Some cuter stuff. Diane

I'm pretty sure the last drawing above is a self portrait done several years ago. Her hair is orange now, and she's going through an artsy fartsy stage, I guess. Diane

Diane, is the white hared lady you casting a spell to make your roses bigger and better? Melodye

Diane - the last one is one of my very favorites that she's done!! I love the inner rabbit one and the shoes with tendrils! They're all so much fun...except for the mushroom one which is sad...but still really good!

Carol, I've looked at the "inner rabbit" one so many times and never seen the rabbit, just like Trish saw the hidden cat the red haired girl is holding. What is the matter with me? Maybe I'm too close to the drawings to see the subtle stuff. I concentrated on the sad girl looking into the home from the outside--and that girl/profile is Clare. Yeah, the mushroom chair isn't particularly appealing, but it's Clare's messy room for sure. She doesn't realize how much of herself she puts into these drawings. When I see the shoes with seedlings growing out of them, I see her former sig other, whom I really liked.

Melodye, you won't believe this, but my hair is mostly dark brown. I have a halo of grayish salt and pepper around my face, sort of skunk like which I hate. But from the back, it's almost solid brown. This is courtesy of genetics from my dad's side of the family. My aunt never went totally gray.

I really appreciate all your comments on Clare's work. You have certainly pointed out things I've never noticed, and I'm enjoying this, though a bit embarrassed. Here's one of her portraits of Finn. She did a more detailed one for me for Mother's Day. I need to get that one in my files. Finn is my kitty son. I am his favorite, and love it. Diane

He is extremely fat, so this is accurate. Diane

Actually, what isn't allowed is getting those plants past inspection, paying for phytosanitary certificates, and a quarantining them, and inspecting them again. This costs hundreds of dollars and a lot of time and energy. So how did you get the plants past customs? It's always iffy, too, with anything imported that disease and pests can sneak in. That's why all the hassle and expense. It's how Japanese beetles came to this country, I'm sure. Also, states like Idaho don't allow plants to be brought into the state from other states, even states next door. The Dept of Agriculture is very protective of the agricultural industry, as well as the established nursery industry here. California is even stricter. Diane

Carol, I didn't see the rabbit either. I couldn't work out what that dark shape was, but of course!

Diane, not surprisingly, your roses have made a deep impression on her. I love the one of Finn.

It doesn't matter if your roses aren't invasive, etc. Idaho does not allow any plant to be imported unless it's from a qualified nursery. Edmunds, a big out of state nursery hasn't been able to send roses to Idaho for at least seven years. Hawaii and Alaska are even stricter. You can't drive across the California border from another state without an agricultural inspection of any plant material you might be carrying in your car. I've done it many times. I'm pretty sure all plants require inspection, phytosanitary certificate, and quarantine if brought into the US from another country. You might ask Roseseek (Kim) on this forum about the details. Diane

Diane, Wagners is a very reputable company here, I do not think they would be happy to have rules broken like this. We all want roses that are unavailable in our own countries and are aware of the dangers of importing without the required checks and certification and most of us wouldn’t try. Our Customs and Agriculture dept are tigers when it comes to illegal plant material. It would be a waste of money to try and that's not taking account of the fines. I’ve contacted the relevant departments when I’ve wanted to buy seeds from overseas. the answer is you can try but no guarantees that you will receive them. It has saved me a packet. As you say we don’t want overseas nasties coming into our countries. I’m scared that we might end up with RR disease in Australia Melodye

We are careful with fruit that comes from NZ in case it brings in Fire Blight to affect our apple crops and other related plants M

@User

I hate to rain on anyone's parade, I really do, but importation of roses is illegal from Australia. I can understand the confusion, but the USDA APHIS site is the last and final word on importation of any living material to the USA. Roses are only allowed to be imported to the US from Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Even from those countries, very strict limitations are enforced on the material allowed, and a two year quarantine is required, with inspections to be paid for by the importer. When I last checked, the cost for me was $250 per inspection.

Here is a screen shot of the page from the USDA APHIS site (Animal and Plant Health Inspection):

Here is the link to the actual page, which should open a huge PDF. You'll need to scroll down to page 1185 to see the page I screen shot.

APHIS Plants for Planting

So regardless of whether it's possible to import roses, it's impossible to import them from Australia, under any circumstances.

