When I planted Mme Berard I was under the impression that she was a large shrub, not a climber (I know that I read it somewhere, maybe in the ARS Encyclopedia). I can see how she could be a climber, with those long shoots she sends out. I do feel that it will make a good shrub once it has filled out. I may use some poles like Jeri mentioned to try and pull some of the canes toward the back so that the plant is balanced. For anyone who does not have this rose, it is a must have if you like fragrance. This is the spiciest smelling rose in the garden. Puerto Rico is going to get pruned pretty hard next weekend (along with some hts that have already grown to 8-10' since spring pruning). Puerto Rico doesn't grow like the other teas and I don't think it will send out zig zag growth from pruning. We'll see.

Thanks, Oldned, that is what it is! The pics were taken close to a small lake in Nanjing, China by a colleague in January. I stand corrected - it is not in the Southern part but is in the Eastern part of China.

I am happy to report that the sink has been excised from the Corian! It's now on my DR table (which tends to be my overflow project room) and I spent a few hours last Saturday looking through the remnants at nearby stone yards here in southern Maine. Yikes - what a variation in price! In one very close to my home, I saw a remnant of imperial Danby Marble that was beautiful with the sink, as the soft tan in it was picking up the crackle finish in the sink. I made my vanity in the powder room from an antique bureau. I need a top about 23 x 43, and currently have a 3" back splash. That place quoted me $1050.+ :-( Current top, which I'd save and possibly use again someday, if I tire of the sink above. I went to a much smaller two man operation, and while they didn't have a remnant that I liked as well, their price, including templating and install, was approx. $400. :-) I left my name and they saw the faucet handle that I lugged around to hold up to the stone, so they know what I'm looking for. I'll check back with them from time to time to see what else they may have. I also saw this overmount sink in a painted wooden top in the link below, and if I can't find some stone that doesn't break the bank, I may go this route. I could also do some faux marble painting, in either something like the Imperial Danby or what I think the dark green marble is above - Empress Green? I think that a soft white with tan veins, along the line of what I did on this little antique table with gray veins below might be best in my home, though. Here is a link that might be useful: Another possibility - stained or painted wood

And for removal of invasives (which this isn’t), I use large adjustable pliers to pull ones that are smaller. The looser the soil, the larger the plant you can pull. For large ones there a few choices: - Get a weed wrench or similar tool to pull midsized plants. https://www.theuprooter.com/tool-features/weed-wrench-alternative/ - Cut to ground level and then revisit each plant about every other week for a couple of seasons to remove all new sprouts so the roots use up all stored energy. This takes both consistency and persistence because if leaves get a chance to form the plant will start making and storing energy again. - Cut to ground level and then paint the cut with a short lived brush strength herbicide. I use this option along with the first because I live on 200 acres and it is my only hope of decreasing my invasives. I like it as the lesser of two evils because it is very targeted to individual plants, and it uses the least possible amount. I do recheck certain invasives even after this treatment once because sometimes buckthorn repsprouts, but IME recutting will kill it.