Zyperiris, I grow about 30 Of the Austin roses over here near Seattle. Mine were going downhill over time until in frustration I build two raised beds elevated 16" and filled them with 3-way garden mix and compost. In the 2 years since they have greatly improved in health and vigor! The only one I Can think of that I got rid of was a pale pink one that grew very tall and always balled from the moisture...will think of the name soon I hope (Geofrey someone?). Oh yes, I put my beloved Abraham Darby in a back corner because he just DID NOT show off well on the arbor down the center of my garden. His foliage was ugly and the flowers never last long then hang like old gray tissue. But when he is gorgeous he is phenomenal, and adore his pink grapefruit scent! At my previous house he climbed up into a flowering crabapple and was a traffic stopper! Jude the Obscure has done fabulous in the raised bed. and his color is much more yellow then when growing in our native soil. William Morris is a MONSTER...He wants to be at least 8' by 8' even when cut back hard! And the flowers do not last at all as cut flowers nor to they have a fragrance...but he sure is pretty when in bloom! Queen of Sweden is coming along now in her 3rd year. Munstead Woods...I Am WILD about the flowers on this one! Its one of my newest. Love Tamora, Sharifa Asma for their fragrances. Lady of Shallot and Lady Emma HAmilton were both pretty this year for first bloom then dropped their leaves and are regrowing them now. THey are both still settling in.So is Claire Austin. Her stems are pretty droopy still, but the white flowers are beautiful. I think in another year or two she will be a favorite. Graham Thomas, Teasing Georgia, And Windrush are other beauties for me. I really love Windrush when she blooms. I got rid of Othello this year...loved the fragrance but they nearly always had Vegetative centers and diseased leaves. I have other older ones I have lost the names to (Probably all pink ones) and especially since moving them wonder what the heck I have! Oh yes, I can comment on James Galway. I put him on a back fence and kind of ignored him and then am struck by the beauty of the roses when they bloom. THey shade from pale on the outside petals to deep rose in the middle...a lovely effect. Ugly leaves though. I do not spray any of my roses unless Hubby hits them with copper spray when he does the peach tree in late winter...didn't happen this year. Some have diseased leaves but are not planted in prominant positions. I visit them, enjoy their flowers and then move on. Benjamon Britton is another one who's flowers light up the landscape, a lovely deep coral raspberry. CHarles Darwin look a bit like yellow kleenex drooping on the branches. NOt sure it will be a keeper for me...maybe one more year to prove its worth.

Sherry, I'm not sure what my pleased rate really will be until maybe next year or later...! Though I must miserly-ly admit that I have my eye on one that's bloomed once and looked a bit toasty the rest of the year while ALL the others have attempted to bloom more and are lovely and green. (*cough* Mortimer Sackler *cough*) Masha, but you can see all those roses, so that is an excuse because it -must- tempt you to add them to your garden! The ones that I really really want are not at Descanso or Huntington (which are kinda-sorta near me). I saw a very sad almost-dead stick of Archduke Charles. It was almost comical because the one I wanted at the top of my list, they denied me seeing in action! "and one must support the nurseries, etc. etc......." Ingrid, hehe. :) I know what you're saying about finding more suitable varieties, though. I feel like I don't really know yet which ones will be winners. This summer (except for this past week) has been unseasonably NOT HOT, so... my roses are doing really well, mostly, but I feel like it's not really a good test. Next summer I bet will have a whole month or two of 100+ temps. rosefolly- I'd love to see more pictures of "whole gardens" with roses of members. :) Renee- you can almost always find a spot for an iris, though, right? and maybe one of them will rot. ;) OK THEN... I appreciate all the thoughtful advice, you guys. I'll get my Bermuda's Kathleen and I'll keep my up and growing pot ghetto with a feeling of slightly less guilt. ;) I actually think my pots look kinda cute. I have alyssum growing around the base of the pots like crazy. They love the little bit of extra water that seeps out of the rose pots.

Estate sales are big business here, it seems. There are companies that run them much of the time. Yes, they happen here when when people die, and also can happen if an estate is being broken up, but usually is due to death. They open up much of the house, and sell pretty much everything in it. You can walk through the house, yard and garage, shopping for almost anything and everything you need, from kitchenware, and dishes to clothing, tools, collectibles, curtains, and furniture. What doesn't sell, the estate sale people take to their stores. Yes, they even have estate sale stores. I like being nosey, though, and going to estate sales in interesting neighborhoods with the cool houses. To get back to cooking, I've found some interesting cookbooks at estate sales, too. I just remembered about one I picked up that had arabic recipes. It was one of those fund raiser cookbooks that churches and civic groups do. This was done by an Arabic church, and has half Arabic recipes and half American recipes. I have yet to cook anything out of it yet, but found it fun to read through. Sally

Bebe.....I was going to apologize for posting a new topic when you already had, and I could have just responded to yours, but I truly didn't see it when I started my latest chapter, now I can see why. We were both typing and posting at almost the same time, and me being so long winded, well I came in last. How funny! I love your C & S, it is so stunning with the black and gold and then the pink roses, I can see why you love them if this is a taste of the rest. My DGS also collected them and I hated dusting them, but the feel of the cups was awesome. Before she died she gave them to us GKids. I have a beautiful soft green and yellow cup that is so delicate you can see through it, I think she called it Irish Linen. It was always my favorite and I was always, but always afraid I was going to drop it or one of the others. Hope your cleaning and organizing went well! I am so OVER organized that I have stacking file holders for all of the seasons and general decorations and I still can't find anything and have to look through all of the books to find what I "fell" like painting. Awhile back I even went to so as to computerize a list in order of "what I want to paint next" OK...you all can stop laughing now! But I have vowed not to purchase a new book until I have all of the current "I would like to paint" done. That one isn't hard as no store around here have books anyway and I hate to buy books online! Took my DD and family to a play last night and it was a HOOT! My DGS had stated several times he didn't like "theater," but was kind of forced to attend, and he was laughing within 5 minutes, which was really nice as it was a comedy. The last two months had really been record setters, so cold and dry in Dec., and now warm and double our rain for Jan. Good ol' El Nino. The BC Olympic ski area's are having to create snow, almost unheard of this time of year. Well, off to do some line work and then hope to post pictures today. Take Care! Belle