I guess it's phlegmatic beacuse Devon isn't around. He certainly spices things up. I'm usually on the forums at 6 AM when I'm not so bright and witty. A beautiful fall bloom is starting in my garden. I tried to time it by pruning for around Oct. 21st because rose dignitaries were coming but a week of rain fixed that. Fall is a wonderful time for people who cherish individual blooms. I prefer the big picture but at this tiime I'm forced to appreciate individual roses. I mostly ignore all holidays.

The northern people haven't got cabin fever and mail order catalog fever yet, or maybe they're all on youtube. Or the presidential "debates" made everyone go to sleep. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I'm still cleaning up from the windstorm, parts of the garden had a lot of damage. 'Old Port' finally has 2 new basals though, that was cause for celebration. Now I must make sure the rabbits don't eat them.

I have never been on during the Winter so I didn't know if zone 6ers and below don't post. We are expecting a 2nd light frost tonight so I guess it is officially over.

Pam, would you mind sending me an e-mail? I had a rose question. Thanks.

Roses are gone for the year. Now the part I dread; the fall clean-up...raking the leaves; digging the dahlias; cutting down the perennials. I miss summer already. I still want to plant more roses! I despise winter.

Hoovb ~ How do you like Old Port? It seems very interesting to me. Pictures?

I've been busy! Listed and sold my daughter's little girl bedroom set on Craigslist, and have been refinishing her new one. Whew! She no longer wanted the white French Provincial look, now it's black - distressed wood with graphic Ikea accessories.
Craigslist is super cool!

I'm with you Terryjean. Not a big-fan of winter. I have three massive big-leaf Maples dropping tons of leaves. Fall clean-up is a huge undertaking here. The only roses left that are blooming for me are Awakening, Marie Pavie and Ebb Tide. (PS Awakening lasts super long in a vase too.)

Pete--I hope it's not whale oil. 19th century nearly hunted them into extinction for their oil.

For the moment, I think the lull is a combination of Halloween activities with the kids and waiting for the nurseries to announce their spring rose lists. But some of us check in daily anyway--right?

Kate

"phlegmatic"
Gee do you have to use such big words? I had to look that one up.... LOL
Wow it seems just like yesterday I was putting fertilizer down to encourage growth and blooms in the spring......time just flys by, seriously.

Pete, what are you bored sitting around reading the dictionary?
Nancy

I actually have more time to sit at the 'puter in the winter and think hard about next spring. The forums are the best to read and visit with like-minded people but maybe it is just northern climate 'joes' like myself who have cabin fever? Nothing like snow to keep a person in the house and while away the time speculating and doing ordering for the longed-for warm weather? Susz

'Old Port' seems like it is going to be good--eventually. It's been incredibly slow to get going. I got it September of 2006 and it is still less than 1' tall. Hopefully those basals it has will amount to something.

Susz, it's not snowing yet, is it?

Pete--I was thinking the same thing---I'll be back after I get the dictionary out---LOL

I'm busy recuperating--Can't sit at the computer for long periods.

But I still like to look at all the pictures.

Florence

Much of the recent phlegm could possibly be a direct result of the fact that rose-growing issues have often, of late, taken a backseat to doggerel masquerading as poetry, attempts to incite forum contributors to impugn one another & other similar inanities. The less of all that, the better.

Wish we could have a wide open discussion forum where we could discuss with decorum interesting topics.

jaxondel - can you repeat that again, but in simple English?:)

For me, this Spring time is a huge disappointment: buds keep rotting, and thrips problem. I couldn't take any quality pictures to show to you guys.

I have also fallen behind with my studies. Exams are coming soon. You guys wouldn't be hearing from me probably next year.

Good luck guys and all the best. :)

I second Hoovb about Old Port being very slow; I got mine also last September.
Gail, at least you have new basals...

I agree with susz. I actually get to spend more time on line in the winter. And I really look forward to seeing all the rose pictures from everyone in the warm climates during the winter. Right now I'm waiting for a good hard frost to put my roses to bed for the winter. They're starting to look tired and I know I'm tired.

When we have winter (last year it never came) January and February are hard, and March is actually the ugliest month of the year in the garden even though things are happening by then. The worst thing for me is that I suffer from seasonal depression and just want to go into hibernation when the days are short. If winter comes I'm going to be reading and may resume my study of French. If we have a non-winter again this year I'll be outside pruning the roses and cleaning up the shade garden, both of which are a lot of fun.

Melissa

Sometimes the board is phlegmatic. Other times it's choleric, melancholic, or sanguine. (That's a riddle of sorts.)

And I'm sending a glittery animated greeting to jaxondel!

Well, michaelg, you named the 4 humors, but I'm missing the sorta riddle.

Back to work--I'll check later to see if this gets unriddled.

Kate

Pete has actually flattered everybody with his use of old meaning of phlegmatic, not the modern perversity associated with sputum ...

taken verbatim from the Seer contributor from Cannery Row (also known as Wikepedia) ... do love the oxymoron of "relationship-oriented introvert", one of my sons is like that ... dad's just a hermit.

"When the concept of the temperaments was on the wane, many critics dropped the phlegmatic, or defined it purely negatively as the absence of temperament. This, however, made it available for the German philosopher Immanuel Kant to reclaim as the temperament appropriate to freedom and virtue. In the Five Temperaments theory, the classical Phlegmatic temperament is in fact deemed to be a neutral temperament, whereas the "relationship-oriented introvert" position traditionally held by the Phlegmatic is declared to be a new "fifth temperament."

Well it will be very sad to not have you back next year jumbojimmy, but your studies do come first. Good luck to you. I find that it is very hard to set priorities right when growing roses, I have a stack of books that I have been wanting to read for the longest time, just haven't had the time, roses came first.

There's some action here and there, couldn't call the climate change thread "phlegmatic". Fewer new posts because of the cold weather, I guess. I'm busy getting ready for new roses arriving next wk, digging holes, still working on trellis placement, etc. Autumn is a busy time of year. I have some bulbs coming and some brug cuttings, and I just got some clematis- they all need to be potted up... so much to do! Brandy

No snow in South-west Ontario yet. But fall is all the way here and soon all the garden will go dormant. I just have less to do when the garden goes to sleep and I can putter about without having 'being productive' anxiety. 'Phlegmatic' is a word I always associate with a mind picture of a world-weary individual with a jaundiced opinion of the world around them. Sort of a droll realistic view of the world. I suspect in North America we are changing our mental gears for a new season and its challenges. Susz