Raul is Cleistocactus winteri aka Hildewinteria aureispina. The brown spots are scars from mechanical injury earlier in life. They may have been caused by another plants spines when they were young and grown too close together. Such a spot can be an entry point for fungus, but if the spots haven't changed, and the plant is growing, the injuries have hardened, and are not a problem. They are permanent, however. Brad

That looks great! I'm still working up the nerve to pick things up from the curb. I missed my chance a couple of weeks ago at the house just across the street from me. A great chair, headboard,etc. I t was late when I got home & was gonna get it in the morning, well......morning was too late. Seeing this will make me get it when I see it. Great job & for free too!

Pqsmom, I'm so happy you love your Buckingham! I can't wait for mine. I'm still not 100% at ease, but doing better. There have been a few snags (what a surprise since that never happens right?). For example in spite of asking the owner of the cabinet shop about 7 times if she was sure she had made the trash cabinet big enough since I thought the Rev A Shelf website saying the opening had to be 15" meant it needed a 16.5" cabinet, she repeatedly stated her specs said a 16" would be fine. Well, installer agreed with me since the trash didn't fit. Now they are going to have to re-cut that cabinet, adjust some stuff and re-order the door. They also sort of forgot to make the fridge cabinet or order the doors for it. Whoops. Anyway in spite of those and a couple other issues, they were still able to come out to template so at least the mistakes won't mean I have to wait even longer for my Buckingham - just as long as it takes to re-cut and install the messed up cabinets. I found the templating interesting since it sort of looked like two grown men doing a big arts and craft project, using plywood boards instead of toothpicks! But maybe that's just the renovation insanity setting in.

As you may have noticed from my previous posts, many of the roses in the Tea and China classes get BIG here: Comtesse du Cayla, 8' x 8' at 8 years (with regular, firm pruning -- heaven knows how big she would be otherwise...has on occasion tried to climb the nearby orange tree...), blooms do fry in temps over 85F, but I imagine if you have some humidity, they may have more fortitude. Etoile de Lyon, 7' x 12' at 10 years, totally heat-proof (one of my best if it is over 100F, and generally a great, favorite rose here), but a total catastrophe if there is even a hint of moisture in the air (brown blooms that hang on forever -- this one always gets deadheaded). The first flush is almost always trashed by moisture. Ducher, hit 4' in a couple of years and was still going, but was such a mildew magnet that he was removed. Ferndale Red China, hit 5' here in 3 years, got moved last winter because obviously NOT a front-of-the-border rose, but already now back to 5' as if nothing had happened (I call that "vigorous"). I'm glad, seeing Mendocino Rose's comment, that the new spot gets afternoon shade. Mildews, but not insufferably. Miss Lowe's Variety, perfect tea-like foliage, amazingly does not mildew. 6' x 6' in 5 years, spring and fall flushes are best, but some blooms all the time. Alliance Franco-Russe was mostly annoying here. Mildewed leaves always, fragile blooms (moisture, heat, you name it) , so he was a big (7' x 7') ugly plant that really had no good time of the year (and in a great part of the garden). I put up with him for 6 years, hoping for improvement, then said goodbye. Devoniensis did not fry in the sun, but did mildew badly on the east side of the yard. Was fine on the west side of the yard. Was going to be too big for space available (5' x 5' when he left), and I needed the space for rarer roses, so no longer here. Thomasville Old Gold was such a mildew magnet that he only lasted two years here. Cramoisi Supérieur, like most Chinas, mildews some, but not so much as to get booted out. I am charmed by this rose, especially the spring and fall blooms. 4' x 5' so far (4 years).