Thank you, Kitty and Carol, for your encouragement. Nik, I appreciate your observations. Jo, that does look very much like what is happening to my rose. Thank you very much for taking the trouble to get pictures and post. Yes, I hardly pruned it this winter, and I do find that in the few instances where roses produce blind shoots it tends to happen on lightly pruned roses. Without any science to back me up it nevertheless seems to me that not all roses are capable of growing forever unchecked in our winterless climate. A few roses seem to achieve a certain size and just sit there until some pruning is done to encourage them to regrow. I don't know whether it depends on the type of rose, gardening practices or simply on the fact that there is not always room for roots to grow to the same size as the top. I want to add that on blind shoots I have noticed (very easy to spot on HTs) the leaves seemed to look normal to me. Perhaps I have not been looking very closely. I went to Home Depot yesterday and bought a set of cheap pruning tools. I will re-prune the rose, toss the tools just in case and let you know what happens. Masha This post was edited by mashamcl on Fri, Apr 25, 14 at 12:25

It could use more foliage. Not sure if it lost foliage due to inconsistent watering, cold winters, etc. I could not tell if the camellia is a hybrid, sasanqua or japonica from the leaves. Do you know? Does your pot have drainage holes in enough spots to allow for excellent drainage? The pot should have acidic, very well draining soil (not garden soil). The soil should also be kept as evenly moist as you can -not wet but not dry either-. The foliage needs morning sun only if it is a hybrid or japonica, reticulata. Sasanqua leaves can take more sun though. Mulch will minimize soil evaporation, protect from hot/cold extremes and provide some nourishment as the mulch decomposes. Plastic pots may get too hot in the summer and stress roots in contact with the plastic. Avoid weeds and grass in the pot as camellia roots are only about 4" deep, tiny ad fibrous so they compete with grass/weeds roots. Not sure what fertilizing program you are using but a fertilizer for camellias, azaleas and hydrangeas applied per label directions may be fine. Pinching may be useful to make the plant fill up with more foliage once the cause of the original leaf drop has been addressed.

I think that any pruning should be done in the late winter, just before new growth gets started. In reality, fall is probably the worst time to prune. If you prune in the fall, the plant could be pushed into the normal reaction of a plant after pruning.....to GROW new leaves to replace those lost. Pruning is a growth promoting activity, after all. This can be extremely costly for the plant. It will have already begun its winterizing processes of storing energy reserves in the roots and of hardening off the vegetative growth. Plants must be able get themselves ready for winter. Plants have a bank of reserves in the roots. In the spring, those reserves are remetabolized so that the plant can begin to grow. If a plant is forced into growth at the worst time possible (the fall, it loses its winter hardiness as well as having to withdraw the stored energy waaaay too early. The other, more obvious hazard of fall pruning is that you would be removing its winter protection, exposing old wood to freezes and winter winds. This is true anywhere you live. I'd give my eye teeth to limb up that tree for you, shaping it into a work of art. Camellias are quite lovely when pruned in that manner. But it does take some knowledge and experience or it will end up looking like a hatchet job. Lots of that going around.

. Woodpeckers peck for three reasons: To build a home, to attract a mate, and to eat. At this time of year it is not likely they are building a new place; it is a bit late for a brood. They are also not likely trying to attract a mate for the same reason. I will suggest then that perhaps there is something under your siding that is attracting them . . .. some kind of bug etc. Cure that problem and they will go away, at least until another mating season. The squirrels are likely just being opportunists; suggest you get them elsewhere as they can cause ALL kinds of havoc; especially the smaller, red ones if you have them. Try the ammonia; the mothballs are nasty stuff for ALL living things . . . . and if it does work; you'll be living with the smell lots longer than they will .. . I've also heard of pepper spray to repel them . . .. Good luck . . .. Bob