Jerome, Not to worry. It's just that in our part of the world, summer droughts happen, and the heat that causes rose growth to slow down can start in May and last through August. I see growth in spring and fall, but not the midsummer growth that lots of other (kinder climate) parts of the world have. Do we seal the damaged part? I haven't. But I've been tempted. (I've had lots of damage to watch (BIG lawnmower). When a break has exposed a lower surface, I have rarely had some stem gall happen. It doesn't kill (or gird the way that crown gall does), but given what I've seen (and the propensity of that part of my garden to crown gall), I would first spray the break with the Lysol that kills bacteria and viruses. Then wood glue, after the Lysol dried. I might even do a dusting with Mycorrhizal Fungi (because I have them.) before glueing. The duct tape is too strong and I would expect that a broken cane can last three or four more years and tight duct tape can gird. We aren't the only ones who through time have noticed that young tea roses have a different growth style than older teas. But I'm still looking for a discussion based on the wisdom of two centuries (as well as a name for the younger plants to distinguish them from the older, woodier plants.)

She likes to get out and go places- not senior centers, though. My own Mother took her around to several and they were "full of old people!". She would love nothing more than to go shopping every day, but won't use her wheelchair- insists on walking with her walker. Which would be fine if she could go better than 0.001 inches per minute. So from the front door to Wal-mart and back takes something like two hours for a bottle of shampoo I could have picked up in 15 minutes by myself. I am most decidedly not a shopper as I hate leaving home. I am also restoring a older home by myself and do have other duties around the house so have limited time for this sort of thing as well. I take her where she needs to go but recreational outings are between her and her son (my husband) on weekends. That was the deal when I took this on- I do the caretaking necessary but I am not a paid companion, nor am I the entertainment committee. Her mind is plenty sharp and I do expect her to take some responsibility for finding things to stay interested in. I'm harsh, I know. I watched my Mother throw away her own life in order to take care of other people and I will not do that. There's a limit and this is it. Wow. I got really aggravated there. That alone tells me I need to think about it! Great resource, this venting thing!

Yes, the smell of mildew means there's mildew. This is what I would do, keeping in mind I HATE mildew and wouldn't wear bike shorts with mildew, so would otherwise throw them out. I would soak them in HOT water with OxiClean and a little dab of laundry detergent, for 6 hours or overnight. Rinse and sniff. Everything I soak in this mixture emerges smelling incredibly fresh and clean. Mildew and bacteria cannot survive the alkalinity of the washing soda, the oxidizing of the oxygen bleach, or the enzymes of the detergent. Hot water makes all those cleaners much more active, and is itself inhospitable to the mildew. Hanging them in the sun to dry would also be good, as sunlight kills mildew and bacteria as well.

Jannie, I admire you! Taking care of our husbands should always be number one on our lists. Shortly after my husband retired we started traveling, I enjoyed seeing other parts of the world. Unfortunately after 3 trips overseas my blood pressure spiked to almost stroke territory putting a stop to our travels. Three local internists and two cardiologists were unable to properly diagnose the problem. After about 10 years of blood pressure spiking and stalling out after walking a few feet with no message for feet to move I saw a hypertension specialist at a teaching hospital in a major city and was properly diagnosed. Most doctors are not aware of "hidden-hyperventilation" causing the vital organs to be deprived of oxygen. Not sure how much longer my organs could have lasted on so little oxygen without failing. I enjoy watching TV international house hunting shows. It is one way to see other parts of the world. Being a caregiver for a loved one is very rewarding and at the same time very stressful. I took care of my mother-in-law for 5 years. After doctors gave up on her and expected her to die anytime, she lived for another 4 years. Her doctor told me she was alive due to the good care I gave her. I do not believe on giving up on a person. Our time on earth is not for us to know, only God knows that, and in the meantime we love them, take care of them, treasure them until that day comes. God Bless you!