First, let me say that I'm in central Italy, not the USA. Normally, at the end of July we would expect that our temperatures should be at least 30 - 35 degrees C or more (85 - 95 F) from mid-June until the end of August with no rain since, at least, the beginning of June until the end of August. However, this year is like no other. Last winter wasn't cold, it rained constantly until mid-May and it's now raining three or four times a week at the end of July - absolutely unheard of - it's raining as I write this, and today our top temperature was 21 degrees! So, how has this affected my roses? Well, blackspot is the major problem. My rose garden is only two years old. The first two Austins I planted were a St. Swithun climbing rose against the south-facing stone wall of the house and a Golden Celebration planted in full sun. These were both 2 year old grafted plants. For me, 'full sun' means that in Summer sunrise is between 5:30 and 6:00 am and sunset is about 8:30 - 9:00 pm. There is no shade for any of my roses (apart from the one against the South-facing stone wall) - they're in 'full sun' all day. St. Swithun has almost reached the top of the 4 metre (13 feet) South facing stone wall of the house. It was planted in mid-May 2012. Despite its location the pale pink blooms are prolific from April until November. It really doesn't seem to stop blooming until very late November. The perfume of the blooms is wonderful (I like the myrrh fragrance) and it is a healthy plant, apart from some BS problems with our ridiculously humid weather this year. The flowers do not fade, even though they are a pale pink. However, it has the most hideous prickles of any of my roses. They really are vicious and I have to wear leather gauntlets when dealing with it. The other negative comment I have about St. Swithun is that the blooms don't fall off the plant when they've finished flowering - they stay there, dead, brown and ugly! I have to use a broom to knock them off. Because of the height of the rose I've had to spend a fortune on a ladder that's tall enough for me to take my life into my hands and prune it! Golden Celebration is, perhaps, my favourite DA rose. My grafted version is about 1.5 metres high with a diameter that is at least the same as its height. It is covered in blooms all Summer long and is normally disease free but, this year it has some BS. The fragrance of Golden Celebration is the most pleasing to me. Other DA roses I have - A hedge of Queen of Sweden roses (100 plants) - the most healthy of all my DA roses. Planted bare root in January 2013, they now form a hedge about 1.2 - 1.5 metres in height that flower constantly from the end of April until November. A delightful myrrh fragrance. I can't think of anything negative about the Queen of Sweden. An own-root Teasing Georgia bought in May 2013 in a 2.5 litre pot which is now over 1 metre tall and perhaps 1.5 metres in diameter. It has flowered constantly since mid April. At the moment it has some black spot, but it is smothered in blooms. I find its fragrance very elusive. An own-root Golden Celebration, also bought in May 2013 in a 2.5 litre pot which is not as vigorous as Teasing Georgia but is healthy and floriferous. A 2 year old grafted Lichfield Angel, planted in June 2013, mid-Summer (never a good idea - but it was a gift). It is already a 1.5 metre tall x 1.5 metre diameter plant covered in enormous blooms. For me the only negative about this plant is the lack of any fragrance - at least, I can't detect any. A grafted Wildeve - I love the bloom form - but I should have paid more attention to the catalogue where it said that it shared many characteristics of a ground-cover rose. Mine is much wider than it is tall but it, too, is covered in the most beautiful pale pink roses with a lovely perfume. A Shropshire Lad - a mistake. I didn't realise that I had bought the climbing version. This too, is a 2 year old grafted plant that I've spent all spring/summer trying to convince to become a shrub rose. I believe I'm fighting a losing battle. It's also a complete BS magnet. I've also noticed that my Shropshire Lad flowers don't seem to bear any resemblance to others I've seen. Don't quite know what went wrong here. I can't detect any fragrance. Sharifa Asma x 2 - bought as own-root plants in 2.5 litre pots in May 2014. Replanted into larger pots a month ago they've both doubled in size and are now covered in buds. I just wonder whether I can keep them small enough to grow in 50 cm pots? Very healthy foliage and delightful perfume. Evelyn - another gift - about a six weeks ago. I've replanted it into a larger pot until I can decide where it should be planted. At present, the foliage doesn't look great and it seems to have some fungal infection so I've sprayed with an anti-fungal spray to see if I can control it. Sorry for such a long post … I forgot to say that I have extremely alkaline, very heavy clay - pH 8 soil - which, in its natural state varies between yellow and blue/grey in colour. Truly hideous. I have amended it heavily with anything and everything I can find - kilos of coffee grounds from my local bar, dozens of plastic bags of oak leaves (which I collect in early Spring an let rot down for 12 months), truck loads of rotted horse manure. Something must be working because the roses are all growing like crazy. Cheers Tricia

Hey, I am sorry I am so late posting. I received my box from Shirley and all I can say is WOW. It was so stuffed full I could not believe it. I got all of the following in my box. VINTAGE BORDEAUX PRISCILLA'S RAINBOW MALENY DEBUTANTE NOW AND ZEN CHICAGO ARNIE'S CHOICE ROSY WREN RED GRACE PINK PEPPERMINT SILOAM AMAZING GRACE Siberian Iris My Love Shirley, This box really meant a lot to me, it was the highlight of my last few weeks. Thank you so much for such a great box. Mom(abitodd), Memaw(Bettyboops), and I thank you all for your special notes on the passing of my grandmother. She was a true Southern Lady to the very end. Meghan

I received my lovely selection of seeds in today's mail. I am so glad I asked for "One Singular Sensation" - you all have some very nice thoughts on this, and I can't wait to try them out. I found it interesting that 2 different players claimed gorgeous red hollyhocks as their outstanding plants. I have a perfect place for hollyhocks, which tend to do very well in this area, and am excited about adding these to my garden. Thank you, Michelle - I know first-hand these swaps are not easy to host, and I appreciate your hard work! Kim

This is probably gonna earn me some coal in my stocking, but I'll risk it. This game is open to everyone. Here are 30 song titles, and your job is to be the first person to correctly post all 30 titles. Each day I will post an update with 1 letter of the alphabet in its correct place within the titles, so be checking back here daily! The first person to correctly post all 30 titles in their correct order will win a music CD with all of the songs on it. There will be no second prize. Anyone involved with this swap, excluding only myself, may try to win. So, get out your thinking caps, play yourself some Christmas music, and have fun!!! I'll be back with the letter "w" tomorrow! MUHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!! -Dan 1._/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 2._ _ _ _ _ _’/_ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ 3._ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _/_ _/_/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4._ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5._ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _-_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6._ _/_ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 7._ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 8._ _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _./_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 9._ _ _/_ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 10. _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 11._ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ 12. _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ 13._ _/_ _ _ _/_ _ _/_/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 14._/_ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 15._ _ _ _/_ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _/_ _ _ _ 16._ _ _ _ _ _ _ 17._ _ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ 18._ _ _/_ _ _ _/_ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 19._ _ _ _ _/_ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 20._ _/_ _ _ _/_ _ _ _/_/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 21._/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 22._ _ _ _/_ _/_ _ _ _/_-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 23._ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 24._/_ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 25._ _ _ _/_ _/_/_ _ _ _ _ _ 26._ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ 27._ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _/_ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 28._/_ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _/_ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 29._/_ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 30.’_ _ _ _/_ _ _/_ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _