When I decided to stop all spraying, and all use of pesticides, I had to discard many Buck roses. They may be winter hardy, but not disease resistant. There are beautiful Buck roses that do not require spray, but Distant Drums, Prairie Star, Honey Sweet are not some of them. My Earth Song was in decline. I ordered a new one, and cut the Earth Song to the ground. It has come back now, and is beautiful. I am a relatively new learner in rose growing, and I am just now realizing the importance of cutting off old wood and encouraging new growth. I used to just let the rose go. That is what I did with Earth Song, and without my cutting off the old wood, it was just fading away. Sammy

jleak: No, I prune differently for each variety. Over the years I have found Earth Song does best if pruned hard. Technically, I think Earth Song is classed as a grandiflora. Kentucky_rose: I believe vase life is average. I will say the flowers look good at all stages, from bud to fully open. And petals usually fall cleanly. But each bloom will form a hip, so I pinch off the deadheads to encourage repeat. It is a great long-lived rose. After 25 years, the thicket of canes from the base is so dense, I could probably divide it like a perennial, maybe using a chainsaw!

Hi Sara-Ann I agree with the prevailing opinions - even in dry colder Nebraska, Earth song gets big for me. It's in the back of a large bed at 5' by 4' on a good year, bushy and continually blooming. It holds the foundation spot underneath a trellis arch just behind it, and it fills the space in front of the trellis pretty well with just 2 feet or so visual space to the top of the trellis. It's a keeper for sure. I also heartily endorse both Roses Unlimited and Burlington as sources for roses. Also, with RU you can always drop Pat an email to check about availability of roses you want and she's pretty prompt at getting back to you with up-to-date information. Same with Burling, who also doesn't maintain web lists of whether a particular rose is in stock at any given time. Cynthia

Jim, don't feel too sorry for me. I really do have way more roses than I need, by my choice! I will admit that in most ways I am practical, but not in that way! In all honesty I thought my teenage grandsons would be able to help me more than they have been able to. They are good helpers, but their Mom and Dad are keeping them busy this summer. One thing that I have observed about your roses and other plantings, is that you don't seem to have more than you are able to manage, and they really are very beautiful and healthy looking. I'll remember that tip about the water and fertilizer.