Just as a precaution, again let me say that yellow rat snakes DO bite when cornered. While they tame down really nicely (and quickly) in captivity, adult rat snakes do NOT want to be caught or cornered and will bite if threatened. Especially the larger ones, and they get VERY large. Over 8 feet in length, making them about the 2nd longest non-venomous snake in the U.S. When cornered, the first thing they will do is curl up and vibrate their tails like crazy. If they happen to be in dead leaves or grass, this will make a sound similar to a rattlesnake. They are warning you to leave them alone. If you persist and reach for them, they will strike like crazy, and having been bitten by a large one, I can tell you, it hurts. (Plus it hurts the snake, as well, since their teeth curve backwards into their mouths and often are broken or pulled right out when they bite a person.) Of course, I was only bitten because I picked a big one up incorrectly and it whipped its head around and nailed me. I should have left it alone! The best rule of thumb for MOST of us is to leave them alone. They don't want to bother you, and won't if you don't bother them. Black racers will strike repeatedly and bite, too, if cornered. But it's been my experience that, unlike the rat snake, they don't make nice pets. They don't like captivity and never seem to become docile. (I'm not saying no one has ever had a tame one, of course. This is just as a general rule.) Anyway, your rat snake is patroling your yard, and he is nothing to worry about. He may startle you from time to time, but he won't attack you if you don't try to pick him up or harm him. Nice pic of the black racer, Heather. I have a couple in this yard but no yellow rat snakes, sadly. That I've seen so far, anyway. The black racers are also doing a great job of yard patrol, and they are welcome here, too. Marcia

I did see it. That is what a young one looks like. I pulled four starts off of mine last year, the first time ever, and kept a single eye for myself. This year it had two eyes so I spilt it again. This pic shows the eye I kept before I dug and split it. This one gets no direct sunlight while my big one gets early morning sun.

Hi Debs- After doing a little more research, I think these plants like more light than commonly thought. I moved my plant right out of the corner of the room where it now gets direct sunlight in a south facing window from 830am to 130pm and its doing great!! I cut off all the skinniest leaves in late autumn and new leaves have already shot up ~4 inches!- and much thicker too! I think the reason that they tolerate low light is that it just basically halts their growth, but when it does start growing, then problems ensue:) So, my final opinion: not a true low light house plant!

Summercloud - We do give the climbers some help - about once a year my DH gets on a ladder (or two) and ties up errant canes. For the largest, heaviest ones, he uses hardware which is supposed to be for hitching horses. It is a metal plate with 4 holes for screws, and then a heavy round link is suspended from that - that is heavy duty enough to hold the weight of the heaviest ones. He is a contractor, and is very careful and knowledgeable about how to attach the plates to the shingles without damaging them. The roses don't damage the shingles, but at the very top of the wall of the house where it runs into the soffit, some have tried to grow up through the roof (banksia lutea did that, and the little cane which stuck through the roof bloomed, which is how we noticed it 3 1/2 stories up!). For your shed, I agree with everything BirdsLoveRosesSoCalCoast said, except that I think you should get LOCAL advice re smaller ramblers or climbers which would work best in your climate & damp & wet conditions. California is so dry and hot in the summer that I cannot give you any specific recommendations. Just remember to find out whether the roses you may consider are once blooming (like Vielchenblau), or repeat blooming, so you are not disappointed. Your local Rose Society is a good source of info. Or, walk around your neighborhood/town, and see if you can find roses eating small sheds like yours. Jackie