Great stuff! I read all but the one by/of (?) the funny Australian woman. I'd read the Dogs in the Carcass story before, but it's funny enough to bring tears to my eyes the second time around. It's got to be made up - you find the things that just don't pan out when you read it closely - but who cares? The squirrel story is great. The gardenia post is hilarious. Wish I'd read it BEFORE killing several gardenias in my cool, foggy California coast garden. Did anybody besides me notice that ALL the responders who grew gardenias easily were in hot, humid climates? Gardenia plants shouldn't even be sold in other climates, but as long as people will buy them, they will be for sale. I wonder if there's a similar post about Daphne odora anywhere. That's another famously suicidal plant. I couldn't prevent two out of three of those from committing suicide (also in California), with the one surviving plant deliriously happy, and absolutely thriving. Same location, same treatment for all three, all three the same variety. It's enough to drive a gardener nuts. I haven't tried those here, and don't intend to. Plants have to be very tough to survive here. Just the idea of planting a daphne or gardenia here is enough to make me snicker. Thanks for the laughs! Jeanne

Hi, Christopher! You don't owe me a thing. I adore my "DLFED 3" with or without bloom. It's special to me because Kim Rupert bred it and you and I swapped for it. :-) I'm pretty sure it will bloom this year. It has produced a jungle of new growth! 'Indigo': mine has begun to spread much more enthusiastically as well. When you first asked about her behavior, she was a moderate traveler in my garden. Paul Barden, whose climate and soil are similar to mine, mentioned that his 'Rose de Rescht' doesn't spread much at all. After five years, mine started to travel, crawling under a small stone wall and leaping across the bed space. I know what you mean about the newer hybrid teas, even the dark red ones. I am keeping one 'Mr. Lincoln' (which my mother grew) and passing along the rest. As time passes, the old roses, plus a VERY small group of sentimental moderns, appeal to me more and more. I also have two 'Frances Dubreuil' teas in big pots, and I wouldn't be without them even if they are 'Barcelona' HTs. I'd love to hear about the cemetery garden you are planting. I must have missed the discussion during my check-ins. Ingrid and John, thank you for the "welcome back"! Ingrid, the closest I've gotten to Tahiti is a Gauguin exhibit, although I have to admit to preferring Redoute. :-) John, I love your moniker. My husband is insane about figs, too. We have a tree in our back garden which shoots up to twice its size after pruning...to my dismay (since it shades my roses) and my husbands great delight. :-) Carol

Pretty petals...500 roses! I have en entire back yard that doesn't have a single flower/shrub, etc., ..but I'm pacing myself. :-) Rose_crazy - the soil is all that but there are still chunks of that deep red sticky clay. I can't recall any place that has yellow roses down here....but I have seen other bush roses (nothing this pretty I don't think!) Let's hope they adapt and I can keep the happy! Diane...thank you! The yellow/purple combo has become my favorite and my son had no idea when he bought the Get Mees. He just knew I needed plants and his "new tradition" he said was going to be to buy perennials each year. (I like that tradition!) Your Get Mees look great. Sylvia - we'll have to swap notes as we go. When did you plant yours? How's she doing? Sheila-I hope you do, too! :-) I hope I do, too! Thanks for the welcome, all!

A good healthy soil growing strong and healthy plants can help minimize the occurrence of Black Spot, not eliminate it altogether but minimize it. A good healthy soil starts with the proper soil pH and balanced nutrients and that begins with a good reliable soil test. In addition roses grow quite well in soils that are well endowed with organic matter that are evenly moist but well drained. Along with the good reliable soil test perhaps these simple soil tests might be of some help. 1) Soil test for organic material. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains’ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell, to a point. Too much organic matter can be bad as well. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. kimmq is kimmsr