EDIT: the $250 inspection fee is a "travel fee" for the inspector to visit the site where the rose is quarantined. It was (or rather "would have been") $250 for me. It is dependent on your distance from the point of importation (the airport or place from where the inspector travels). So it could be less...or more.

EDIT #2: Welp, the post to which this was directed was deleted in case anyone is now confused about what the heck I'm rambling about, lol. The post concerned bringing in roses from Australia without applying for the appropriate permits, etc. The person seems to have deleted or inactivated their profile, as well :P

Thanks, fig. And then there are state rules on top of the federal ones. As I said, Idaho is very strict about bringing in plant material from other states Diane

Melodye, I've noticed the name Wagners as a reputable seller of roses in Australia when I've done some searches in the past. Diane

Well said! ! fig_ insanity Melodye

Diane , another is Treloars, they release the Kordes roses, and Knight’s havethe Tantaus. Rankins release Delbard roses and dahlias. The Roses are always excellent specimens never had any problems with any of these suppliers. Melodye

It is a pain waiting for them to clear quarantine then rose trials M

And here is a horror story I just dug up. It's nine years old, but if anything, it's worse now:

My $400+ Rose Blunder...Embarassing (you realllllllly should read the whole thread, very educational!)

And here's Kim's (roseseek) take on him trying to import a rose about seven years ago. The red tape is mind-boggling:

Ordering roses from FilRoses

It's not Kim's thread, he was merely commenting. Kim's comment will be the first one after the "featured" comment.

Fig, I read those and will read them again. Thanks for the link. It's good to be reminded of all the expense and red tape.

Melodye, I'm familiar with all those names except Rankins. They appear a lot on my google search lists. Diane

Who is this nanadoll person I keep running into on old threads? Diane

@Diane Brakefield From what I know of her, she was an fantastic rosarian who often graced the forum with levity and magazine-worthy photography of her garden. Wonder how she's doing nowadays?

Diane, I'm sure *I* don't know, hehe. I just know I'm jealous of her roses :D

oh I remember nanadoll who had the biggest roses I could never find in Australia her commentaries used to have me in stitches. 😂

todays plonk which is something nanadoll would say. Mirage with Bordeaux and Silver Lace plant ( Tanacetum ptarmicifolium) which is coming up to flower, pretty clusters of little white daisies. My original silver lace plant is years old and I could never find more, so 2 years ago I took lots of cuttings, sweated over them hoping they’d take. 3 survived and by Sods law next time I visited my favourite nursery they had tiny plants cutting grown. I could have spat chips!. Mine were much bigger than theirs, so I stuck my nose in the air and went off in a huff. Daughter thought it was hilarious. The time I spent watching them to make sure they were neither too hot or too cold Humph! Melodye

Mirage, 2 years ago in sunny wearher. today's has developed in cool rainy wearher M

Just woke up from a long chair nap. You mean Mirage above is the same as the lavender rose in the plonk? It's beautiful, but it can't be the same. No wonder it's called Mirage. The silver lace plant you grow looks like the same as our Silver Lace Dusty Miller, which my gardening friend and I have loved for years. It got so we couldn't find anyone who sold it, so she began to start it from seed, which she also had a hard time finding. Some years I benefited from her hard work, and she shared her plants with me. Silver lace is not quite hardy here, and acts as an annual. I think I got some to winter over maybe once. Diane

from a while back

Diane I swear the rose is the same one, flowers vary with the amount of sun and water they get, I have found. the second one was at the end of a very hot dry summer. The first photo, we have had cold. weather and a lot of rain over the past 3 months.

Dusty Miller here is a different plant, much coarser leaves, and yellow flowers and mainly annual. But if you ask for silver lace plant it is what they give you. Yours looks like mine which grows about 2’, tall with big clusters of white daisy flowers .They are drought tolerant. My 4 bushes are covered in buds at present I’ll take photos, tomorrow and add them to this comment. At least I hope I can. I’ve just been told by houzz that I’ve been unsubscribed from this thread. I’ve just gone to bed! Its 1116 pm Melodye

ps did you ever manage to get Chippendale, Ive got one flower at present, but it has a proliferated centre… too cold I suspect. More buds coming , hope they turn out ok M

Silver lace getting ready to flower Melodye. ignore the sow thistles in bottom corner There is a Gold Topas hidden behind the silver lace.

