I'm wondering, Carol, how long you will have at each of the gardens - two days isn't much to do all four. We easily did both Sissinghurst and Great Dixter in a single day. We gave a day to Wisley. It's bit, and a terrific garden but we were unimpressed with their rather ordinary rose garden - the long, long, long border and rock garden were much better. We went to Mottisfont several different days, and I would think it needs at least half a day, if possible - hope you aren't too jet lagged on your first day in England. Mottisfont's rose gardens aren't huge, but there is so much to look at and it is so beautifully done that I couldn't stop looking! I think it might be open a bit later than usual in June, if you are staying nearby. Janelle and I did fine on our first day in the UK without a nap, and really adjusted without much jet lag. I slept in a bit later than usual the first few mornings - she didn't. When I went to London with my husband some years ago, I didn't do as well - literally fell asleep on my feet while visiting a museum. Maybe it was an advantage to be outside in fresh air, sunshine, and gardens rather than inside. I got sick on the trip to London, but was utterly healthy and thriving during the garden trip. In any case, your trip sounds wonderful. I think you've said that your husband isn't really a rose garden kind of guy, so how nice that you are getting these two days plus a day at Kew. My husband isn't much for gardens, but he was pretty enthusiastic about Kew. I still think that Kew is a great choice, but have to say that we heard good things about St. Albans from the people on Clair Martin's Great Rosarians trip last year. It wasn't open to the general public but was open to RNRS members and tour groups. We could always have joined the RNRS and gotten to see it, but we just didn't make the time. Anita

For sericia, next spring watch the color of the thorns; sericia ptericantha and R. pteragonis are two possibles. Then spend some time looking at many, many pictures of R. canina. In your part of the world it's a widely used rootstock and I'd guess that four or five of yours are slightly different caninas. (This fall they'll have good hips for making jelly). Something else to remember: the garden doubtless now has more shade than when it was first planted. This sort of situation may reduce or totally stifle rebloom, so when you label a rose a once bloomer, just remember that with more sun it might be a repeater.

'Souvenir de Victor Landeau' is a long-caned Bourbon like 'Mme Isaac Pereire' and 'Deuil de Dr. Reynaud' and has similar blooms, but it doesn't seem as though it will have quite the same habit. If you recall Vintage Gardens' illustrations for Bourbons, SdVL is #4, while the other two I mentioned are #3 (see link at end of post). Another difference I noticed is that even in NJ and without using fungicides, SdVL gets little (if any) noticeable blackspot until well into Autumn. Mine came as a band from Vintage Gardens in Spring 2012, and was finally planted in the garden in Summer 2013. It didn't bloom until its second year (2013), and when it did, it had two flushes in late Spring, paused during the heat of Summer, and had another couple of flushes from late August onward. August 2012 -- four months after coming as a band, potted in a 2-gal container. No blooms yet, but ntice how clean the leaves are. Leafing out April 2013. First blooms late May 2013 (the next wave were more fully double). Mid June 2013 -- second wave of blooms is on its way (note the buds), and perfect foliage. Mid September 2013 -- planted, not blooming, but still has relatively clean foliage. SdVL is the big sprawling thing just to the right of center (note the white tag at its base). April 2014 -- leafed out, SdVL is the sprawling rose in the center of the right-half of the pic. Early and Late May 2014 -- getting ready to bloom, SdVL spreads almost the entire width of these pics. Late May 2014 -- buds forming. First opening bloom, May 29, 2014. Two days later... June 2, 2014 -- first wave of first flush (if you look closely, you'll see lots more unopened buds). I have another long-caned Bourbon, more in the MIP and DdDR style. My original MIP died, and Linda at Long Ago Roses recommended 'Mme de Sevigne' as a possible alternative. I planted the small band last year, and this year it bloomed for the first time. It's also growing like gangbusters. This pic is from June 2, 2014 -- note the thick canes. The tallest of these is now about 4' in height. It's much more upright than SdVL (well, SdVL starts shooting canes up, but they eventually start to lean under their own weight). While blackspot season has begun in my garden, it's interesting to note that MdS has none (so far...), while several others are beginning to drop lots of their lower leaves. :-) ~Christopher Here is a link that might be useful: Bourbons at Vintage Gardens

Sam: That's the best bush-shot of Alnwick rose. so many blooms. How do you like the scent? I'm going keep my eyes opened for outdoor-wood-burner at Craig's list. My neighbor has a small open one (a circular one with feet) which he got at garage sale, and he got lots of wood-ash from that small fire-pit. But that has to be stored inside a garage, 2 neighbors had to trash their metal-fire-pits, since they got rusty in the rain. There's a picnic area with a public fireplace nearby, will have to check if there's wood ash inside that fireplace. We go past that park when I go to the Spice House to get spices. I've just spent 1 hour drilling hundreds of holes on my plastic pots ... roots need air to grow big. Can't find the fast-draining pine-based potting soil, so I just have to cope with slower-draining MG-moisture control (sold cheap at Sam's club $!1 for a HUGE BAG twice the size at Walmart). Jude the Obscure is an old favorite, 2 own-root Jude died on my zone 5a winter, so I try 2 more own-roots this year, but will winterize them inside my garage ... I'm addicted to Jude's scent. The pink ones are Annie L. McDowell rose (thornless):