Taoseeker, Thanks for the information on the European history with long term use of their most common rootstocks. I find it interesting and very useful and hope for long term good results - more vigorous root growth translating into more resilient bushes. I do remember seeing a number of times R. laxa use mentioned in the hybridizing experiments by the Canadian pioneer prairie hybridizer. One of the Skinners I have is apparently a cross with it and a pimpinefollia - sorry have not taken the time to check if it is Haidee Suzanne Butterball or all. Makes me wonder if that was the influence of their European ancestry, availability or factual superior hardiness - don't know but in 5 years I should. By the way very pleased to see very good cane survival for the first year on my Portland named Marie Jean I got from Lynnette last year when she gave up on it. Melissa, There is a gentleman in British Columbia I met through Lynnette who has made it a mission to collect and save Geschwinds. I need to let him know what I received and get him some cuttings. The two Canadian nurseries that I would be happy to share cuttings (gratis) that graft I have not approached as it gets too close to commercial for me and I would have to be absolutely sure that the roses are out of patent before even contact (most are over 100 years old so I am probably safe). However I sense both of them have absolutely the strictest of QA controls and would do it on their own so as to be sure of providence and disease free stock - if they survive winter and prosper I may contact them to guage their interest ... they both export to the States. Kaylah Hi, I was fortunate my Charles de Mills that I cover and is in the south gardens has 3 foot canes and lots of them ... problem is blooms are usually in short supply and last year I think I got 3. I leave it as it always grows well and takes to protection well. All my other dark gallicas are history except for the many exmaples of Belle d'Crecy I got as delambre - it also seems to survive well if covered ... but too much damage and the blooms are gone. All my cardinal Richelieu departed voluntarily over the years (3). Me I fool around with teas but only in pots and bring them in in October ... got a couple new ones this year. My FMkruger ... is a monster in zone 3 (hahhaha) and I think I must of got the most vigorous clone of this tea via Quebec. Kids you not take a cutting - stick in earth in the house and it takes like in February when I accidentally snapped a branch off ... now I got two with the younger being already at least foot high in 4 months and has gone through one bloom cycle. But the one I really miss is Mrs Schwartz ... almost as reliable as Mlle Franz Krueger (sp) ... forgot to take a cutting and over wintered her in the garage and she and all the other ones died - fortunately had cuttings for 3 of them in the basement to replace them - there as tall in two 365 day a year growing seasons as the originals.

Depends upon just what Mr Stick is. What's his real name?

Peaches were great this year. The spring was long and cold and the end of summer was dry, for me. I have one tree with peach bore. I will probably remove that tree. All the peach trees set fruit so I was eating peaches a long time this summer. The nectarine tree set two fruit and the japanese beetles ate so much of them I threw them away. I need to start training the trees to the stakes I will be tying them to. It looks like a long fall for me here so I will have a lot of time to do all this. Just hope I can find some cheap cover hay this year. I will spray more for the beetles next year as I think we will be overwhelmed with them. I tried to take picture of the covering process but the trees were small and it was hard to see the procedure. Maybe this year (if I think of it) I'll try to take pictures again.

Thanks for the kind comments everyone. All in all, I'm not horribly distraught. I've actually lost very little. Of course, it's a young garden and I haven't had a chance to really fill it up yet! I just need to work harder at getting some evergreen hardier stuff for the backbone of my pretties! Jolana, the tree is the Erythrina crista-galli X bodwillii (Coral Tree, Fireman's Cap, Cockspurs, Baby Tears). Mine's the hybrid that has smaller flowers, but true red blooms. It doesn't set seed. I'm not sure it's alive, but Arbor Gate's large one out front (probably 12 feet tall) still didn't show any signs of life this week either. Boss Jim said he'd lost his Almond Verbena clear down in Alvin. Mine is leafing out to the tips and doesn't appear to have suffered any frost damage at all. I had myself convinced that I was in a particularly cold microclimate since I open up to the north straight up to Cypress Creek, but maybe there is some sort of a warm microclimate with the lakes and that wooden fence to the west... Hubby came home yesterday after a week in London, Algiers, and Paris and gave me the best compliment, "Yes it looks bare, but I have faith you'll have it looking good by summer!"