Time to get past the colors. In my garden, I first see potential RRD from a distance. Remember how I said in your other post that roses are predictable? They are. If you see a mass of leaves within a huge rose, often it's just a birds nest. But occassionally it's witches broom, which happens when the back up leaf axil buds break, break again, and may break as many as 21 times. So that there's a cluster of new stems emerging from where there should be just one. Colors also draw us, especially when they are unexpected. And this is the hardest thing, because I wasn't used to seeing colors on the bushes...only on the blooms. That very deep reddish purple color comes with some roses.....it's always been there, we just haven't noticed it. But when it comes to Rose Rosette, we HAVE to look past the distant view. In my garden I have come to demand that there are three different symptoms before I say RRD (followed by expletives). Color is just one. And for color, I have asked on here (and will continue to ask) is anyone seeing that color on the same cultivar in my part of the country. Then I look at leaf symmetry, at leaflet symmetry, at the edges of the leaves, at the stipules (I place a lot of emphasis on stipules), on the spaces between leaves (internodal distances), on the buds themselves...some lack the hip part, some have too many rows of sepals and no stigmas...all sorts of things basic to the rose that go wrong. Aggierose, what you're going to have a real problem with is that your leaves are hitting serious summer heat too early. Those roses are putting out what are potentially good leaves (check the leaf edges), but the afternoon heat (I saw Dallas' temps yesterday and that was hot) is going to crisp up some leaves and stunt others. So you're going to get bushes with big healthy leaves from last month and early this month followed by skimpy leaves. (In my garden, the early spring leaves were small, followed by great honking big leaves from April when we had one great slow rainfall with 2" of rain and lots of N thanks to thunder storms, and now we are back to dry.) So we both are going to have to ignore leaf size and get to the up close look for the basics tield to the genetics of the rose. RRD messes up the rose morphology in ways that we can see, but we have to look closely. Sadly, this looking will continue as long as we grow roses. But knowledge means we can continue. We just learn more and share it.

What a GREAT picture! It looks as though that is exactly what he's saying! The look in his eye, posture, everything. I need to save that picture if it's okay with you. It really tickled me. Thanks for posting it! Rose

Just kidding.....it was not my swap package! It was a lovely thank you gift from Maggie! She sent some baking chocolate from TJs and a some treats for Chance, with a nice thank you card! Maggie I am going to try some biscotti this weekend so the chocolate will come in handy for dipping. Thanks you so much for thinking of me!!

sandiefl, yes, yes. I thought it was running up and down the stairs changing beds. But it has left me tired. oh my god, I'm so glad you posted this. I'll be sweating, then not even 3 minutes later, I'm cold. So I have blankets beside me and I'm constantly putting them over me then kickng them off. Did you have radiation? I thought it was the left over affects of the radiation. I'm going to my oncologist and breast surgeon on Aug 2 and 3. They are the best of the best. They are in NYC. I don't mean to say that every doctor in NYC is the best, but, really, these guys are the best. honestly. When I go in August, I will get it out of him. They seem not to want to tell you the symptoms. Did YOU feel that way? For me to tell my hubby "I feel tired", I FEEL TIRED. Remind me to tell you what he says. I'll kick his ass if he doesn't. lol.