I can hear that you're very frustrated, but I don't understand why you want to take such drastic measures, lol. Though, I have thought about scrapping the whole thing from time to time. I'm a first time gardener. I have to tell you that we had snow on May first, lol, so it sounds like we have similar areas. If your squash are otherwise healthy, you shouldn't get flowers until now anyway. Spray the evil bugs off with your garden hose and then give em a real good spray with soapy water. I was a little freaked out over a few different kinds of good bugs in my garden (ex: pill bugs eat compost). Are your cucumbers small because they've just formed? Or do they need to be pollinated? If they're healthy, they'll just keep producing more cukes until a few get pollinated correctly and one grows to full ripeness. If you planted in mid-May, most tomato varieties won't be ready to produce yet, lol. I have two romas that are two feet tall. Every other plant is four feet tall or taller, but those romas I started a bit later (mid-May, btw) and haven't started their real growth yet. One of them has decided to keep up with the Joneses and is trying to produce, and that has it's own set of issues. Overall, if your leaves are green, you're doing just fine. Toss a bit of compost on those squash and get rid of those bugs. One word of caution is, if those little bugs you found are squash bugs, I understand they'll saw right through your stems, so you should take immediate, decisive action. It doesn't sound like them from your description. IMHO: you're doing just fine, you're entering the home stretch, don't give up just yet. Grace, Carolyn P.

I don't blame you for having those thoughts, Rosefolly. I've grown Snowbird for thirty years, not simply because I like it and it's a wonderful, old-fashioned looking rose here, but R. Marion Hatton, who created it, was excellent in his duties for the ARS for many years and was highly respected and loved by those who knew him. Enjoying Snowbird in my garden is my way of honoring him for the kind of man he was and providing him my small measure of immortality. I grew Dainty Bess for years, both because I liked the rose, but also because it was Archer's tribute to the woman he loved and eventually married. I grow Leonie Lamesch because I find her beautiful. Now, after this adventure, she is even more important to me. Peter Lambert, who created both Leonie and Eugenie, was the force behind the creation of Sangerhausen and accomplished many rose-related good works. The year after he introduced Leonie and Eugenie, he married Leonie Lamesch, so that rose has taken on greater value in my mind. I maintain several Jack Harkness roses for many of the same reasons. I respected him for his creativity, writing and for the well loved gentleman all who knew him proclaimed him to be. The same for Edward LeGrice. There are many others, including Ralph Moore, for whom I grow roses for the same reasons. So, yes, the "romantic streak" is strongly at work here, too. Kim

Because you askesd for continual bloom, one rose class that bears medium- to -large flowers, blooms more often than all other rose classes: The Tea class. Tea is an Old Garden Rose class, not to be confused with Hybrid Tea. Tea rosebushes produce blooms over the entire leaf canopy, and bloom on average 25% more often than H.T.s. in a Mediterranean climate. Tea rosebushes thrive in warm climates and most are not cold hardy below zone 7, so you're in luck if you fall in love with the Old Garden Rose class, of Tea, as I have. I suggest after you choose a few roses for beauty, post here and ask about how healthy they'd be in your part of Missouri. I've listed roses that are presently available. from rosesunlimitedownroot.com 'Adam' a beautiful Old Garden Tea of lovely pink and peach hues. I love the nuanced hues of 'Adam' and its' scent. 'Climbing 'Lady Hillingdon', its' creamy- peach and apricot hues are lovely against dark green leaves. climbing Polyantha: cl. Pinkie' is said to be a favorite in the South. It has earned the Earthkind designation in Texas for its' good health. Hybrid Musk 'Renae' a very special rose, pink with lilac hues, and magnificent foliage. Scent is sweet and carries on the air in the right conditions. These own root roses are available from Ashdownroses.com I've grown the last 3, and love them all. 'Mme. Alfred Carriere' an Old Garden Tea-Noisette, very lovely white roses with a heart of pink to peach, one of my very favorite roses. 'Reve d'Or' honey and orange blended in one hue. Large rounded blossoms, ours is now starting to bloom, c. 1 month before most H.T.s begin blooming. ---- on rootstock from hortico.com 'Alister Stella Gray' Noisette. a marvelous rose with small pom-pom shaped, yolk-yellow roses. Our neighbor chose this rose, alone, to be her wedding day hair adornment. Best wishes for your having thousands of beautiful roses, Luxrosa.

Oh My Goodness, this board moves Fast! LOL I was busy all yesterday tending to the untended areas of the garden so my apologies for not getting here sooner. This board, all of you who've responded.....I've gained more information from your responses than I have doing research on the web! Maybe I'm not putting in the correct search terms but you all have provided me so much more information....THANK YOU! I can't get a close-up picture of the white Iceberg roses beccause the Arbor has exploded in new vines and leaves ... no buds yet. But I did take a comparison pic yesterday of the Pink Iceberg next to a couple Jasmine flowers....maybe that will help? I've also taken pics of the main trunk of the Iceberg as it is today...and my neighbor has assured me the cuttings I took from her rose is "Iceberg Climber"....and indeed, what I got was a wonderful, fast growing, almost disease-free WHITE Iceberg Climbing Vine. I've almost talked myself into pulling out the propagated pieces of the PINK Iceberg from the huge planter and getting them settled in another planter, not as large. Something about the Joseph's Coat with little white roses as fill-in was in my mind's eye against the backdrop of a large TerraCotta Umbrella and white patio furniture. Ah well....the best laid plans and all that. :) I am hoping it's not the wrong time to pull out the PINK Iceberg and transplant it in another planter? Thank you so very much for the compliments on my Arbor. She's one of my favorites and I tend to her daily 10 months out of the year. Those other two months I give her a break and let her go wild. She gets it out of her system and then she's ready to be trimmed so she can produce a beautiful focal point for me. Yes, I'm obsessed and a few friends and family members think I've gone over the deep end when it comes to my gardens. :) Here's the Arbor as it was early today: Here is her main stock.After she had been hardened off, I planted her here, next to the base of the arbor. Other pics for comparison start on Page 3 of my Album. Again, thank you all so so sooo much!!!! Here is a link that might be useful: Page 3 starts Pics of JC and Iceberg