Thank you all for sharing your experiences with Buck roses and enticing me to other varieties. You, evil rose people, you! I am very pleased to hear about PS. As I mentioned, it was an impulse buy and never thought about it or never paid any attention to it. I was so fascinated with the large 4 inch bloom with intoxicatingly sweet fragrance. The bush was in a 2 gallon container and about 1 ft tall. When I go back to the nursery and see the roses, I have a better idea about how they are. My garden contains some Buck roses also - Carefree Beauty, Earth Song, Aunt Honey, and Blue Skies. All the roses are indeed carefree except BS. BS had very strong citrus fragrance and acted like HT, but he decided to not grow.

I think you are talking about the little Japanese spirea, which get the pink flowers, stay about 30" tall. If so, you can prune these sharply each spring. I try to cut mine before leaf buds get going to save plant's energy for regrowth. You can still cut them if leaves have started, just remove less stick. I take off about 6 inches, but mine have no leaves when trimmed. If the leaves are bigger than your fingernail, I would only take 3-4 inches off. Take out any dead sticks, thin out the middle area. This lets air move around more easily, preventing problems and dead stick (no leaves) centers in bush. I find my Japanese spireas bloom very well with this program. I also get real good color in the leaves, with bush being quite thick all season. I have the Lime and Gold Mound bushes in two locations for their color. Pruning seems to aid color intensity as well.

Thanks for all the kind words everyone...I really appreciate it. Denise, it looks like my plant is almost half solid green leaves now. Take a look at the picture when I first bought it 6 months ago. 90% of the leaves are variegated, now its only 40-50% variegated. Not that I mind, I like the solid green as well. Right now if I cut the green off shoots, half my plant will be gone, LOL... I have a small pot started that I combined KP and KQ together in one pot since they are in the same family, I think it looks good together. I might start one with just the solid green also.You are so right, I just checked my plant and all of the peduncles(buds) are all on the solid green part of my plant, weird! Shanna, you are so right, it is really nice to see one of your plants flower for the first time in your care. It gives you a boost of confidence that you are doing something right, LOL... Krimson Queen with one bud almost ready to open...Thanks again, Krimson Queen with buds(Top of plant)

Mari - Thanks for the recommendations. I have considered both in the past. I have also considered Young Lycidas and Huntington Rose. Patty - I have read and heard from others (after I planted it, of course) that this rose has this issue. It does not sound like maturity would change it in this case but I know what you mean. sultry_jasmine_nights - Thanks for the report. That's great to know it continues to bloom in the heat for you. Perhaps this exposed spot is not the best for it. I'll continue to consider this. Redroses - I only move roses in the spring when they are dormant (usually mid March here). But I do plant potted roses all year. Yes, it stinks to see a rose in the wrong spot and the wait seems long but better that than a dead one.