Yes, I've had both blooms taken and, thanfully only once--a potted miniflora; right before mother's day, too. What a lovely sentiment for Mom! "Ma, I love you so much, here's a stolen plant as a token of my appreciation for HOW WELL YOU RAISED ME! I've never had a plant stolen out of the ground, but as for varmints, I have had a number of cats lie on top of young plants and break their canes and new basal growth. It aggravates me for sure, but it's never killed the whole plant. I eventually started sticking little verticle jagged bamboo sticks into the soil in the tops of the pots to discourage them. That seems to "mostly" work. What I haven't figured out is how to keep squirrels from diggin holes in the soil. Any suggestions? Since for the past 8-9 years, I've grown all my roses in pots, after the Mother's Day theft, I started running coated steal cables through holes I've drilled in the pots and connecting all the pots. So someone will either have to plan ahead and bring fairly specialized tools to cut the cables, or break the pots apart and try to carry off the plans sans pot, or bring 3 dozen friends to help them carry all the pots off together, since I lashed the whole garden together, pretty much. That may sound weird, but the way I've arranged it the cables aren't terribly apparent until you try to pick up an individual pot. the cables remain mostly covered in mulch. I know, a determined thief could find a way, but I figure most of the thefts are crimes of convenience (I hope). what's also quite aggravating is people "tearing" rose stems off the bushes, not even bothering to cut them cleanly. I don't mind sharing occasional blooms if people ask, but how thoughtless to damage the whole plant just because you want a pretty flower for a couple days. Mostly I have to count my blessings, though, since I have to grow my roses right out in front where passers by have easy access; that's the only part of my yard with full sun. I'm surprised I've had only 1 plant taken. And the stolen blooms are only a very occasional occurrance.

The last thing I expected when I logged-on this afternoon was to learn of this unfortunate turn of events. Quite a number of roses in my garden, as well as roses I've bought as gifts for friends, came from Ashdown. I'm sure most of us here were pulling for the Ashdown folks to survive the virtual parade of stressors they've had to deal with in the last few years. Here's wishing only the best for the Ashdown crew and their terrific collection of roses. Have to admit, though, that I was a bit nonplussed as I read through the list of available sale roses and found several that had long since been added by email to my 'wish list' at Ashdown. These were roses that I'd gladly have paid full price for. Today, of course, all of those have already sold out. Come to think of it, I never once heard from Ashdown about any rose on my 'wish list'. It was a good concept; too bad it seems not to have worked.

Okay, since you asked ;o) It doesn't matter to me personally what anyone does, but what does matter is the sanctity of marriage and the responsibility that those who enter into it should have. One word. Respect. If you can't have respect for marriage then don't get married. Okay, so someone has respect for marriage and gets married and then finds out that their mate is not who they thought he or she was. Now it's time to make a very important decision and that is whether to stay or go. If they choose to go, in order to give marriage the props it deserves there should still be no "dating" or sexual dalliances until they are no longer legally married. I'm having a hard time understanding what's so darn difficult about that very sound concept. When a person is still married while choosing to carry on an affair ( and maybe that partner is a no good so-and-so), that doesn't make it the right thing to do. Whatever the circumstances are, whether that person has wronged, it really doesn't matter (here's that "matter" again)because the person who is cheating isn't holding the institution of marriage in high esteem. You can slice and dice it however you like, but "dating" while still legally married is cheating. The cheating isn't only happening to the person, but the cheating is also happening to the institution. And Dr. Browne is not only a "talk show psycholigist", but she has had her own practice, is involved in many charitable organizations, has written numerous books and papers, lectured, and is sought out by her peers in matters involving various situations where a well respected psychologist and family counselor is needed. "I think you are well aware that I chose a "sooner rather than later" path myself." I really had no idea that you did. Maybe I can surmise, but I certainly wouldn't query you about it (or anyone else for that matter). I (personally) wouldn't advertise that was the path I'd chosen. That's just me.

Oh YOU were the one that grabbed Francis D? I saw it separated in a pile that I knew belonged to someone and I fell in love with it. But I couldn't find another and I had too many already so I had to go without it. But I'm so glad you got it. I think I may have to get one next year. Debbie recommended it and said it was great. I hope it does well for you. Some red roses have amazing scent. But scent for some reason comes in roses of every color and sometimes not at all. Everyone says Veteran's Honor has an nice scent, but I don't smell it at all. Mr. Lincoln and Oklahoma are two red and very fragrant roses. Oklahoma has such a strong heady scent its unsurpassed by any other rose in my garden. Even more so than Fragrant Cloud, but it turns almost black in the sun so I'm not a huge fan. In terms of fungicide, I use two different ones (its good to alternate so that the fungus does not become resistant to the fungicide. I use Bayer disease control for roses and flowering shrubs. This is sold at Home Depot/Lowes. Its a liquid that you mix into a sprayer. I actually got a hose end sprayer because the pump ones were always clogging and I got tired of lugging around the heavy tank. It doesn't spray a fine mist which is preferable, but its much easier and you don't have to pre mix it (allowing for less contact with the undiluted spray which is more harmful than the spray once its diluted). Just pour it in the bottle and set the dialer to the correct dilution rate. There is also the added benefit that it disperses larger droplets that are less likely to be inhaled or drift too much in the wind. And it covers your rose bushs extremely quickly making it much faster chore. The other one I use is Banner Maxx. This is probably the number one fungicide used by rosarians. Its expensive (i think i paid $55 for a small bottle) but it lats a very long time as its like half a teaspoon per gallon or something like that. I've had it for years and its still full so in reality its less expensive in the long run. I alternate between the two, like I said, but the Bayer one (be sure to get the Disease Control liquid that you spray, not the granules or liquid "drench" that doesn't work on BS, even though it says it does) is inexpensive and readily available. You can use it every two weeks or as often as once a week if needed (once every two weeks is fine unless you have a really bad infestation of BS). Immunox is also a good one, but that one doesn't last as long and you have to spray it once a week, which in my option is too much maintenance. Banner maxx is also 2x a month like the Bayer. Neither spray will harm your plants if you spray early in the morning or in the evening, but I recommend you spray them in the evening so it has all night to dry and remains wet for a good long time before evaporating. Never spray anything that is an oil (neem oil for example) in the summer as it will burn your leaves. These two sprays have never harmed either of my plants even when I have sprayed at less desirable times (high heat/sunny). But again, just to be on the SUPER safe side, evening is best. I am sure the sulfur spray you have will most likely work, but it would have to be applied every week or so. The Bayer/Banner is a systemic fungicide, meaning it is absorbed by the leaf and will protect that leaf for a good amount of time. The sulfur may wash off in the rain and make it essentially useless although its better than nothing at all. I have never sprayed sulfur or copper fungicides so I cannot give any kind of advice on them. But if you'd like to use them just because you already purchased them, be sure to follow the directions and spray in the evening and I'm sure you'll be ok. (And maybe test it first on a few leaves before spraying the entire garden/rose bed). Again, its still better than nothing at all, even if you need to apply it more often. Luckily/unluckily we've had a very dry summer (for S.FL) so black spot has been kept at bay, but even without rain the morning dew is enough to cause severe BS (again, we have not had this problem yet, but certainly it will come once the summer rains arrive). I (because of laziness really) only spray once I sense the humidity in the air. Otherwise I let them get a little BS and go on my merry way. In the summer/humid season however, its almost impossible to get away with not spraying in S.Fl (unless you only grow disease resistant roses, and even then they are only disease resistant. Not disease proof).