Veteran's Honor IS true carnation red, at least on the petal fronts. The reverse is just a little lighter red, but the overall effect is straight-ahead red. It has consistently big, full, shapely blooms no matter the weather. Plus a modest but definitely detectable raspberry fragrance. I'd still pick it first. Opening Night for me was just so-so in the heat of summer. It really excels in spring and late fall, here. It's best feature is its intensely saturated red coloring. Bloom size is good but I still think Vet's Honor's form is better. My prettiest red of all is Vino Rosso aka Vino Rossi, which is a blending of crimson and red. The shading adds interest but is still effectively blood red. A little smaller blooms of about 4 inches, but stunning form, even in heat. No scent at all though. It's available mailorder from Wisconsin Roses; you have to email Steve and get on a waiting list. Great price, and the rose is worth the wait. Another trooper in the summer heat is Olympiad, and that is pure, unvaried red all over. Got mine from Chamblee's. Crimson Glory is a dark crimson, super fragrant and healthy if you get a good one, but usually doesn't produce decent cutting stems, and the heads always nod. Chrysler Imperial is my most consistent super-fragrant red for the heat, but it is definitely one to fade to raspberry or light red. Mr. Lincoln, also super-fragrant, has the opposite problem of aging to a dark muddy purplish-red, not my favorite. In the mild climate of Washington State where I first grew it, it was my favorite red for sure. Black Magic is pretty good, a bit more prone to blackspot, though all the ones we've discussed could use some spray protection. My absolutely most disease-resistant red is Deep Secret, which is definitely NOT great for hot summers, but I have kept it because it has several great virtues going for it. It excells in the late fall and winter here when some others are resting, it is super-blackspot resistant, has outstanding deep deep red coloring, shaded black, and has nice straight cutting stems. It is a bit smaller than some others, mine usually just 3 and a half inches in diameter, but occasionally 4". The bush is also smaller, so it doesn't take up nearly the space that Veteran's Honor, for example, does. I haven't grown Beloved, aka Cesar E. Chavez, but I've seen it around here, and it seems to do very well. It is a gorgeous red, very intense, a strong grower, slightly fragrant.

Agree with what others have said about testing your soil first, usually through your state ag center. I have a home tester which cost apx $35, & have compared the ag center's reports on my 3 soil samples w/ what my own tester shows - pretty accurate. High end testers cost apx $75-100. I grow the herb comfrey, make a tea like the alfalfa tea described above & apply it with a sprayer or a watering can. I would worry that comfrey used as a mulch or in compost might grow new plants all over the place. Comfrey tea smells until the leaves turn black, then it stops smelling. As I remember the alfalfa tea that I made never stopped smelling until I poured it on the plants, then there was no smell. Comfrey grows very quickly here, dies back somewhat in the winter & costs almost nothing. See links below. Has anyone mentioned a worm box (vermiculture)? Very cheap as the worms eat your rotten produce, newspapers & eggshells & provide liquid gold to your garden. Info on comfrey as fertilizer, see p2 of link for "liquid fertilizer": http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/comfrey-power Comfrey needs room as it has a huge taproot. It can also throw a seed. I am currently cutting off the flowers until I can get the sterile one, Russian Comfrey Bocking #14, developed for this use & recommended. Also see book on link below: http://www.nantahala-farm.com/comfrey-root-bocking-14-s.shtml

All of mine in pots have to be watered at least twice a day in the heat to bloom and only the toughest did well in full sun. I don't think I would recommend those for a roadside memorial either with teens probably visiting it a lot. Some of them might get the bright idea to experiment with the brugs if they find out what they are and then you would have another terrible tragedy. Its a nice thing you are doing. Maybe you can think of a better plant that not be a distraction to drivers or a temptation to teens. How about a daylilly that is named angel something. That would work well in full sun.

Spruce...thanks for the idea about asking where a nursery gets their seed. I am surprised that they don't mind telling you. I will keep that in mind. Forest Farm is a catalog I have but I haven't ordered from them before. Thanks for the recommendation, ken...thanks for the gee tree farm idea and arrowhead alpines, girard nurseries, and for pointing me toward the ACS. jaro...Iseli, has some nice photos on their site...thanks for their ME distributor. Once in awhile I get up to Maine. You never know. tsugajunkie...yes, I do understand that white pine is native to Maine and Tsuga canadensis is native to the East Coast. I got the impression that some of the ornamental conifers are bothered by cold weather and frost. Adrian Bloom mentions in his book, not planting some varieties in an East facing location because in the spring, the early morning son would thaw them out just in time for the cold to get them later. mrgpag...Broken Arrow Nursery is a great idea! I have been there once before and they really impressed me with the quality of their plant material at reasonable prices. That was awhile ago and I wasn't looking for conifers then, so I didn't notice whether they had a collection or not. Thanks a lot! Thank you all for the help.. :-) pm2