Steffie, I wish we were next-door neighbors, too, but since we live more than just a few miles apart, we'll have to be cyber-neighbors. :) I am far from an expert, just a gardening nut who relentlessly tries to learn and understand and improve what I do as I go along. And, lest you think I have a perfect yard or landscape, let me disabuse you of that notion right away! I have weeds I can't defeat, bermuda that invades beds it shouldn't, trees and shrubs that outgrow the spot where they were oh-so-carefully placed, plants that just give up and die and I never really figure out why they died, etc., etc., etc. Discussing things with my Oklahoma friends and neighbors here at this forum helps me keep things in perspective. It educates me. It offers me encouragement on those days when everything seems wrong and nothing seems right. It gives me new ideas and inspiration. Every one of you is better than me at something that is gardening-related. And, believe me, I know it. So, for example, when one of you writes about hydangeas, I pay attention and soak up everything you say, because one of these days I WILL succeed with hydranges. Have you ever noticed that most all gardeners are just the kindest, most giving and sharing people? You know what I'm talking about.....you see someone working out in the yard and you stop to tell them that you love their irises....and they dig up a couple on the spot and insist you take them, saying...."I needed to divide them anyway". Or, you drop off some of your extra tomatoes and a carton of hen or guinea eggs at a neighbor's house.....and they won't let you leave until you have some of their 'extra' fresh corn and peaches right off the tree, and some bacon from a hog they slaughtered and processed. I've yet to meet a fellow gardener who wouldn't give you the shirt off their back, or loan you their rototiller, or give you tons and tons of advice and ideas, and then apologize to you if their ideas don't work for you. So, I am very touched when you say that I am your hero. That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. You have to believe me when I say that I feel the same way about each and every one of you. I believe we are all heroes for one another, and I believe that is how God meant for it to be. Life in this world can be cold, hard, and cruel, at times. For those of us who love to garden, the love, friendship, caring and support we receive from one another is a beautiful gift And, it is a gift I appreciate each and every day. Hugs to you, Steffie, and hugs to all the rest of you too. Dawn

sorry roseforme....please don't think i'm trying to " rain on your parade"....i can only speak as a proffessional rose grower who see's the 'marketing' of roses being of more import than the roses themselves.....whilst i think that the vast majority of new release roses are either re-inventing the wheel or rubbish....i still advise people NOT to listen to cranky rose growers and buy something you like and give them a go.....if it's something you LOVE...then who cares if it costs 20 $$$ or more!......better a rose than a pack of smokes?!.......be advised that i still get a kick out of someone that sees a perfect bloom of say...double delight...for the first time...so please roseforme....love your roses.....tony

LOL...K-Mart do have a bit of a reputation of neglecting their plants. It's no use putting some young thing in charge who would rather be on the sound counter. However, I find Hurstville K-Mart generally much better than others, you can notice a difference when the woman in charge is away and it is left to others. Admittedly, they did have a trolley full of roses for only $3.00, not Delbards, which were very tired and dejected looking. I do wish, though, that they didn't have all those dreadful plastic arrangements...ugh.

This thread just makes me want Pink Intuition oh so bad.. I’m wondering how it would look between a bed of Moonstone, Love Song, and Our Lady of Guadeloupe, and the three Renaes I will be planting further down the wall. Funny how when you want a rose, suddenly it occurs to you where you might have room for it. 😏