Thank you, thank you -- all of you. I am going to try to post some pics I took today. I am hoping they will be more revealing. Sorry that last one is so blurry. Berndoodles, thanks for the pics of leaf hopper damage. I think I certainly have that, don't you (referring to the pic with the lovely bugs)? I also found some webbing, so I think maybe I have spider mites. Oh, joy! And I also think I have powdery mildew. I would love anyone's advice. I sure wish I had a flatbed scanner. My daughter has one, but she is out of town. And I wouldn't mind if we had a Bug Man out here in Colorado. However, I took samples to my local nursery and the very nice rose lady there confirmed that I have several separate problems. She thought that the drooping rosebuds were caused by thrips and told me to go home and cut all of those drooping buds off and dispose of them. She thought I had powdery mildew, too, and also spider mites. She advised that I use Bayer All-in-One spray, so I bought that, but after reading the instructions, I decided to try Neem Oil because the instructions said not to use when bees are active, and they are very active on Ballerina, at least during the day, but maybe I could use it at night. I sprayed yesterday very thoroughly with Neem oil and will repeat in 7 days. However, since my roses are so badly infected, and with multiple buggies or whatever, maybe I will have to go toxic. Another problem with me using a toxic spray is I have large pots of herbs close to Ballerina, in fact right beside it. I think I could cover the pots with black trash bags or something. But I also have black raspberries whose vines are kind of intermingled with one of my New Dawn climbers. I'm not sure if I can cover all of them enough. Maybe if I used a hand sprayer rather than a hose-end sprayer it would be easier. So what do you think? Thanks again. Marlene

I love fuschias too, but I've only had them in hanging baskets? Do you guys have them in the ground? Any pictures you can share? If you ever get to San Diego county stop into Weidner's gardens. That's my go to for fuschias. I've never seen so many varieties in one place and I want them all! They grow everything they sell and are known for their fuschias, begonias, hanging baskets and dig your own events. They close in Sept and reopen for another planting season in Nov. www.weidners.com and here's a link to a slide show of the nursery. Can't help smile when walking under all those colorful hanging baskets! http://www.weidners.com/Tour_Weidners

Jim, I have had success using Imidacloprid in a systemic insectcide produced by Gordon's called ImidiPro. It is used as a soil drench and as a foiler application with local systemic penetration. It can take a few weeks to start working. Also, I have use Abamactin in a miticide/Insecticide produced by Syngenta called Avid 0.15EC. Avid also works on the dreaded Pacific Bamboo mite and not to mention spider mites. I obtain both products mailorder from Florida from Sunshine Gardens, George and Hope Lewis, email hope at hglumis@comcast.net. They are a lovely older couple that are quite knowledgeable. These products are expensive, but a little goes a long way and Sunshine sells them about as reasonable as it gets. Hope this helps. -Steve

The bleeding is normal, the wound should scab over in a couple days. Not sure why you need a trellis when you have a chain link fence that would be plenty strong right behind the plant. Clear maybe a foot or two of the morning glory and Virginia creeper and get the main trunk to the top, then train a couple laterals left and right. In the future you will need to leave some of the green shoots to harden off and be your fruiting wood next year. Bklyn citrus is right on most of his suggestions, (all my posts are sunk in the ground without concrete). A full crop of grapes are very heavy. This time of year I'm scouting for broken posts and wire. Each plant can give 20-50 pounds of grapes, depending on variety. From the pictures of the wood the plant appears only 4-5 years old. Unless it started back over from the ground.