Unsubscribed Melodye? Another houzz dirty trick? That can't be true. Chippendale is a Tantau rose that we can't get here, though I think a lot of people, me included, wouldn't mind growing it. It's not at the top of my list though. I'd love to grow silver lace like you do--a perennial that eventually produces white daisy flowers. And with those silvery leaves. It must be beautiful, and I can't wait to see your photos if houzz lets you back on--geez. Diane

Evelyn and her Shasta Daisy friends earlier in the summer

My shasta daisies are buried under the osteospermums, still, they are daisy flowers as well. Your Evelyn is lovely, mine seems to be growing backwards, mingy little thing. I shall tellit to shape up or it will be shipped out Melodye

Well I still seem to be able to post🙂 Melodye

Well, I'm glad you are able to post--I was a bit worried. I used to grow osteospermums called African Daisies, but they were quite expensive and too tender to survive our winters, so these $ perennials were actually annuals in my garden. I grew lavenders, pinks, and light purplish ones. I decided they were too pricey to replace every year, but they were so pretty. I have three Evelyns in that flower bed with the Shastas, and they only really bloom well in the spring because of several !@#$ trees and their shade. I will have to shell out mucho dinero to have them thinned, trimmed, and limbed even further up this spring. They are way too big for the small spaces allotted to them. I have a fourth Evelyn in back in more sun that goes crazy shooting out long canes that rub against each other in the wind, shredding blooms. I cut them back, and out come more long canes. I've had about two pretty blooms this year because of the shredding and abrading of the blooms. Why do we grow roses, anyway, when they torture us so? Diane

Nana Doll - ;) I love your Evelyn and the shasta daisies!! :) :) Evelyn is SUCH a fabulous rose...especially yours!

I know! Why? This year was extremely tortuous for so many of us.

Yes, it was a tortuous year for you, too. I do enjoy all the beautiful fall color which will probably be cut short by the early frost. Bah. Diane

I'm really happy that just as the cool weather is here, that I can walk again!! My Achilles Tendons are sooooo much better!!! WAHOO!!!

Carol, I'd like to like your last post a thousand times.

Thank you Trish!!! <3 <3 <3 :) :) :)

I went for a walk again today...an hour...just a tiny bit of discomfort at the very end. :) :) :)

I'm not sure if I should keep these reading glasses. I can take them back for a full refund. I get dizzy from them...but it may be getting better. I was reading posts a bit earlier without my glasses, and I was leaning in to read better, instead of sitting up straight and tall like I am now while using them. I guess I can keep trying and decide in a few days...although I'd better not damage them. LOL

I guess I am very behind in this thread… lovely seeing your rodes, plants and art work.

Diane,

Oh, Claire is soooooo talented! My son would love her art work. Thank you for sharing! He started doing digital art last year-loves it! I had him take online corses on “skillshare.” Love Claire’s faces and figures. Her cat is sweet! beautiful colors-great for story books! Excited to hear more about Jemma’s art work, too. My son is a freshmen in college-starting his art & journalism major.

We have talented artistic children. My daughters are really talented in this area too. Interesting...maybe there's a gardening, genetic component. Who knows. :) :) :)

I do know that mathematics gifts tend to be inherited with musical gifts. I've always thought that gardening involved a lot of artistic skills. Jemma shows hints of someday becoming a good gardener. Clare, so far, has relied on her superb memory for drawing roses and other plants, though she is currently growing some nice little indoor plants--there is hope. I'm a failure with indoor plants.

Thanks, Kitty and Carol. Clare began using the stylus/software for drawing back in 2016 in high school. She taught herself and has upgraded her technology over the years. Currently, she's drawing comics and graphic novels for a company (she has a contract). But I don't know the company's name. Jemma also uses the same technology as Clare, but she's more interested in other projects right now. She likes being a restaurant hostess part time (who'd a thought), but she's still a full time student, too, and is busy. Diane

Diane - so Jemma is enjoying being a hostess...probably good tips, like you said. :) Way to go Clare for having a contract!!! That is AMAZING!!! She's doing what she loves...not everyone can say that...good for her!!

