Eric, my RdV took a while to get established. So there is hope for yours. By year 3, it became very vigorous, in a very mannerly way. Florence, it was fun taking the pictures. Chance, Reine des Violettes blooms last about 2 days on the plant for me. I wouldn't even think of cutting them. But it's 2 days of glory, fragrance, & pricklelessness, so I'm not complaining :-) Krista, yep, there was everything from pink to blue on that bloom as it aged. Hamp, your clematis are already blooming? Whoo Hooo! I'm ready for mine to start. Yes, I've already gained great appreciation for clematis. I'm happy with the camera. BelleGallica, no I've never tried 'La Reine' but I like the pics I've seen of it. I was afraid it might ball for me like 'Paul Neyron' does. I don't mind if a rose balls SOME of the time, but some of those hybrid perpetuals don't bloom often enough for me to put up with balling. At least with Reine des Violettes, I never have to worry about balling. It's never done it even one time for me. I'm glad you like 'Vick's Caprice'. I love it too. It balls some for me in the spring, but that is absolutely no problem, because that rose blooms really frequently here most all year long. For me it also has great fragrance and is healthy here. I hope it stays healthy for you too. Sassy is a girl. Yes, I've been told that's rare for an orange tabby cat! Gean Ann, I think Sassy was sniffing the foliage from the Mexican Feather Grass that is behind Marie Pavie and you may be able to see some of its foliage laying on top of the soil of the Marie Pavie container. It must smell good to her. Nice ornamental grass by the way. OGD, I will be sure to take a picture of that clematis' bloom when some start opening. It won't be long. Carol, I know you are right, because I had almost given up on my 'Jackmani' clematis after two years. Then after 3 years, kaboom! It's really vigorous now. I was looking at it today and it's already climbed to about 5 ft tall this year. When it starts blooming it pretty much doesn't stop until fall. This new clematis in the picture, 'HF Young' has started out of the gate much faster than 'Jackmani' did. Yes, any recommendation for vigorous varieties would be appreciated. How about 'The President'? I saw one at a local garden center that had really large deep navy-colored blooms on it. Really good looking, it was. Hang in there, Joe. I'm ready for your roses to bloom too because I get to see your three dimensional pictures of them :-) Randy

Thank you for taking the time and trouble to share these. So lovely! They give the rest of us inspiration and hope that spring might really be right around the corner. I hope that you will never feel that you're taking and sharing too many pictures of your garden. Can there really be such a thing as too many pictures of pretty roses on the antique rose forum?

I think the single, most beautiful display I've ever seen on any rose may have been years ago, on a 'Reine des Violettes" that we pegged, nearly flat to the ground, with just enough arch to prevent the canes' snapping. It was astonishing when it flowered. Hundreds of closely-packed flowers. On the other hand, we've never done it again, because after that flower flush, the structure of the plant was a mess, and we pruned at it for a long time to make it "normal" again. And it was a lot of work to peg it in the first place. Nowadays, we grow it as an untrained, unsupported bush, which easily reaches 6-7' tall by nearly as wide in a season. We do prune it fairly hard, especially for height, in the spring. We get a major bloom flush in the spring, then a few flowers here and there all summer, then another heftier flush in the fall. It then continues with a few flowers through the winter, until we prune, usually late February or early March. (this is in Lakeland Florida) Malcolm

During our spring shows in Metro Phoenix, AZ, the judges I clerked for seemed to recognize that certain oddities in coloration were resultant to the odd weather we'd had. I can't tell you if it would be the same for you. Suz