Thank you everyone. Rosemi, I think I will use it as mulch for now, as it is just taking up space and it's just too hot for planting roses right now. I mean WAY too hot. Maybe I'll save a little for a rose hole that likes acid. We are accustomed to dry heat, but we had a week of high humidity with high temperatures. I don't know how people tolerate that! Sweat and shower, sweat and shower, I feel so gross! Then one day my phone kept going off with alerts about flash floods and thunderstorms. I dragged every potted plant out into the open and every houseplant outside, with a swollen and sore arm. Not a drop of rain fell! I mad a big mess and effort for nothing. Ok, done with that little rant, but really I don't know how some of you live with that humidity. Sebastian is still doing the same. I'm sick with worry over my baby. He's been with me almost 10 years now. His blood tests did come out perfectly fine, so it's puzzling. He is a very sensitive guy, and often shows signs of distress when I'm unwell, or if he is jealous about his momma loving another kitty. We do have both of those situations going on here at the same time. We will soon find out. Thanks for all your kind words. Lisa

Beautiful picture, Sarah Ann! Your photo reminded me of another rose with big beautiful blooms, (maybe it’s already been mentioned). What about “Chartreuse de Parme”? Mine is still young, and I can’t locate any pictures of her first blooms, but they were impressive already. She reportedly has very large blooms, is very fragrant, and her color is somewhat similar to Yves Piaget(mauve/pink). Hopefully, mine will really take off soon, since I planted it into the ground over the winter. I left for my mom’s house right after I posted my comment/question asking if there was a time release granular fertilizer that is soluble, and I couldn’t get the thought out of my head, that perhaps that’s an oxymoron. I know so little about container fertilizer(or fertilizers in general) that it may have been a foolish question:) I just know myself. I can’t see spraying fertilizer on the leaves regularly, and even mixing and watering it in every week or two isn’t going to happen on a regular basis. When I’m unwell, just watering my pots is enough of a struggle. I tend to have more problems with my MS during the summer heat, so I just know I won’t keep up with weekly fertilizing. I think your suggestion of asking on the container gardening forum is a good one, Carol. I should ask there, and explain what exactly I’m looking for. Thank you:) Peter, we know exactly what you mean by “guano”. In this case we would call it “manure”. :) Check out “Chartreuse de Parme”, by Delbard. I think you’ll like it, and it’s very highly rated in all categories. Lisa

I wouldn't use a pesticide, as bart says, it will kill your beneficial predators as well as the pests. Are your roses indoor or outdoor? Outdoors, unless there is extremely prolonged dry weather, spidermites tend to be a transient problem in a healthy garden. They are more of an issue in glass houses, but again the answer is more lacewing larvae and more water rather than pesticides. Incidentally, lacewings are a marker species for a healthy ecosystem so do be pleased to see them! The adults are pretty but non predatory, the larvae are somtimes called antlions and are less pretty, but very efficient predators of mites and aphids and even some caterpillars.

Diane, your F-I-L's place sounds just my sort of garden. And how great to have been sent boxes of avocadoes! I have a lemon tree in the ground, and one in a pot. But they both have leaf miner, which I'm treating so far with neem oil, and the one in the ground had gall wasp (I think) as well. Something that made it weep, and die back. I cut it back almost to the graft a few weeks ago, and it's sent up 3 little shoots - above the graft - which have leaf miner still, but not too badly. It may still have gall wasp too. I only use the lemons for Lemon Delicious, which I have to make vegan these days. Too lazy to make lemon curd, and I'd be the only who could eat it. Though my son might sneak a little behind his girlfriend's back! The area which is available is a great deal nearer the house than the one in the ground, and I'd like a small tree there, and lemon blossom smells so wonderful. I have an avocado tree - a Reed. It's been fruiting for around 5 or 6 years, though didn't get a one last year, as a terrific rain storm knocked every last baby fruit off the tree. They're mostly rather watery. Lots this year. I live in hope. I'm not going to try another Austin. They've all BS'd terribly here. A shame. I tried lots! It's Teas and Chinas for me, and the Rigo Rosen Kordes range. The humidity is bad here, and it's worse than ever this year. It used to not get really humid till February (late Summer), but this year it started in Spring. I just drip when gardening, even before 8am. Did you have a look at the video of Lioness on Treloar's website? Magpie, that soup sounds so good. And actually just the thing for you and your family while you're unwell. I hope you're on the up and up?