Food Web, but I wonder about my houseplants. I doubt that the soil in the pots has much of a balanced ecosystem, particularly after a long winter of dry air and low light. I'm thinking that it's OK to pot up or topdress with a potting soil containing organic fertilizer but I should supplement with an inorganic fertilizer. All those potting soils called 'natural' and 'organic' may not be best for indoor plants. Claire, just reconsidering

Hi Caperose- Ooooh, your question brings back great memories of our trips. Your choices are overwhelming... Here are some points to ponder. Sorry, if I restate the obvious. Do you want to see formal gardens, cottage gardens, or smaller private gardens, or a mix? Do historic houses w/gardens interest you? You need to decide in order to refine your focus. Enrollment in National Trust, Royal Hort Society, etc. qualifies you for free admission to their properties. Saved us a bundle. Also check out the "Yellow Book" (charitable garden schemes) which specifies dates that private gardens can be visited. All info on net. There is a 1992 book on "rose gardens to visit in England" - probably out of print but available in your state-wide library system. Sorry, forget title and author. The number one mistake US folks make is overbooking too many places to visit and too frequent a lodging change. Too many of us return home exhausted and it doesnt need to be that way. When you evaluate travel miles, 50 country road miles there can take 2 hrs by car, not the 1 hr here. We've had a blast using public transport and an occasional day guide there (for isolated areas) and have found it very rewarding. Another idea: day coach tours run daily from the larger cities and are reasonable. Oh yeah, when I have emailed the rail and coach authorities for clarification, their responses are accurate and timely - love those people - the US transport system could learn from them, they arent perfect but they sure are helpful. Independent travel is very easy if you enjoy research and planning. We did and wow, the small as well as the formal gardens we saw - memories to last a lifetime. Garden tour companies didnt fit our taste as we like to set our own pace. Example, one private garden on an island is open a few weeks a year and we stayed 5 hrs there, some plants bloomed for the first time in 25 years! A tour company moved on after 2.5 hrs and we would have missed the many details that sunny day, including our picnic at water's edge. On the other hand, tour companies take the worry out of planning, etc so many people prefer this type of trip. Again, there is no wrong or right, you just need to know what suits you best. Make sure that you ask for the daily itinerary to check out the time per garden. Some tour companies devote more on meals/giftshop versus the gardens and that works for many people. Tour companies also tend to frequent more populated places and they can be very crowded in summer and holidays. Travel time - make sure that you dont overplan your trip and need to hurry from place to place. A distance of 50 miles there could take you 2 hrs, depending on the roads. Let's hope the exchange rate improves and don't forget Wales and Scotland, lovely gardens there too! English Grammy's Gardengull

Plumeria Girl, the red roses are the ubiquitous Meiland landscape rose La Sevilliana, which is grown everywhere in B. C. in mall plantings, parks and other public spaces. It is one of the most easy care shrub roses there is. It out Knockouts, Knockout for health, colour and rebloom. That particular row of roses is at least 25 years old. It was pruned back by half this spring and given a much of rotted horse manure. The roses have responded superbly. Ingrid, as you know, B. C. and the Okanagan in particular are Canada's vacation mecca. The Okanagan Valley is lakes and beaches from end to end and also fruit and wine country, so it is worth a visit in and of itself. The gardens are just icing on the cake so to speak for people who love gardens and roses. Next event on my list: I am going to be giving a rose propagation workshop on July 7th to help raise awareness of these gardens and the rose collection. Participants will strike three cuttings from roses of their choice each and the Friends of the Gardens will keep one from each participant to grow on and use in enlarging the collection, filling in spaces and curating some of the rare varieties we have in the collection for the future. Cheers, Rick