Is the thought of planting the band in a partially submerged bucket without a bottom to prevent it from baking in hot weather/direct sun? My experience is immature plants benefit from warmer roots to stimulate them to grow faster than they do in cooler/colder soil. I can understand hilling a dormant plant set out in the soil to prevent it from being stimulated into growth before it's developed sufficient root mass to support it. I guess hilling a band to cover more of the main cane might afford a similar benefit. Here, I have best success with newly rooted plants and small seedlings planting them in one gallon nursery cans in good potting soil, then placing them in partial sun where I can pay attention to them and keep them watered. Once they develop enough root mass to begin filling the gallon size, I transplant them into two gallon cans. If they are growing vigorously by the time they are ready to be up sized, I may plant them in the ground or move them to five gallon cans, depending upon where they are to be planted or if they are for someone else, or if I'm too lazy to actually dig a hole for them at the moment. Your experience may well vary greatly, but here, I don't have any success letting the rain water pots. Often, the foliage canopy prevents much water from penetrating the plant and sufficiently wetting the root/soil ball, so I have to water the cans any way. We don't get rain eight to nine months of the year and when we do, it's not always hard enough to force its way into cans. Hand watering is necessary here for anything canned, mostly all year. Burying cans in the ground prevents any soil moisture from moving into the confined soil ball, so they have to be hand watered. I've cut the bottoms and about a third of the sides of many fifteen gallon cans so I could plant larger shrubs on a short, but rather steep slope in back. Those have to be watered more frequently than those directly planted in the soil as they dry out faster. I'm not sure what the benefit of planting bands in a can without a bottom will provide. Not that there isn't one, it just isn't logical to me. I'm all in favor of creating berms around plants to catch the water and focus it into where the roots are probably going to be. Otherwise it spreads out too far and may not actually penetrate deeply enough to encourage the roots to follow it down deeper, resulting in more drought tolerant plantings. Your experience with own root plants is going to vary greatly due to your climate and soil type; the type of garden culture you practice; the types of roses you grow and even the particular cultivars you choose to grow. The specific roses which will perform perfectly for me here are not necessarily those which will perform acceptably for you where you are. If the variety is a weak grower to begin with, it's going to be smaller most places own root compared to budded. If it's not suitable own root because it doesn't form a vigorous root system by itself, it isn't going to be as good anywhere own root. It may be better in some climates and soils than others, but if it's not a good rose own root because it doesn't GROW vigorous roots itself, it isn't going to be as good as it could be anywhere own root, period. The types which are slow to mature own root are going to be slower to mature everywhere own root compared to being budded on a root stock suitable for where it's being grown. Whether an own root plant will eventually mature to the same or larger size as the same rose budded will is also going to vary somewhat. Some, Iceberg being an excellent example here, can actually be inhibited by budding and result in a smaller plant than it can mature to own root. Some, such as Grey Pearl, Fantan and any other really weak growing, insufficiently rooted types, will never become the size they can become when budded. Those two will actually live much shorter, less productive lives own root than they can when budded. Any roses which suffer the same grow issues they do will perform similarly, and are always going to be better performers and garden specimen when grown on a stock suitable for the climates they're grown in. A rose's genetic ability to form a sufficient root mass is as variable as its ability to develop its foliage, flowers, suitable immune system and resistance to extreme conditions. Not every variety has a root system suitable to all soil types. An excellent example is the inability for strongly multiflora types to overcome chlorosis in alkaline conditions. Budding them on a suitable stock which isn't as extremely affected by alkalinity will overcome the chlorosis issues without the constant need to acidify the soil to release the iron and supply nitrogen. Budding types which aren't usually as strongly affected by chlorosis on multiflora will actually force them to suffer chlorosis they otherwise wouldn't experience in the same conditions. Some types' roots are more suited to warmer soils. Others are happier in cooler soils. Only experimentation and experience are going to tell you which is which and which will be good in your soil and climate. There is little reliable information out there because so many have been budded for so long. When you do find that kind of information printed in books, it's often not due to the rose's roots, but to the particular stock upon which it was grown. British writers have long warned against moving Elizabeth of Glamis because she "resents transplanting". The variety wasn't grown own root in Britain, being always produced on their stock of choice. If Elizabeth of Glamis resented transplanting, how could it have been offered as new bare roots annually and for so many decades? I agree with the statement that a suitable own root plant, when grown in a climate and soil type suitable to it, is usually longer lived than most budded plants. You more frequently find stands of Odorata and other types used as stocks in old cemeteries and gardens here in the West than you do actual budded plants. These are often the remnants of old budded plants where the stock has outlived the scion. When you do find old roses in abandoned or neglected situations, they are own root survivors and are always types which develop appropriate root systems for their genetic requirements. Not that they are going to perform similarly everywhere, but they are more likely to perform adequately more places than those which have narrower zones of suitable conditions. But, slow growers are going to be slow growers in virtually every climate. The only ways around that are to bud them on suitable stocks, or to provide them warmer, richer soils and push them to grow by disbudding them, preventing them from flowering until they develop the size you desire. Weaker growers will continue being weaker growers in most places because that is what is genetically programmed within them. They are inhibited naturally against either forming suitable root systems, producing much wood or foliage or both. "Forcing" them by supplying them with more vigorous roots is the most suitable way, in most situations, around that. It's your choice how you want to try growing them, and it's your choice what level of performance you are willing to accept. Kim

