I planted so many flowers this year! I still can't believe I bought so many! It started out with the Butterfly bush two years ago. When I saw how many butterflies came I was amazed! So I started to look them up and that was pretty much it for me! I went for a walk to find Milkweed and found cats on it and I was hooked.. So far I planted or purchased Zinnas(which I love now) Daylilies,Lavender,5 Milkweed plants,Columbine,Blanketflower, Sneezeweed, Tickseed, Daisies, Nasturiums,Plantain, Petunias, Phlox- A couple of Dill and Fennel plants, Purple Coneflowers, and two wildflower baskets, they have different types of whatever in them. I got a lot of my seed from Edith from Florida, she owns the Butterfly farm I believe.. I also bought another Butterfly Bush too and planted it on the side of my house, then I built a garden around it~ Yesterday I went back to see what else they had and I picked up Parsley and more Milkweed. I was surprised that they had Dutchmans' Pipe there. It had a big write up on it about the Pipevine Swallowtails laying eggs on it. I didn't think we had them in PA?! I also picked up a ton of Sunflower seeds and they are all growing nicely. So I think I am ready for the butterflies to say the least...I just enjoy them so much that I want them around more. Plus it helps that I love flowers and gardening.. Sorry for the long post~ Aggie

Of those, I grow Saturnia and Purple Beauty -- and both require spraying here. Looking at the bloodlines of the other four you mention, I can see that they likely will also require spraying (strong Pernetiana and Charlotte Armstrong influence in the heritage). It actually looks pretty obvious from where I sit that these are not blackspot resistant roses that would be compatible with an organic/no spray gardening regime. We don't do blackspot here, but most any rose susceptible to our mildew here will also be susceptible to blackspot elsewhere. I can't think of any rose that mildews but does not blackspot, in appropriate geographical locations. For most areas (just not here), blackspot is the more severe affliction. Interestingly, there are a few roses that do get blackspot that do not mildew -- so it seems to be a one-way equation, as far as I can tell. You might want to concentrate on newer roses, if you are committed to the organics/no-spray course of rose growing. The reason is that, in the past, lesser air pollution controls -- the burning of dirtier coal and the spewing out of whatever into the air -- meant that roses received a sizable dose of sulphur (a very effective "organic" fungicide) just by virtue of growing in a populated area. Therefore, the older roses' breeders did not have to care very much about fungi in selecting which roses to introduce. That has all changed in the last twenty or so years. Generally speaking, with respect to "modern roses" only, the newer the rose, the more disease resistant. So, if you are "organic" and you want not to spray anything, even the "organics," then either go with the really old -- those survivors from cemetaries and so forth -- or the really much newer plants. Most anything from mid-century will be a disease problem for you. It wasn't that the breeders then were any less concerned about the health or beauty of their roses -- just that fungus-based disease was not really something they had to worry about. As I sit here, I'm trying to think of any modern rose introduced between say 1940 and 1980 that doesn't require spraying and I'm not coming up with much, which, I guess, is a large part of Vintage's problem. Vintage is however carrying quite a few rare, but newer roses now, including most of those recently imported by Eurodesert from Europe. Maybe you could look through that group. As a side note, the reason I put "organics" in quotes here is because lime sulphur, although officially an organic, is quite a bit more toxic to humans and wildlife than, say, Compass as a fungicide, and must be used more often and in higher doses to control anything. Good luck (although I'm sure that is not what you wanted to hear and sorry to be the bearer of bad news -- please don't shoot), Kathy

Aunt Jen my long lost retro soul sister :) That big chill fridge in your delicious picture is the second half of the first kitchen picture I posted with the lime laminate counters and vintage stove. I love that whole kitchen, it makes me smile :) Powermuffin .. yay, another cool chair aficionado! :) I'm going through a cute chair phase in life it seems, every vintage chair I find IRL .. I day dream new cute fabric on it. :D Still looking for the perfect pair of chairs to bring home to send to the reupholsters.

How beautiful! My anacampseros was about to bloom when I left, and I'm sure I missed it by now. Thank you for sharing yours.