I'm thinking this is either cocchineal scale (an insect) or Phyllosticta (a fungus), although it could also be cultural. Here is a link to information on problems with cacti and succulents from the University of Arizona in Tucson. There are great photos and descriptions that should help you determine the problem. Here is a link that might be useful: Problems and Pests of Agave, Aloe, Cactus and Yucca

They look modern to me, too. And they look like they are doing quite well! How great that your place came with roses. Mine only came with one, unkempt Mr. Lincoln which will forever be 10 feet tall! Kim covered so much of the initial care that I'm not sure what to add. We do have a couple of kinds of cane borers in this area, so I seal most of my cuts (I just can't handle sealing the numerous, out-of-reach cuts on big climbers and ramblers) with Elmer's Glue All. If it rains soon after pruning, and the cuts haven't had a chance to harden below the dried glue, I reseal the ends. It doesn't take much glue. Just enough to put a lid on the open end. If you decide that you want to add some antique roses around your antique home, there are a number of places to snag some, including Heirloom Roses in St. Paul, OR and Joy Creek out in Scappoose. (Have you been to Joy Creek? Great clematis!) If you ask, I'm sure all of us Antique Rose Forum members will chime in at once with favorites and recommendations! A few easy to grow beauties that come to mind are Jacques Cartier, Perle d'Or, Rose de Rescht, Blush Noisette, Buff Beauty, Penelope, Reine des Violettes, Salet, Blanc Double de Corbert and Marie Pavie. Please DO keep us updated. I am so excited about your new home and garden! :-) Carol

Gabby, I can't disagree with you, but that has been a chronic problem with this plant. I have done the soaking in a tub of water. It perks up a little, but quickly looks dry again. After doing this for a couple of months, that's when I decided it must be the roots. Maybe I should have just whacked it back and not repotted. I didn't take pictures of the roots, but I thought they looked "just ok." Not great, but not bad. Since my summers are hard on most of my plants, I wonder if bringing the TCs indoors during the hot, wet and humid time would be better for them? Well, I am considering a hard whack. I don't know what else to do. Just to emphasize the branches falling off, this one is from a healthy plant that had gotten too heavy. (It rooted just fine, too. I made smaller cuttings to root.) Now look at this guy - This peach plant has the hard, woody stems, but the leaves are not yellow/brown like in the dry/sick plant. Maybe I should try soaking again to get the bark based media hydrated. Or maybe soaking is what started the whole problem? Thanks, Gabby

"Special attention" is a pretty subjective term. For instance, full repots that include bare-rooting, root pruning, and a complete change of soil on a regular basis is not "special attention" to me. It's simply a regular part of the program by which I'm able to keep perennials alive (trees are perennials, too) and in a high state of vitality indefinitely. Most growers are not even aware that this is the only way to avoid a steady decline and eventual death of the plant due to the effects of root congestion. This is definitely a cultural consideration that can cause problems that lead to the plant's demise. When it comes to container media, your focus would best be directed to your medium's structure, not it's ability to feed the plant. Trying to build media that are able to feed the plant is fraught with tribulation, because the hydrocarbon chains that organic materials are made of must be broken down to reduce then into elemental or otherwise usable (to the plant) forms. This destroys the soil's ability to hold a favorable ratio of air:water, which results in poor root function/health. Much wiser for the grower to work at ensuring the soil is able to retain its structure for the expected interval between repots, and shoulder the entire burden of providing nutrition. If you aren't fertilizing, you're overlooking a responsibility that belongs to all container gardeners. Lacking adequate nutrition, plants 'steal' any mobile nutrients from other plant parts and use those nutrients to fuel new growth while shedding old growth. This is not a sustainable arrangement and always ends in death of the organism unless the trend is reversed. No organism can use more energy than it can produce for long. You might find information that provides additional insight if you follow the link. Plants require conditions they can tolerate. If they can't, it leads to stress. Stress turns to strain, and the inability to make more food than it is converting to energy and using. This means the plant cannot grow. Growth isn't measured by how many new leaves a plant might produce, it's measured by the increase in dry mass; so, a plant that is putting on new growth while shedding old parts isn't necessarily growing, and plants that aren't growing are dying. I guess the main point I would make is, there's a lot more to growing things efficaciously than bringing them home from the store and watering them when they need it or we get around to it. I look at it from a scientific perspective, and I shun trial and error. Knowledge about soils and how plants work (physiologically) is the propellant by which you can most rapidly advance. Trial and error, essentially stumbling around in the dark is more a tether to bad habits than a method of learning. That's just one person's POV. YMMV Al