OK you guys, here's another thought. I have 10 of these that I need to do something with, so what do you think about this idea: I have a bed under a large oak. Right now there are 3 encore azaleas (white) and a big stand of daffodils next to the trunk. There are a couple of other things too, but those could be relocated. What about filling that bed with Rozanne? Would it also make a nice foil for dying daffodil foilage (another issue I've been trying to figure out how to resolve). The only thing that worries me is it seems to be pretty dry shade under there. Two of the azaleas are doing fine, but one gets very wilty every few days. I've really had to watch and keep it watered. I'm hoping it's just because they are all young (first year). But they would fill this bed nicely, and probably get just the right amount of light. Not sure how I feel about purple blooms under there, though. Argh! What am I going to do with 10 geraniums!! I really don't have a lot of shade options in this yard...Under the oak is about it. The only other thing I can think of is, I was planning to do a swath of monkey grass around the perimeter of the oak, edging the sidewalk and the driveway in a curve. I probably need to take a picture of this for it to make sense. Anyway, I guess I could use Rozanne there instead. Monkey grass seems better for longer interest, though. Shoot. I've got to figure out what to do with these. They are just gorgeous, and so healthy.

Apologies, Hoov. I'm afraid the word "ivy" is enough to make me flinch. Growing, we thought we had killed the stuff several times. It always came back. At last -- because it really was causing structural problems here, we resorted to a chemical designed specifically for the purpose of killing ivy. (No, I don't like chemicals, but it WAS beginning to rip apart a fairly important and very old retaining wall.) The chemical did the trick. The stuff is gone. And to our very great pleasure, the Baronne Prevost we thought it had finally killed actually came back. We could call her "Lazarus," I guess. ============= We DID place large uprights at intervals along the wall, and nail redwood latticework panels to them. This has modified the effect of the reflected heat, and really helped the things planted there. Jeri

I have H.F. Young and Arabella and think they would look nice together, though they're not planted together in my garden. Arabella is a smaller, more delicate looking bloom with a different growing habit, and the blooms fade to a lighter blue in my garden, though that could be because it gets more sun than my H.F. Young. I think their differences would compliment each other nicely if planted together. I also have Durandii, though it is so new it hasn't bloomed really well for me yet. Here are a couple of pictures of H.F. Young and Arabella in my garden. H.F. Young is planted in a mostly shady area between my garage and house, and Arabella is planted in a north facing bed with some hydrangeas. H.F. Young in 2011 (3 years in the ground). It looks much bluer in person than in this photo: H.F. Young in 2010 (2 years in the ground): Arabella in 2011 (1 year in the ground): Faded Arabella bloom with hydrangea in 2011 (1 year in the ground):

All my roses have to put up with extremely hot dry summer heat in zone 10 in full sun. If fragrance is not a must for you I would suggests Kardinal. The blooms are perfectly shaped, beautiful bright cardinal red, slow to open if used as cut blooms and lasts a long time in the vase while opening slowly. If you like strongly fragrant cut blooms I would recommend Firefighter. The repeats are fast, the thorns are small and blooms held on long stems and open to very double blooms that smell like heaven: If you would like a short dense bush ever-blooming extremely fast repeat even flowering through the winter for me in zone 10, I would recommend the good old Crimson Glory: The flowers of CG blow much faster than Kardinal and Firefighter though. If you like a bright brick red huge blooms opening slowly on the bush you can consider Dolly Parton: