Just thought I'd stop in and report what I've been up to. After years of reading this forum I know better than to say anything against any vendor and it's a pity. The quality might improve. Of course, growing rare roses is a specialty which has to be supported by the rose community and some errors probably need to be overlooked. Growing own root roses is tricky, not only getting them to root, but getting them there alive in the mail. Nursery X sent me roses which stood there and did nothing, until I said, "Ah, ha. They are missing the chemicals they used to receive in their old home town." Now, all the advice here is to not fertilize bands and especially after transplanting. I got out the Schultz plant food which did nothing for about two weeks. Now, they are beginning to pop. Rule No. One: Plants can only grow roots down to 50 degrees. Or is it 40? Does anybody know? I planted my little bands in August last year at a hundred degrees. They'd shown little growth in their pots all summer, but seemed to be relieved at being released from their bonds. Everybody made it, even Madame Isaac Perriere, which I had little hope for. She is a tiny little twig, now, but alive. Rule No. Two: Pot up your babies and babysit them all summer. But how's a thing going to get any roots in a little pot? Especially when roses experts tell you to dig a hole 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep, and mix one third soil, one third peat moss, and one third horse manure to fill the hole? Does this sound like maybe the rose needs a fair amount of room? This year my roses are going straight in. I can see no possible improvement in the survival rate by waiting around fooling with pots. My son did give me one idea, It takes half a day, sometimes, to pound out a rose hole with one foot of available clay topsoil and sandstone underneath. He said, "Why don't you plant the rose in a cardboard box, set it close to its final home, and slide it in, box and all, when you finally get the hole dug?" I'm going to try it. Nursery Y sent me some roses covered with aphids. Two of the roses were so tiny that they turned gray within a week. The nursery replaced them, but not without some self righteous instructions about waiting until my last frost date. I got my roses when they decided it was time. There was a blizzard that day, but oh, well. Now, I want my roses before it gets hot and they turn to spinach in the mail. Nursery Y also believes that growing roses inside is certain death, and if I was trying to grow them in my super-insulated home, they'd be correct. But they're out there in my unheated greenhouse. Growing. Nursery Z and many of their friends mail off powdery mildew. I had never seen it. It infested half my roses in the yard. Took me awhile to figure out what it was. I get out the fungicide now as soon as they come out of the box. And I isolate the roses 7 miles away, in town, INSIDE A BUILDING for two weeks. I killed two roses in pots in my unheated greenhouse this spring. They lived all winter, then budded out too soon and froze. My success rate on overwintering roses in pots is zip. I really believe in own root roses. I have three grafted roses failing this year. They are about 12 years old. Two have made suckers. Their cold-hardiness is less and cane loss more profound. They don't grow any bigger and isn't growing something the point? Yes, it is and that is why I'm going outside right now.

Jay - heavens, no worries about those seeds. I'd actually forgotten that was still in process, so whenever the spirit moves is fine with me. At this point, I can either put the seeds out to overwinter in my zone or save them for early spring to germinate in the cold, so take your time. I appreciate the offer! Virginia - that is indeed an enchanting photo of Radio, and I tend to drool over the vibrant colors that are often characteristic of Dot roses. Perhaps a factor in their limited commercial availability is a tendency to be fussy about their climate and not like many regions of the country. I think I've heard humidity and temperature swings can do them in for other parts of the country, and for me I can attest that most Dot roses aren't very winter hardy. Still, I have the Dot rose Intermezzo that survived the polar vortex, and it's a lavender of all things, so we can't write off any type of rose even with a shaky history of survival in our area. I would dearly love to see Radio become available, and I'd have to plant it and baby it several times before I would give up on its feasibility in my zone. Cynthia

Eastwoods in my experience does have bad email practices one reason I haven't ordered from them ...Many nurseries are making the transition from brick and morter to a combo B&M to etail ...some have made the trasition better than others. IMHO you shouldn't make the transition if you are unable to first and forwemost get your email act together. It is my biggest pet peeve and second to none in impotance in etailing ( I don't include tree quality size or pricing here because that is both b&m and etail related).I don't even feel it is acceptable during busy periods like now let alone Dec.It is probably the biggest turn off for potential customers. Now granted many of these nurseries are small and don't have a dedicated person they can afford to make sure all email is handled quickly and properly ...but really if you can't handle speedy emails including blind inquiries as well as problem email you really shouldn't be doing etail. This is a common problem most large etailers have long since seen as a big Faux Pas and know this is the biggest way to loose new customers and old alike. A situation like Kay's should never happen. David

Virginia; another possibility is a nursery just 23 miles south of Dubuque,Iowa-- it's in Bellevue,iowa , the link is listed below. and yet another is the Bickelhaupt arboretum in Clinton,Iowa at www.bicarb.org Virginia Just before you cross the Missisippi from Nelson ,Wisconsin into Waubasha,Minnesota---- I highly reccomend that you stop and order at least 2 scoops of "RUM CHERRY" ice cream at the Nelson Cheese Factory-- it's on 35 in town - you will not be dissapointed--- we might just cross paths there, as I and other friends will be travelling to Camp Lacupolis (Lake Pepin) for a week of White Bass fishing. There used to be a wonderful Nursery in Reads Landing, just 2 miles north of Waubasha,Minnesota-but they closed about 4 or 5 years ago--- the nursery was located atop/above on the ridge overlooking Reads Landing and you could see a wonderful valley of Chippewa River coming out of Wisconsin, and the Missisiippi River valley- now the only similar view is in Alma, Wisc - atop the ridge there, and my suggestion for a ride to Iowa is to use the scenic beautiful 35 at least to Lacrosse from Bay City. enjoy your trip to Iowa, and bring/buy lots of plants, and stop at all the pick-u own raspberry signs you come across. Here is a link that might be useful: Ridgeroad nursery