Sammy, I understand Soncy, also knows as Amazone, may also be Alexander Hill Gray, which I already have. Otherwise it would have been an excellent suggestion. Randy, I didn't realize Marie Daly was so fragrant. I know what you mean about the personality of the polyanthas, though. I don't think I'd care to have dozens of them, although I do have Marie Pavie (a gift), and six Mr. Bluebirds (not strictly a polyantha). I do think that some of them are extremely worthwhile. Mary, I'm glad you like my garden and its surroundings. Thank you for your very nice e-mail. I have a feeling I'd really like Ducher but I was suddenly struck with a completely new game plan last night. I have had Marie Van Houtte for three years and it has languished, probably because its situation is too shady for it. So I've now come up with the brilliant idea of moving it to the spot where Ducher or another rose would have gone, between Belinda's Dream and Madame Lambard. In its place I'm going to plant either Mrs. Dudley Cross, to match the one that's already there in that area and seems to be doing fairly well, or Quietness, which I understand also does fairly well with some shade. It's amazing how your thoughts and plans can veer off mid course in a completely different, and hopefully more satisfactory direction. Thank you everyone most warmly for your help. I have learned a lot even if that knowledge is not directly applicable to my present situation. I love hearing how roses perform in different people's gardens. Ingrid

After I posted I thought maybe I should elaborate a little. You COULD cut the pieces to size, and then have a stone shop bullnost them for you, but that means waiting for the shop to do the work, not to mention the added cost. lightenup's way is alot quicker, and will pretty much do just as nice a job. lighten up-- I gotta say-- I love the name!! :-)

Hi Nancy, Oak will stain dark. Here is how to finish it. We seal all wood before staining it. I either use BLO (boiled linseed oil) or de-wax shellac. If you use Blo, you apply it with a rag and rub off the excess -- wait three days and then sand it lightly, clean with a tack rag and then apply the stain. Apply the stain with a rag and rub off the excess stain after a few minutes. Let it dry thoroughly (sometimes you need to wait 48 hrs before applying waterlox) when the stain is dry -- again lightly sand with fine sand paper and tack clean. Then begin to apply the waterlox. Apply the 'original' waterlox (thin coat) with a rag. I like to wait 24 hours between coats of waterlox. I apply several coats of waterlox...do not sand between the coats of waterlox. When you are satisfied with the finish, then lightly sand with 0000 steel wool, clean with a tack rag and then give it the 'final coat' of waterlox. Note: to get the oak wood to stain evenly, I prefer BLO in fills in the softer areas (the darker areas, which is chactoristic in oak) What stain are you using? I have good luck with minwax oil based stains. I mix English chestnut, Special walnut, and golden Pecan...