What the pioneer women DID have was laundry soap water. Soap was made from lye and lard (animal fat). Today's soap is NOT the same stuff and not appropriate for garden use! Insecticidal Soap is the modern equivalent of "grandma's lye soap" The lard (potassium salts of fatty acids) in the soap was the active ingredient. It dries out the exoskeleton of the insects so they can't molt. Instead of their old skin splitting so they can shed it and emerge larger (the way they grow), it doesn't split and they strangle in their own skin. It's much like lye soap (and insecticidal soap) dries out your skin and how they can burn your eyes if you get it in them. Later, they had Blackleaf 40, a nicotine-sulphur compound which was used to delouse poultry. It was available until relatively recently for home use until it was found to be too poisonous to humans. If you can find it at all know, it's not in pint bottles on the department store shelves as it used to be. Nicotine is a nerve toxin, killing through nervous exhaustion or by actually stopping the heart. Sulphur is a fungicide which kills and prevents many fungi from damaging plant tissues. Many roses were brought across the country by settlers. Comparitively, only a few actually survived, and those which did, succeeded where they found conditions suitable to their needs. A found rose here in California isn't likely to be a survivor in Tennessee because they are completely different climates with tremendously different levels of water, cold and humidity. You're much more likely to succeed with "found roses" if you can plant the ones 'found' as close to where you garden. Grandmother's Hat is splendid in many of the California climates, but can be a martyr to black spot where it's hot and humid. Many of the once flowering, European OGRs are found in the North East, surviving for many decades with few issues and no assistance, but they aren't successful here because we can't give them what they want. You are spot-on with the thought that finding the right rose for the right spot is precisely what you need to do to succeed easily. That's what many have preached for a very long time. I'd suggest contacting Ann in Tennessee for her best suggestions as she's very local to where you are and would have the best suggestions for little to no care roses where you are. The rest of us can suggest many things, but we don't necessarily garden with the same issues so the things we suggest may easily not be good where you are. Kim

I visited the Antique Rose Emporium in early November and got one for myself and a rose loving friend for Christmas. As tired as I was after all the Christmas hoopla last night, I had to read it for a bit before I passed out from exhaustion. Now that all the Christmas rush is over...I can start thinking about gardening again! This book is a delight for anyone who loves roses. There are others too by Wm. Welch - Roses for a Southern Garden, and a few more that are similiar to this. I loved seeing a chapter on the Pioneer roses. I adore these and hope that they will become better known. The little Noisette book by the Charlestown society is wonderful too. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Judith

I don't usually look at the clematis gallery very often, but I am glad that I did so today. All of your photos are lovely, but I like the Amethyst Beauty and Ville De Lyon the best. I haven't ever seen the Amethyst Beauty listed for sale anywhere - is the photo from your neighborhood?

How neat to see the progression of photos as Old Blush grew up for you. A wonderful view of how an ogr builds into a lovely plant when it's cared for with patience. I'd have to grow Old Blush, just for it's history alone, but it's very pretty here. Yeah, the individual flowers aren't spectacular, but it's such an exuberant bloomer, & here, at least, such a healthy happy plant. Very happy this spring--this is about 5' tall. And it's offspring, Pink Poodle--its blooms get dark, like mini Old Blush blooms in cool weather; in the heat of summer they're pale pink. Jackie, IIRC, Vintage's catalog commented that cl. Old Blush bloomed a bit less than the bush form. I have it also & it does bloom less, but it's not in as sunny of a position as the bush, so who knows? It has bloomed well this spring, but not like the shrub.