Now I am very glad to be wrong on this topic - it's very good news to hear that breeders are actually focusing on taste. Jonagold is quite delicious. I read "The Fruit Hunters" and the author interviewed the Zeigers of Zeiger genetics. They admitted that most of the focus of their stone fruits has been on shippability, but they claim to now have changed their focus, and they are trying to improve on taste - the goal is to have a peach that tastes as good as the old heirlooms, but also ships well and stays good for weeks at a time. Yes, I am not sure I would even know how to grow apples on the East coast. I feel very fortunate to live in the Santa Cruz mountains, we have about the best climate one could ever ask for when it comes to apples. They are so tasty in my orchard, that is what got me so enthusiastic about apples. I spent years trying to grow all sorts of things from subtropicals like macademias to citrus and stone fruits. None rival the perfection of the apples in my orchard. We even get outstanding Summer apples because our Summers here (upper 60's to mid 70's daytime, mid 40's to low 50's night time in the middle of July and August) are equivalent to East Coast Fall weather. Our first apple to ripen is Anna around late May, and the last apple to ripen is Williams Pride in late January. Feb through April is covered primarily by storage apples. But we do get seasonal fluctuations here too that shift which apples end up tasting good. We get a period of hot Fall weather that - if it shows up too early tends to ruin the early Fall apples which seem not to like much heat. If the heat doesn't show up until October, then we get nearly perfect apples on all the varieties. Last Fall the Cox orange pippin harvest was ruined because the hot weather showed up at the end of August. They went mealy very quickly.

I'm not all that partial to the single roses as they look too much like the wild ones that grow here. So while they are pretty I'd think twice before paying good money for a single rose. However I do like the old-fashioned hollyhocks. I also suspect they are tougher plants. I've had great difficulty growing the 'fancy' hollyhocks altho had no trouble with the singles. I like the ruffled tulips and IMO the double geraniums are an improvement over the old plain insignificant ones. I guess for me it depends on the plant and I don't mind that hybridizers improve on plants altho some I don't consider an improvement but I don't have to buy those. However I have had the thought to do an old fashioned garden but I know I couldn't keep it 'pure'. I do like to let some plants self-seed and the 'improved' ones probably won't come true so I'll always keep some of my 'weeds'. I like having some plants that may have been grown hundreds of years ago in a cottage garden.

Hi, fanatic - Caroline's right - The Rose Propagation & Exchange forum has a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section that should provide you with the info you need to root either cuttings or suckers of your rosebush. You don't give any details on your "old-fashioned" rosebush; I for one would love to know what the flowers look and smell like. If they are small, single, white blossoms and the plant only blooms once a year, it may be Rosa multiflora. You really don't want to propagate R. multiflora as it is an invasive weed that also is a known vector for Rose Rosette disease, a very serious disease that spreads quickly to cultivated roses. However, if it isn't R. multiflora ... there are a bunch of us on the Antique Rose and Rose ID forums who are interested in "mystery" roses - we propagate and try to identify them. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions about your rose - I collect antique roses and might be able to help you out. Here is a link that might be useful: Rose Propagation FAQ Page

The easest to root is a 4-6 inch cutting of firm new growth taken early June. apply 0.3 to 0.8% IBA (Rooting hormone) stick in well drained soil. & mist