Thanks again all: Boa is doing much better. She is eating like a horse, but still doesn't want to be left alone. I can't believe the difference in her since I stopped the antibiotics. She demands food now, and her catmilk. Her and Bear got into their first fisticuffs in a long time when I was taking too long to get the food in the dish. She got a huge dish of whipped cream yesterday (her favorite) and didn't leave a smidgen in the bowl for Apache to finish. She is back on the tapazole now for the hyperthyroidism and doesn't even know it's in her food. I am breathing a sigh of relief. I know nothing can live forever, but I can hope. Think she will be with us for a while longer. Praise God for answering my prayers. Jenny

If the beneficial insects that feed on thrips and aphids are attracted to certain plants, it makes sense (to me, anyway) to plant those beneficial- insect attractors as some of the companion plants to roses. I tried doing this in Alabama, and it either worked pretty well or I didn't have much of a thrips problem anyway. I don't ever use pesticides in the garden either, as I am aware that there is an entire universe going on at the insect level that I don't see or much understand. I also do believe what Hamp and buford say, that there are some roses that are thrip magnets. It would be fun to make a list of those sometime. So, here are a couple of links that list plants that attract hoverflies, tachnid wasps, ladybugs, lacewings, etc. in case anyone is interested. http://www.dianeseeds.com/flowers/beneficial-insects.html Here is a link that might be useful: plants that attract beneficial insects

Interesting topic. I have had a single lady do entire house by herself. She left b/c it made more $en$e for her to work in a team and I was also growing tired of having her for several hours in my house. The parting was on good terms. Have had teams and the upside is there here and gone in no time, but when teams change b/c somebody gets fired, sick, etc., I always notice things out of place or cleaned unlike I specified. New people in teams = retraining and I really don't like having to be on constant watch to ensure consistency. But overall, I think a team is best, as mine has insurance if something is broken or damaged. Nobody does my laundry, makes my bed or cleans fridge or oven. I hired them to dust all, vacuum, polish furniture, clean windows, fans, cabinets and doors every 15 da. Will give them a little extra if I have visitors, in which case they do make that bed, and whatever extra is caused by the visit. Used Home Advisors to get my latest cleaning service. On an unrelated subject, I once recommended my cleaning service to a neighbor that turned out to be a sleaze ball and they didn't pay the lady for 3 months. I was mortified that I hooked her up with the slimeballs, so I doubt I will recommend anybody to avoid this kinda stuff.

I have 2 x Abraham Derby, 2 x Golden Celebration (unfortunately they both suffer badly from black spot in my garden), 2 x Sharifa Asma, 3 x Desdemona (purchased bare root a few weeks ago and currently in pots waiting for me to dig their permanent homes, 7 x St. Swithun (I bought one as a climber in 2012 and, when I cut it back two years ago I tried my hand at taking cuttings of some of the pruned wood - about 20 cuttings all grew). I gave away most of them but kept 6, which I'm growing as shrubs - so far, so good. I also have more than 100 Queen of Sweden, which I grow as a hedge around the lawn. Fortunately, the Queen of Sweden is very healthy and trouble free for me and I do love her flowers, which also last well as a cut flower and look great when they go in a vase with English lavender. I think that in future I'm going to concentrate more on old Tea Roses as they seem to be much more disease free for me and, thankfully, don't need pruning.