Dave, Glad they grew for you, hope you get something nice. I know the parent plants were leafing out when I left, so I am sure they have bloomed by now, and I had the James Mason growing on the fence right behind then...that one was wonderful last year, so I am sure it will be even better this year. Anita, I will have to try to find the post and see if I can make it, if I can you know I will. Mike, now yours is a most interesting post...I lived in Akron for 7 years before moving to PA, and before that I spent 18 years in North Ridgeville, and that is where I am back to now. I am off Stoney Ridge, in the Meadow Lakes developments, I remember this whole area as fields! I am staying with my sister now, but will be getting a place eventually, just need to wrap up some things. Send me an E-mail, let me know where you lived, and even better yet, if we might know each other. By the time frame, I am thinking you might be a bit younger, but maybe not. Gerry

I have grown Compassion (7 years) and Royal Pageant (5 years.) Both have very good disease resistance no spray in a part sun/shade growing area. Compassion blooms a lot more, the fragrance is stronger than Royal Pageant, and Compassion lasts better in the landscape and as a cut flower. The flowers of Royal Pageant blow really fast but they have a nice ruffled sort of look (similar to-but smaller than-Just Joey if you are familiar with that rose's open bloom.) The fragrance of Compassion is similar to my nose to Tiffany and Elle, if you are familiar with those roses. It's one of my favorite fragrances, but it's NOT a typical strong damask/"rose" scent. I think of it as sweet fruity, maybe a bit peachy? but only moderate in strength. Reconciliation would be much smaller than either Compassion or Royal Pageant. Compassion can be grown/pruned as an upright self-supporting shrub, but in my experience Royal Pageant wants to grow much larger (and does so at the expense of producing flowers when I've tried to curtail it's growth) and does need some support. I purchased Compassion ownroot from Heirloom Roses and Royal Pageant (whose true name is Della Balfour, I believe Heirloom renamed it?) from Pickering on multiflora rootstock. Hope that helps... Dawn

Sammy, sadly, the Rose Forum is highly ignorant of no-spray policies especially with regard to fungicide. And many have no inkling about ancient roses too. All they know about are hybrid teas, floribundas and Austins. Only the rose aficianados and rosarians know about the ancient roses. If it hadn't been for my friends Krista and Karen I would have been totally clueless myself. I so regret my choices of roses now... My local nurseries refuse to carry old ancient romantic roses, they will only carry Austins, they love their Austins, LOL! Sadly Sammy I have only the "boring roses". All of my resistant roses were resistant until September, with just a little blackspot here and there. Now when it gets cold however, the blackspot doesn't like it and will go away (which was in October). Sammy I am first posting photos of my beautiful Gemini, the rose that is now deeply struggling. But it is truly a fighter rose and has sent up multiple new baby stems and clean baby leaves. It caught severe blackspot basically overnight, with no warning after weeks of endless rains. It used to be such a healthy, vibrant and strong rose! Look how clean and beautiful the foliage used to be!! This may help explain why I hate and dread and blame the rain. Now here are the photos of the resistant roses that I have: Climbing America: Penny Lane Climbing Rose Tiffany: Special Occasion: Lincoln is very resistant, only one or 2 blackspot leaves in the worst of seasons-the fall. It has very cute lively big blooms but doesn't have enough maturity yet to have its classical blooms except for 3 blooms. Here is Aromatherapy: Fragrant Cloud is indeed resistant. LOL! I love the taste of her rose petals (I make rose petal jam) but it is no beauty. It is just a cheery lively flower, but I often hide her because her blooms are not exactly the most beautiful.

My friend (who's also in the Rose Society) had (she moved) a fabulous rose garden filled with peonies and old garden roses (OGRs) from before 1867. She had the most bees I've ever seen in a garden. Amazing! This will show you the size of the pots I use. I also have a routine for waking them up in the summer and putting them in the garage in the winter. I got my pots from Costco, but they don't sell this type anymore. They're resin pots and very light, but with the soil in (big yellow bag potting soil delivery) they become heavy and my husband uses a dolly to get them to and from the garage. I usually have around 50 roses in pots. Yes, John Davis is capable of climbing...but it's canes aren't long and supple, so it was beyond me (maybe not you) to get it to climb. :) Ann - That sounds wonderful!! And bees love rugosa roses the best!! Carol