Thanks folks for the kind response to the thread. I write what I feel when I wander in my garden. June is the best month for the garden here, everything is fresh and new. The first flush of the roses and the new life of the perennials. I went out into the yard this morning and took some images to try to give you an idea of what I see. I don't take photos often because I am a bit of a perfectionist and have to be in the mood to work at it. Same with writing and posting. But I am in the mood this morning, so here we go. On with the show, though it is still a dress rehersal. The real show will be in another week to 2 weeks. Definitely a Diva this spring, the Brownell rose "Orange Ruggles" I have two in pots and I just love the form and colour of her blooms, but this spring she is having a blackspot period even though she has been sprayed. Though she is still a great beauty Saint Cecilia, not usually an overly demanding Diva, but this year she had a rust issue and has required constant attention, leaf picking, spraying and fertilizing. She is feeling much better now and deciding to perform. Teasing Georgia, she is an definite ingenue, a happy healthy young girl who just likes to be watched, told she is pretty and admired. No, not really a Diva, just hard working and talented. The Bard, William Shakespeare 2000, he lives in a pot (condo) and is happy to help make certain that there is a splendid play in the garden. He lives next to his friend The Squire and the two of them together often flirt with the Divas who surround them. Now on to the rest of the support cast and stage crew. I shall start with the most beautiful flower of my garden and not a Diva at all. This is my darling wife Margaret, just home from a twelve hour night shift at the local hospital where she is a nurse in the intensive care unit. Next comes "Reilly da Buddah Boy". His role is to patrol the yard, make sure all is well and bring some extra peace and tranquiltiy to the production. Next, a few of the "Spear Carriers" for Laura. Some Lavenders, Spanish Fox Gloves, and a Salvia The tough Warrior Rose, Redoute with a host of spear carriers, Salvia Blue Hill. The demure and innocent "Prairie Harvest" her first two buds of the season just opening this morning The beautiful Diva from Iowa, "Pearlie Mae", ready for a performance at my garden's Grand Ole Opry. Steve, glad to see you posting again, its been awhile. Glad to hear the Compassion I sent you is performing well in your own show. Florence, I have seen many posts of your garden and your Divas in the past. Especially your Zephrine Droughin on the arch, now there is a Diva rose. It seems to me that your garden is rampant, huge climbers, garden passageways, stories within stories and lots of history. I would describe your garden opera from the little I've seen as Wagnerian, grand opera. And you too my dear are a treasured member of the Antique Rose Forum cast, not a Diva, but perhaps the Grand Dame. Kristin, of course your garden symphony will get better each year. Staging a large production takes time, work and practice. I am sure you have a garden production worth seeing after working on it for quite a few years. My current garden is in its tenth year and I have to do all of the things on your lessons learned list as well. Remember your garden is for you. Working in it and on it is the joy. The pleasure is in wandering through it and watching the ever changing show. Some years the performance will be better than others no matter what you do. But the show must go on and the cast will change, as will the set and the performance. Enjoy your garden. Ingrid, I hope that I have managed to give you a visual taste of my garden opera. I described it in an earlier post this year as Upper Canada Semi Formal and this is it. I would love to be able to visit and see your high desert garden as well. One of these years I plan to make a treck back to California for a visit. I visited often when I was young, though that was long before I was a rosarian or gardener. Thank you all for your vicarious visit to my Rideau Valley Rose Garden opera. Now its your turn. I would love to see photos of some of your Divas and cast and of your garden symphony, opera, or production. Cheers, Rick

The "tooth fairy" told me today that she left the tooth in the pocket and took the note, but had to put the 8 quarters under the pillow because Madison rolled ontop of the pocket. Today we were at an indoor craft fair with 600 +/- vendors & saw the little bitty TF pillows, (I guess you hang them on the headboard?) were $10.00. I tried to convice the "TF" that she owed me $10. for my creativity but she wasn't falling for that. One booth had some cute sleep over friend cases that had the Me and My Big Idea Girly Girls painted on them. They were $15.00 each and cute. Susan

My Rebecca this year I was so disappointed as the color was nowhere near the color of the first one I had and lost. That one was planted at the base of a well established climbing rose and had that WOW factor. I don't think I gave it enough water because it didn't come back the following year :(. The new one I planted in another part of the garden must have heard me grumbling as it just thumbed it's nose at me and up and died. I planted a rooted cutting from the Rebecca my daughter bought to see if there is a difference in the flower color, it's still small but growing slowly. Low and behold the one I thought had died is coming back with a vengeance so maybe next year I'll be able to compare the two. This is the same pole I planted Lonicera Kintzley's Ghost. Now if this is really the real Rebecca, might different soil, temperature and location make a difference in the color, the roots were shaded. The first one was in in a hot spot compared to where I planted it's replacement. Annette

I was "so so" about ES Twist and Shout at the nurseries. But when finally got one am amazed by it. Blooms early and then grows fast and reblooms over and over. Astounding performer for us. Compact and those reddish stems are nice contrast. We have 80 kinds of hydranges. H. Twist and Shout won a front door spot. Also H. serrata 'Blue Deckle' is another front door worthy. It looks actually like a serrata macrophylla hybrid.