There's no way to catch up here, but I have to comment on the pic of Evelyn with her footmen, Shasta Daisies. Diane, I love that combination so much. I planted Feverfew this year hoping it will reseed under the climbers along the fence. They're a little taller than I want, but years ago someone posted a pic of tiny daisies as a ground cover with their roses and I will never forget how beautiful it was. It might have been Chamomile, but I like the chartreuse foliage of Feverfew.

I'm waiting to hear some of Jemma's restaurant stories. I still have one grand waitressing part time, and I will miss the stories when she isn't there anymore. And, congratulations on your contract,Clare! They say if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. Most people never find that sweet spot.

Carol, that is such good news that you are on your feet again. Keep getting better. When my daughter got her progressive lenses, she was dizzy all the time and even fainted. She took them back. I don't think yours are progressive, but new lenses of any kind can be hard to get used to.

@flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA Chamomile gets quite tall for me. Maybe it was creeping daisy?

Flowers - she fainted! Wow!! Yeah, I'm finding now that if I try to read stuff on the computer without my glasses on, I find it really difficult...my eyes don't focus like they used to. And I'm finding I'm only a little bit dizzy all day...so progress!!!

Carol, you need a special pair of glasses just for the computer--that's quite common. I use ancient reading glasses when on the computer that I no longer use for reading. Being very near sighted, I see better up close without any glasses. It's wonderful being without glasses for the hours that I read. Progressive lenses shouldn't be a problem. If glasses are the right prescription, fit properly and tilted just the right amount, there should be no "breaking in" time period. That's just BS. Reading glasses should not need "breaking in" either. I've worn progressive lenses for decades for distance and mid distance.

Flowers, thank you, but Shasta Daisies are such a pain. I've grown them forever, and it's always something with them. This summer they didn't like the heat, and so the blooms lasted about a week and dried up. Then I get to deadhead the things, and of course, they don't rebloom. Fie on them. I need blooms badly in that particular bed, and I don't know what to use in place of the Shastas. I already have lots of snaps around there, and this was a terrible year for them, too. I've grown Feverfew before at my previous home. I can hardly remember it. I'm in an old age rut, and just want to sit in my rocker, not replace flowers. Diane

Carol- Diane is correct. Many people need special lenses and a dedicated pair of glasses for the computer.
Do you know what material the lenses in the glasses are that are currently bothering you? Polycarbonate lenses can be difficult for many people to adapt to despite their widespread use and Superior impact resistance which results in high levels of safety as well as their ultraviolet protection. Unfortunately, polycarbonate lenses have a low Abbe Value. In fact, polycarbonate lenses technically have the absolute worst optical clarity due to this low value which results in a high dispersion rate which results in an experience called chromatic aberration. It will often be picked up as swim, dizziness, distortion, and looking through the peripheries of the lenses one will often get highlights of red and yellow and one direction and blue purple and the other at the edges of objects. That's even with single vision lenses!
Modern progressive lenses that are digitally surfaced and sometimes called freeform or high definition lenses, can help with this and they also take into account vertex distance, prescription strength, pantoscopic tilt, and of course the individuals prescription and pupillary distance.

Unfortunately, all progressive lenses will have the peripheral distortions due to the nature of the design in manipulating the surface to allow smooth progression of power from the distance prescription down through the intermediate area and into the reading zone at the lower part of the lens. A pair of dedicated computer progressives can be made to exist where the top part of the lens is all your intermediate strength for in between work going down into the near power for closer work.
The newest technology is variable base curves with lens blanks that are both front and rear surfaced for progressives versus being made from just a single vision lens blank as today's free form progressive lenses are.
For lens materials which have an increased Abbe Value and therefore Superior clarity, the safest modern choice is Trivex. It was developed by PPG industries as visual armor for the US military. It is the absolute lightest lens material available on the market today and is considered a higher index lens material which results in thinner prescriptions versus traditional plastic (CR-39) and Crown Glass.
These last three materials actually have the highest Abbe Values and therefore the very best optical clarity possible.
Some individuals are non-adapt to progressive design or polycarbonate material. I myself who have tried every lens material that is a mainstream option on the market today can tell you that polycarbonate will give me the most dizziness and sick sensation when I switch between the the types and usually takes a couple 3 days for me to adapt and I'm still a single vision individual who is very nearsighted as well.
I apologize for this ridiculous long post but I am an ABO optician and I decided to continue my education credit to maintain my certification despite the lack of return on investment it provides me!

