Debbie, did you buy your Florence Bower locally, or mail order? Sherry, I know what you mean about feeling like you were living in the Yearling. I sometimes see deer in my back yard... and turkeys... and rabbits... and racoons, "Oh, My!" Veronica, you are right. I am only about an hour and a half from Angel Gardens. I went there in April for the "Rose Lover's Gathering". It was such a great day. Ruth Knopf and Peggy Martin were there. They both gave wonderful talks, and I won a Peggy Martin Rose in the Raffle. Pam is so much fun to be around, and every place you turn , there are more beautiful roses. I think I've bought about 20 plants from her so far. But the best thing of all is that she suggested I buy this plant she happend to have, and even though it wasnt in bloom, and I had no idea what it was going to look like, I trusted her advice. It's name was Maman Cochet, and when 6 huge blooms opened a week or two later, I actually got "butterflies". It's just so thrilling to have discovered Antique Roses. If I were closer to G'ville, I would join their local HRG, but I joined the National instead. Well, I need to go make some garlic spray. Tamora and Abe Darby have spider mites :>( Cheers everybody! Gracin

How large is your Florence Bowers, humble? Florence blooms on new growth, so if your "landscapers" were cutting off all the new growth, that could explain the lack of bloom. (But, she could also just be a young plant. Mine, the first year or two in the ground, could only manage two flushes a season, barely. Now she blooms more, maybe four flushes per season, at 4 years in the ground-- in bloom right now, as a matter of fact -- and she is becoming a VERY vigorous plant.) So, she is a strong grower and I think probably not likely to be destroyed even by those heathens. I wouldn't even let the likes of those kind of guys on my property, let alone touch my roses...

You are both convincing me! I will write to Becky Hook and see if she and John Hook have it. It IS listed on their on-line catalogue, I think, but only under "Teas" maybe(?) not under climbers(?) In my small way, I have started trying to hoard up a few rare and desirable roses. It sort of began with Kordes "Karlsruhe"; it seems that now ONLY Peter Beales still carries this beautiful climbing rose. I got three plants of this, to be on the safe side,since I tend to not order from them regularly, because to the exchange rate issues (gosh, I hope GB will vote to stay in the UE! "United we stand, divided we fall"...) Another unique beauty is a (noistte? shrub-type rose called "Cornelie" that only Ducher has. It's not listed on HMF. A splendid truly lavender/lilac pink...got a couple of them. This rose seems to take a while to get going, though; I dug one of the new ones up and put in a pot,and the other is going to need watching. But my older plant is settling in pretty well now that I moved it away from the beautiful, if thuggish, General Stefanik. I'm also ordering a second Annie Laurie Mc Dowell from Bierkreek. So maybe FB's PT would be a good addition, if really available.

I ordered ' Florence Bower Pink Tea' during the last month that vintagegardens.com was open. Tea is my favorite class of rose and I sincerely thank whoever saw that this rose was introduced into commerce. I have these pink and pink bland, Teas; Duchess de Brabant Clemintina Carbonieri Mme. Antoine Mari, one of the most elegant of all Tea roses. Mme. Lombard I love this so much I have two of them. Monsieur Tillier (in my garden a coppery pink) Mrs. B.R. Cant Susan Louise Mme. Berkeley (pink with yellow hues) and two China-Teas; Archduke Charles Le Vesuve I mentioned those roses because of how Florence Bowers Pink Tea contrasts with all the rest: She usually shows many pale to medium tropical hues, like a fruit punch made with pink grapefruit juice, with a bit of orange juice running through. It is a real treat to have such a brightly colored Tea rose. F.B.P.T. in my garden appears like a sister to though not as vividly colored as Clemintina Carbonieri, Plus her speed of rebloom is superb as a climber. Praise the Lord for Tea roses! Luxrosa