I was just wondering about this one myself. Thanks for posting, Aprille. Spring is filling up fast, with the HRF conference the weekend of April 17-20 and the Sacramento Cemetery Open Garden on April 12 and the SF Garden Show on the weekend of March 15. But I'm with Alanna. Dirt Day is one of the highlights of my spring and fall calendar. I like the work and I like the company and I like the revelry. Rosefolly

Our collection is roses from all over Northern California, found in areas of great neglect in old cemeteries and homesteads. They are survivors. The ones that tend to be weak and need coddling aren't here *** Anita -- I'm not blessed with the warm dry climate y'all have in Sacramento (and today I am gratified that after the heatwave, we've dropped to 68 deg.) EVEN SO, I've come to use that sort of triage as my criteria for selecting roses. I prefer to grow a found clone of a rose whenever possible. And if a plant spends a few years here, and is inappropriately subject to disease, or is unwilling to grow vigorously, I don't keep it. I'd rather have fewer roses, and fewer roses to water, with the "keepers" allowed to grow to their natural size, than struggle with plants that don't want to be here. (A few large rose plants will give you as much bloom as many pruned-small ones.) Jeri

When I discovered Vintage it felt like opening the door to Aladin's cave. A year later the door slammed shut or so I then thought. But the Vintage garden itself survives and its many cultivars have been preserved and passed on to others and maybe, in time, it will be possible for other nurseries to propagate and pass on the unique varieties at Vintage. In our time on earth we do our work and then pass the torch and so it is with Greg and Gita (who BTW were a joy to deal with). Thank you so much and yes I do very much like Cymbeline, one of your favorites, even though as a baby it has hardly begun to"strut its stuff". Cath

I've never ordered from them, but I've ordered checks from several other online suppliers. All of them seem to offer special discounts for first-time buyers, which is why I've jumped around. All of them have a huge selection of checks, including lots of animals. My current checks are "Paisley" from the Styles Check Company, and I'm very happy with them. Susan