Steven

@MiGreenThumb (Z5b S.Michigan/Sunset 41) Elevation: 1091 feet Wow! I didn't know that about you. Thanks for the info share.

@Mischievous Magpie- no problem, and you're welcome! We're all full of surprises, eh?
I was in one of the last groups through that actually got the grade on the test because you have to have a minimum of 70% to pass and today they just have it set as pass or fail which I do not like. I got 93% on the over one hour proctored exam. I don't know about anybody else but I consider somebody that passes with an A to have superior grasp of the knowledge versus somebody who's going to be passing with a C. I feel their new method of pass or fail is doing a disservice to patients but we all know how things like that in our world work. 
It does help remind me that I need to go back to college because I have always excelled academically and there's no reason that I shouldn't be at a better status in life than I am but because I don't have that piece of paper (degree) I do not. Then again, just having a degree doesn't mean somebody is necessarily intelligent either or possessing common sense!

Chrysalis is still there but there was a Monarch out today too.i hope the chrysalis emerges!

Steven

Fabulous photos, Steven. Keep us up to date on the chrysalis. It's a beautiful thing.

Thanks for your detailed explanation of lenses and lens materials. I was particularly interested in Trivex, which is new to me. I've worn progressive lens for about 30 years with only one problem--when a number of years ago when they conned me into having an anti-reflective coating put on both sides of the lens (always on one side before); this double coating caused light diffraction in the lenses. A total mess. I grew up surrounded by optometrists and ophthalmologists, including my dad. I think you need to go back to school and get that piece of paper. Diane

Diane - thanks for your support!!! :) :) :) I'll ask questions when I go get my other pair of glasses. :) :) You were surrounded by optometrists and ophthalmologists (I'll trust your spelling on that atrocious word LOL)...so you know what you're talking about. :)

Stephen - wow!!! You are so knowledgeable!!! I don't know about the edges of my glasses (colors) because I have Retinitis Pigmentosa (variety of it)...so my vision isn't good around the periphery. My husband loves to tease me by taking something that I'm going to use (bowl of cereal) and placing it somewhere else. And even though I'm right there...I don't notice. LOL When I go to pick up my pair for normal use...I will mention what you said and see if there's another lens type that could be better for me. Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! I'll let you know (next week sometime) what they say.

Carol, a friend of mine who is a little older than I has retinitis pigmentosa as well. For her and her needs, I fit the CR-39 FT-28 with anti-reflective. They work well for her.

Diane- that's very interesting! Anti-reflective is an option as a nearsighted person I consider it practically mandatory for people because you won't see your eye in the reflection of the lens, you get minimized starburst glare and halos caused by all the light bouncing around inside the lens, and increases visual acuities in low light situations such as nighttime driving because it allows more light through the lens versus being lost, and also enhances the aesthetic appeal because it makes the lenses look practically invisible. A high quality anti-reflective coating is going to be scratch resistant and easy to clean. I loved it when I heard patients claim that their glasses got dirtier and I told them no they are not getting dirtier it's just that the lenses are so clear now you can actually see how dirty they were getting in the first place! High minus lenses (near sighted) generate concentric circles due to the inner reflections of the lenses and anti-reflecta can help minimize this. How long ago did you try and I reflective? They've made great strides with it in recent years. I have lenses that are currently 7 years old that have held up well with it. You are absolutely right I do need to go get my higher education!

My Rx lens showing concentric circles (higher the minus power come the thicker the lens edge, the greater the circles), Aunt Honey, Bishop's Castle x2, Lafter, hips of moss Gabrielle Noyelle.

Steven

Steven, I love your Bishop's Castle and the hips of the moss rose. I need to do some more photographing and observing of rose hips. I noticed that Wild Blue Yonder has probably the most beautiful hips among my roses.....Thanks for more lens info. I've used anti reflective coatings for at least 30 years. But only on the outer surface of the lens,and I love it for all the reasons you've stated. When I first started using the coating, we had to clean the lens with a special cleaner, and the coating was easy to damage. Coatings have improved tremendously over the years. But the idea of coating both sides of the lens was a bad one for me, anyway. Diane

Thanks, Steven!! It's a bit late for me to change the lens coating as the glasses are ready for pick up. LOL But thank you for thinking of me!

What is the rose (bud) right above the hips? I love it!! Lovely roses!!