gawdinfever, my soil tests cost $15 each and about $5 in shipping to the University of Maine soil testing lab. If you do a web search in MO, you'll find where your soil will need to go. If you are close enough you can avoid the shipping cost. When you consider how much money is spent on seed & fertilizer, getting a soil test is smart money.

Thanks to all of you for your very nice comments! Jim, I really hear you. I am not looking forward to the time when even in Southern California we will have no roses at all anymore. I am glad my photos have been giving you some pleasure. Carol, happy Birthday!!! Here is one more picture just for you: Our Lady of Guadalupe bustopher, Christopher Marlowe is a tremendously changeable rose, depending on the season, water, fertilizer etc. I wouldn't say that mine is a particular typical photo of this rose. If you go to HMF I am sure the photos of Christopher Marlowe there will give you a more accurate idea. iris_gal, I am happy that you seem to enjoy my pics! Ingrid, you are so generous with compliments. Thank you very much! I am glad that you liked my photos. Beth, Pretty Jessica is simply a very pretty rose and easy to photograph. Here it rained on the weekend, too, and I cut everything that was blooming for vases indoors. So not much left out there in my yard either. The rose season will come undeniable to an end soon. Christina

Thanks so much everyone, I appreciate the compliments. Kate, when I planted those roses, I wasn't sure where I was going with it either. Pink is definitely the dominate color right now. Beth, hope your Aloha gets lovelier every season. I think there are so many talented people on this forum when it comes to growing beautiful roses, I feel truly humbled by you saying that Jasmine, thanks. All of you have gorgeous roses yourselves and I love seeing your pictures too, so I hope you share many of them during the upcoming season.

Sara Ann the Mme Isaac Perriere is on that I inherited when I bought my house, my guess is that it was planted 20+ years ago, but I relocated it and this is the second spring in its current location. It is obvious that I am going to get a much more profuse bloom this year. Only 2 flushes last year, one in the Spring and a smaller one late summer. The perfume is unbelievable.