In the east I've seen a borer that is under the surface and that makes linear trails that are about a millimeter across. I assume these are very shallow as they don't seem to result (here) in killing off the stem above them -so they aren't in the growth part of the stem and aren't destroying the xylem and phloem. BUT you have twelve months of growth and your stem borers may be more lethal. Either remove them and don't compost them OR use a systemic insecticide.

My neighbourhood was built 1932 to 2009 so houses and gardens are all very different. Many lots are subdivided from larger gardens and our garden is among the largest in the block, a half acre. The property is worth much more than the tiny house and we are regularly harassed by developers. My new next door neighbour to the west is having her yard completely made over by a large crew for the past two weeks. I have no idea what it will be like when they are finished. They don't seem very knowledgeable because they came over to borrow a rope when they were about to take down a large birch and needed it to direct where the tree was to fall. It still fell on the roof of the neighbour to the south. Not much damage but very clumsy by so called professionals. Most neighbours with small gardens have manicured lawns and annuals in tubs and pots and one early apple. One of them has a Tuscany Superb and a Madame Boll. I got my Minette from a lady on the other side of the street, further down. It's gone now with new owners of the house. The lady in the large older garden across the street has a red climber, probably Sympathie, and several very old Lafayette roses (Joseph Guy in Europe). Her garden is somewhat Italianate on two sides with a rectangular ornamental pool, a masonry pergola with honeysuckle underplanted with daylilies. The back garden is wild with tall pines, shrubs and ferns. She gave me lots of plants when I moved in, asparagus, perennial sweet peas (scentless) and ferns. Her next door neighbour has a large garden with lots of lawn with scattered island beds that are a riot of colour. She growns mostly annuals from seed that she collects every year and keeps the seed trays on top of her boiler. Our nearest and dearest neighbours to the south are keen gardeners with a large kitchen garden and a very neat herb garden, soft fruit bushes, lilacs, flower beds. I've forbidden them to ever take down their three tall thujas because I have "borrowed" them as a focal point! Their garden shed is a nice dark brown colour and very close to our garden so my macleayas look very good against it. They gave us a viticella clematis seedling a few years ago. I like many gardens in the neighbourhood because I agree with the poster who appreciates creativity. I am content to be the only rose lady as long as the others have fun in their gardens. Marianne in Sweden PS. I have used garden and yard as synonyms.

I know what you mean! This woman who lives across the street from a beautiful view of the Puget Sound has beautiful roses. However, she doesn't prune them real well. Lots of old dead branches in them. Plus she has cane borers and I would love to tell her about Elmers glue. I did speak to the neighbor once and she told me that the woman is asian..and doesn't speak English real well. I always drive by her house hoping to meet her. But I never see her. I wonder when she works on her garden? Anyway with your neighbors I would go ahead and do what you want to them while they are away. Water them and fertilize and when they start look really great tell them what you did. Maybe you will make a rosarian out of one of them.

Most florist roses are grown in Equador or another country in South America higher up in the Andies near the equator. Because of their location the intense sunlight helps growth while the cool mountain air promotes longer growth allowing the canes to get thicker. Buds mature slower allowing them to get larger. Florist varieties were specially hybridized for these qualities. The same roses grown in our gardens where conditions are quite different will produce smaller flowers on spindly canes and often very different coloring. These plants are watched closely. At the first sign of decreased production, they are removed and replaced with new ones. They are also treated with high doses of fertilizers at optimum times for best growth and blooming, plus pesticides to keep them blemish free. In the dry high elevations, insects and fungus diseases are less of a problem than in our often humid growing conditions.