Sherry, I'm not sure what my pleased rate really will be until maybe next year or later...! Though I must miserly-ly admit that I have my eye on one that's bloomed once and looked a bit toasty the rest of the year while ALL the others have attempted to bloom more and are lovely and green. (*cough* Mortimer Sackler *cough*) Masha, but you can see all those roses, so that is an excuse because it -must- tempt you to add them to your garden! The ones that I really really want are not at Descanso or Huntington (which are kinda-sorta near me). I saw a very sad almost-dead stick of Archduke Charles. It was almost comical because the one I wanted at the top of my list, they denied me seeing in action! "and one must support the nurseries, etc. etc......." Ingrid, hehe. :) I know what you're saying about finding more suitable varieties, though. I feel like I don't really know yet which ones will be winners. This summer (except for this past week) has been unseasonably NOT HOT, so... my roses are doing really well, mostly, but I feel like it's not really a good test. Next summer I bet will have a whole month or two of 100+ temps. rosefolly- I'd love to see more pictures of "whole gardens" with roses of members. :) Renee- you can almost always find a spot for an iris, though, right? and maybe one of them will rot. ;) OK THEN... I appreciate all the thoughtful advice, you guys. I'll get my Bermuda's Kathleen and I'll keep my up and growing pot ghetto with a feeling of slightly less guilt. ;) I actually think my pots look kinda cute. I have alyssum growing around the base of the pots like crazy. They love the little bit of extra water that seeps out of the rose pots.

"With a thick granite countertop, you ain't gonna do any damage by putting a hot pot on it. There simply isn't enough residual heat to transfer to the counter...so don't worry about it. (It's all good)" Maybe I should have told that to this customer. Sorry for the picture quality, but the crack runs parallel to the white tape and starts in the field at the tape pointer and runs to the edge. I didn't hear or see this crack happen from heat, but there are no impact marks and the crack is right next to the cooktop where one would set a pan and right where I've removed many pot marks in solid surface tops.

This is a great thread! Years ago, when our oldest son was only 2 1/2, we were looking out his open bedroom window, watching our downstairs neighbour wash his van in the driveway below. As the neighbour was finishing up, our son yelled down to him, "Sandy, your forgot to wash the roof!" Sandy replied "Oh, that's okay, I don't have to look at the roof" Son responded, "Well, I do!" A couple of years ago, my DH was making homemade pizza with our two young grandsons, aged 3 and 5. While he was stretching the dough, his hands covered in flour, he playfully touched the nose of the youngest grandson. The older grandson looked on horrified at what grampa had done to his little brother, so grampa asked if he would like flour on his nose, too. Older grandson backed away, spread his hands, and exclaimed "what is WRONG with you!" Another time, my DH was getting ready to go over to our oldest sons' house. He came in to the room wearing a rather odd looking fake suede vest over his shirt, that he had bought himself years ago. I mentioned that it made him look a bit like a cowboy in it. He didn't agree, and thought he looked quite dapper. Shortly after arriving at our sons house, four year old grandson entered the room, and asked "Grampa? Where's your horse?" And other one, out of the mouth of our oldest son. When he was four years old, he was hospitalized with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, and had to have daily bloodwork to test his platelet counts. On about the sixth day of this, he marched up the nursing station and stated quite forcefully to his doctor that was sitting at the desk writing in a chart, "I am going home today and I don't care WHAT my bloodwork says!" Fortunately, his results were finally good, and he did come home that day.

No, I don't know Nicole and I didn't say she was unkind or mean or even that her remark was. I merely said her statement didn't "sound" kind to me. You are trying to convince me that I should feel otherwise. I've reread it 4 times and feel the same, and I am not scolding, but making an observation and giving an opinion. Being an open conversation, I am unaware of which comments are necessary. I will kindly bow out now.