The wen cutter or concave cutter is the only really indispensable tool. You can root prune with old scissors or secateurs. Small nail scissors or cheap sewing cotton cutters will do for tip pruning. Whatever you do, invest in the best concave cutter you can afford. Cheap Chinese ones last no time at all. Don't be tempted by stainless steel either. They don't hold their edge as well as proper forged steel ones. Joshua Roth are a good manufacturer and they have a good range here http://www.joshuaroth.com/catalog/page3.html

Heheh! You got it, donnabaskets! I am just the same that way. I can see that Ogden's book would be quite valuable. Many times I have seen people having questions about growing which bulbs in the southland; I guess because of the warm summers involved. That source should be very helpful for your climate. Brent & Becky's often offer advice on the same topic, as does Old House Gardens. I am so glad to learn you have found Rockwell's book. It is rather old-fashioned, but nonetheless informative and surely not at all out of date. He does mention bone meal, but we know about products now that are better and some people after all still use it. I can tell you though, you will spend some time really enjoying that book. It tells you how to start a bulb garden and takes it all over from there. Almost any bulb you can think of gets covered in its cultivation and there is lots more besides! You must let me know how you like it. I ordered a new book for myself, too. It is the one called Daffodils for North American Gardens by Brent Heath of Brent and Becky's. Lots of pictures of lots of daffodils! I read it once, but decided I must have a copy for my library.

If you want bullet-proof disease resistance in a climber, the once-blooming ramblers are the best way to go. No repeat bloomer I have can compete with the number of flowers (and the fragrance!) that I get with Leontine Gervais, or Alberic Barbier, or Paul Transon ... I couldn't possibly forget Arcata Pink Globe (stunning!) ... I could go on and on. There are SOOO many to choose from. Since you want repeat, chemical-free maintenance, and Zone 6 hardiness, your choices diminish considerably. Let me suggest Climbing Pinkie as one alternative. In the garden here, the foliage has above average disease resistance, few thorns, lovely pink flowers in a huge spring flush, with scattered summer bloom and a moderate fall flush. Do not plant Zephirine Drouhin if you have any sort of blackspot pressure. She will be completely naked by July. Peggy Martin is another rose that I really like. My PM is 4 years old and I get a huge spring flush and, in the last two years, scattered flowers throughout most of the year. The foliage is very disease resistant. Peggy Martin and Climbing Pinkie want to make mounds, so growing them on a stone wall may be perfect. A more mannerly, stiff climber that hasn't been mentioned here, that may do well without fungicide, is Compassion. It was a star in my fall garden, with huge clusters of flowers and healthy, dark green leaves. I'm on the colder end of Zone 7a, and Compassion does well for me ... so does Parade, for that matter. One more suggestion that just came to mind is White Cap. Good disease resistance, beautiful white flowers, sweet scent, and not too rampant in its habit. It's a great rose. HTH, Connie

"if I could pick one, I wouldn't have so many"--great line, Rosie!! My garden is so new, I'm hardly qualified to participate, but for now, the one that makes me smile the most is Deep Blue Sea. Love those corrugated and cupped leaves!! Karen