...I'm pleased to read that you are happy with 'Libre Office', which I hadn't heard of, but have pondered over 'Open Office' previously... maybe this is the same one under a different name? I'll have to go check.... so I might download this myself, as I still use Word pad for letters and other documents - it's handy but rather basic...

...I keep track of my roses via Help Me Find, as some of them don't last long enough with me to make too many notes about... although I'm trying harder to be more patient...

...thank you for the heads up, if that's the right term, re. the word processing software...

..later...

I've just checked them out and Libre Office would be the way to go I think, but I'm always dubious of free software...although I sometimes use CCleaner..

I've been using Open office on my Mac for years. I had only recently heard of Libre Office, and wondered if it's better than OO, and if I should switch. If I had more use for 'office suites', it would probably be worth investigating, but I only occasionally use it.

Recently, I did start listing my roses with a few notes as to provenance, but spreadsheets are too much like work...

I'm glad that you've discovered open source software, and have at least one good application for it. Enjoy!

Virginia

My roses are like a revolving door, they come and go, and I really don't have enough (about 54 right now) to bother with a computer program, and I have no plans to add more, just replace some that I don't like or are not doing well. I have a notebook which has a list of roses, and also the garden has been subdivided into areas, with lists of roses for each area. I also have a long list (which I try not to look at) of discarded roses and lists of antique rose nurseries. There's also a list of when I bought a rose and where, which is unfortunately not complete. With 500+ roses that would never work so I'm glad you've found a program that works really well for you.

Mellisa, I have been using 'Libre Office' for about 4 years now and do most of my work from it. It is very easy to use, which makes life easy. And yes if anyone asks it is a free download.

David, I'm glad to hear your experience has been a positive one: thanks for the feedback! I went on my neighbor's recommendation, as she uses it herself. So far I've used just the word processing program. I've found it easy to use, and I'm not a person who enjoys solving software puzzles. I'm loving the the catalog I'm making.

P.S. Ingrid, I don't have 500 varieties, though there may be that many roses (plants) in the garden. I thought I had around 300 kinds, but am now wondering if there aren't fewer. So far I've cataloged a little over a hundred varieties.

Melissa, an exercise like this is very informative. I do a rose inventory every year or two, and I always find surprises with the results. Some are good, some not so good.

Melissa...

...I have today downloaded LibreOffice5 to my laptop.... I'm always a bit wary of these things, so I thought it prudent to 'create a restore point' before I did so... just in case... and my Security Suite advised me it was 'safe'...

...this laptop is new and you know how it is, you just don't want to ruin things... and I've already had to 'restore' it once due to some error on my part... but now that it is here, I have already typed out a letter and printed it off - I love it !... I decided to use Segoe Print font...

...thank you for alerting me to this word processing software which I wasn't aware of too much.... I can only show my appreciation with some scented blooms of my Daphne bholua shrub, which due to the mild weather opened a month earlier than usual...

...do take care, and best wishes...

You're certainly welcome, Marlorena, and I hope the software continues to work well for us both. Your shrub is lovely. I just planted a Daphne mezereum (actually, DH did) and hope it takes kindly to its spot in the woods. This daphne is native here, but nobody sells it: I had to buy it from Germany.

N.B. your Daphne opens in January-February? Winter flowering shrubs, fragrant ones in particular, are always wonderfully welcome.

Paula, hello!

Libra Office is by the same guys that did Open Office. It is the modern version which has all the small problems fixed and is used by millions.

..yes, usually opens mid January and slowly reaches full flush early March, then continues until early April, so a very long winter season... I suppose this year it'll be finished by February the way things are going....

..how strange that you had to get that Daphne from Germany... it looks a pretty shrub although I've never grown it...

...I'm looking forward to using the Database on this Libre Office when I figure out how to use it... the rest of it looks quite complicated without some training and most of it I don't think I'll ever become accomplished with, but it's certainly fun messing about...

A couple of things in relation to Libre, have you looked for tutorials about it Marlorena, I have just read this and am off to work, i will search for some tonight.

I know this is "off topic", a lot of ladies use the letters "DH", I assume it stands for "DARLING HUSBAND"

Not sure but I think some of the gals mean Dumb Husband..... could be wrong..

...I think it means 'Dear Husband'... but these are not terms I use so I can't be sure...

...David, thanks for your advice.... I think there is a Help section that I can download, if I haven't done so already... I aim to check that out at some point... but I suspect there is a lot going on that I really won't be needing in any case, but I'm always curious to know how things work...

I'm fortunate that my company allows us to purchase the new versions of office for a very reasonable price. I use Excel to keep track of my roses. I do spreadsheets all day long at work, so it's nice to be able to use it for something fun.

It's "dear husband" or at least so I have always understood. There's also DW and DD, and probably others.

I do believe I need to get myself a Daphne bholua. So far daphnes have done very well for me, though getting hold of them is a problem: the only one readily available in Italy is Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata', and that only from specialist nurseries. Fall before last at a garden show an exhibitor had a tray of barely rooted daphnes 'Carol Mackie' and 'Eternal Fragrance': I bought one of each and they both lived and grew, though 'Carol Mackie' is still tiny (it flowered, however). Alas, this fall the exhibitor hadn't rooted any daphnes, and of course no one else had them. DH and I have dug up a couple of D. laureola from the woods and so far both are alive. I could definitely see filling our woods with daphnes. Goodness, I've gone off topic.

The second time this week I have downloaded - and paid for! (made a donation) - something I can't use, because my Windows version isn't up to date enough! I'd have rather have donated the money to animal welfare, than large corporations, though I gather Libre is not large or wealthy, so that's ok.

titian, may I ask which version of Windows you are using?

If it's any consolation, LibreOffice isn't developed by any corporation, but by a non-profit organization called "The Document Foundation".
LibreOffice is free and open-source software which means that anyone can access the source code and is free to create their own version. I very much consider software freedom to be a worthy cause. Maybe not as important as animal welfare but still a good thing.

Melissa, don't be surprised if your Daphne ups and dies on you without any indication something is wrong. I owned two of them and had read about them dying on people. One day I looked and they were dead..... crazy but it happens.

Toolbelt, I've heard that, too. The only daphne I've had for a significant length of time is my original plant of D. odora 'Aureomarginata'. It's 8-10 years old and a fine specimen. I've propagated babies from it twice, the first adorning the garden, the second waiting for this fall; the others I've had at most a little over a year. I'm putting my hopes to some extent in our climate, which may be more suitable to daphnes than the summer humidity that much of the U.S. experiences. After all, we have a number of native species here. But, if they die, they die. My 'Aureomarginata' has certainly given me enough joy over the years to have thoroughly justified its space and the few bucks I paid for it.

P.S. What daphnes did you have?