I don't read in the bathroom either, Marygail, but have heard the bathroom called "the reading room" for so long, that was my first thought when I saw it. I had hoped to be able to use it and a lot of my other old things, and I hate that it took so long, but circumstances didn't dictate until now. I haven't lived in a real house in many years. I have often said, I hope I live in a house again before I die.

Thanks so much, jc. I hope your Evelyns continue to grow and bloom and please you in your garden. I have four, three of which are almost 18 years old and one that is almost 10 years old. They are all grafted on Dr Huey. Three came straight from Austin, and one was an Austin purchased locally. Evelyn can be a prima donna at times. One shoots up, no matter how hard I prune her, and has long gangly canes that are a challenge in our wind. None of my plants rebloom as much as I'd like (shade is a problem for three of them). I probably need to up the fertilizer. But E likes her sun and lots of water, too. I've seen the date stamps on my photos from last year, and some were blooming at this time in May. This year they all have quite a way to go. I think it will be early June before the big show begins. But then, we had a freak snow storm just one week ago which caused some damage. Yesterday, it was 85F and we had a BBQ. What a spring. Diane

My roses do not go dormant much in the winter, as we are in such a warm climate. If they go dormant, it is in the heat of summer. However, I have not ever seen red canes on this rose - I just ran out and looked at it to be sure. The new growth and canes are apple green, and the old old canes are sort of grey. Here is an old pic I was trying to find the other day to show the decrepit garage next door ( it still looks just like this), which is the reason I planted roses between it and our back garden. I took this photo out one of our windows, so it is a bit fuzzy. Jackie

laceyvail is correct. The taxonomy of the entire Polygonaceae is a bit of a shape-shifting minefield! It has been in a state of flux for the last 25-30 years and I can't keep up with it. Endlessly confusing. 🥴 Generally, if you go with the genus you are most familiar with re: a specific plant, it is likely that it will at least be an accepted synonym. Case in point......Polygonum persicaria is an accepted synonym of Persicaria maculosa, aka lady's thumb.