I have H flexuosum, your photo makes me want to add another one or two cvs. Anyone have pointers where in the US to accquire a good seed strain or small cheap plants ? (these grow too easily to want to pay premiums for 2 gallon pots)

its most certainly a................................................hollyhock! An original 'English Cottage garden plant' not seen all that often these days, more likely on calendars and chocolate boxes! Gill

Thank you all for the warm welcome! As I am an Amercan in Ireland, so some of my pre-Ireland gardening knowledge doesn't apply. I am learning as I go. For instance, instinct told me to mulch my roses but that is completely unnecesary here. The climate here is mild, however I live on a mountain (this mountain is a hill compared to the appalachians - near I grew up). My property is built on a blanket bog - rich clay that is crazy waterlogged. The roses I have thrive because of the humidity (just enough to keep them happy but not so much as to encourage black spot) and because they receive 10 - 12 hours of sun in summer. In the seven years I've lived here there have been only 2 snowy winters. 2012 has been unusually wet and cloudy. Many desease resistant roses struggled with black spot and rust. However, my smaller roses (Joie De Vivre, Top Marks, and Sweet Magic) were exceptional this year. Most of my roses are in containers. I keep compost worms in the pots and I feed them on a budget - coffee, bananas, etc. I made my first, large, hot compost heap this year. I hope to top dress my roses in spring. I am not a rose snob - I found a generic standard rose on clearance today. The roses were absolutely gorgeous so it came home with me to add to my copper/apricot collection. Oh my goodness - it feels so good to discuss the garden! Thanks, M Ps Mary. Congrats on your Shillalah :-)

Hi, I dont think age is a problem as the oldest bloom isnt necessarily the one affected, but perfect blooms are. I am guessing that it happens when the bloom is about 10/14 days old (but I will start keeping a record of this). I have four varieties of dahlias and the plants themselves are no more than 3/4 seasons old (tubers having been taken from older plants)and all are affected sporadically. It almost happens in front of my eyes. I have a beautiful cream dinner plate dahlia and it is heartbreaking to see one of the flowers end up as a pile of petals on the ground in the space of a few hours. Thanks for you thoughts, much appreciated.