When Minnie Hill Palmer passed, The Acre was deeded to the city and fell under control of 'Parks and Wreck'. The Chatsworth Historical Society was formed to save The Pioneer Church and finally came to support The Acre. Candy and Dean Craig resurrected the gardens and added many OGRs through their friendship and connection with John MacGregor, Clair Martin's predecessor at The Huntington Library. They were rose garden volunteers there and it was they who introduced me to the place and got me started there. Candy also had a friendship with Peter Schneider, the editor of The American Rose Rambler, a marvelous rose newsletter, and now the editor of The Combined Rose List, which he generated with Bev Dobson (who originated it) and whom he succeeded. The Craigs lost a daughter to a drunk driver and Peter named an apricot floribunda he created for their daughter, Eden Ellen. There was a bed of it growing there for many years. They surrounded the house with roses, making it a popular venue for weddings and other parties, arranged through "Parks and Wreck". With tightening belts and the aging of the Historical Society and surrounding rose societies which often used the gardens to hold their pruning demonstrations, it appears roses (not all, but from the photos, many) have been removed (or, perhaps died) to reduce maintenance and probably to increase room for events. Candy held an annual Rose Festival in conjunction with Pioneer Days, a community festival, for many years where she sold old, rare and unusual roses to help pay for the potting soil and other supplies required to maintain the gardens. Many of them were passed through her by Peter from his imports and were the source of things such as Julia's Rose, Greensleeves and quite a few other unusual European roses not in US commerce at the time. A number were propagated from the OGRs existing on the property when they came to be the volunteer caretakers and many more came from The Huntington and my old Newhall garden. There are still some roses there, I'm not sure which though. It's suggested to start plants out in pots which best fit their root ball size so the roots fill the pots and knit a solid root ball. Starting a band out in a five gallon can will frequently lead to weakened root ball between the crown of the plant and the pot edges due to the long length of roots between the center and edges. Removing the root ball from the pot could then permit loosening or even damage to the roots at their weakest point, between the crown and edge of the mass. Starting a small plant in a gallon until the roots fill the pot wall surfaces shortens that distance, creating a more solid root mass. Increasing that from a gallon to a two or three and permitting it to then fill out the increased mass results in a more solid soil/root ball which is less likely to fall apart or otherwise be damaged by removal or handling. The organics in the soil break down, digest, over time, leaving only the inorganic material (sand, clay, stone, etc.). Eventually, all potted plants require replanting to replenish and refresh the soil in the container. A looser, weaker root ball is more easily damaged than a tighter solid mass, so the plant will experience less damage and shock from the root ball falling apart. If you're trying to protect smaller pots from heat and cold extremes, it's far easier to protect multiples than one. They can be grouped together so each helps shade and insulate the next. (another logical "excuse" for larger pot ghettos!) If your goal is to keep the plant potted until it's matured sufficiently for planting, this would be the more secure method of accomplishing it. If you intend to keep it potted, it still may be safer to start with a smaller size them transplant into the desired size to stack the deck in your favor for safer repotting when the time comes. You may be able to safely accomplish transplanting after starting the smaller plant in a larger pot, but the chances of the soil ball breaking up are greater. Kim Here is a link that might be useful: American Rose Rambler and Combined Rose List

in FL .... i presume sand soil ???? sand covered in rock ... against a white wall .. i am guessing you cooked the soil they are in ... not to mention the cement walkway and driveway ... which retain heat.. deep into the night allowing no recovery period .... improper watering since you cant tell what is going on under the rock .. ... and relying on rain ..... without verifying is risky .... and baked them with reflected light.. and you may have burned the roots with the fert stake... depending on how that was done ... then sprayed chemicals on seriously stressed leaves ... burning them off.... never fertilize a recent transplant.. and dont waste your money on fertilizer stakes ... total and completely useless ... i really dont think.. there is much here to save ... unless you are willing to wait until spring.. and see how they flush out ... but i dont know if i could look at this.. all winter long.. right out my front door ... if they were new plantings... perhaps they can be replaced under warranty .. BTW .... are they new transplants.. or perhaps.. the stone and the mulch lawn was reworked???? .. significantly affecting their microculture ???? ken

As others have mentioned, spider mites are an ongoing challenge with English ivy. I have managed to keep about 7 ivy plants alive indoors. Though I have found spider mites on a few leaves, and there are probably a few plants that have some mites right now, I think the most important thing is early intervention. I don't think you should obsess over eradicating mites from these plants entirely, as they tend to come back quickly, but the goal should be to keep them under control in the first place. That being said: 1. Remove any infested leaves with a mottled appearance immediately. I see you have some relatively healthy leaves left, and you could keep those in tact and perhaps save part of your plant, but cut off the others. 2. Every time you water the plant (because I have a chunky soil, it's about once a week), gently spray the leaves with a shower or sink spray attachment. Turn them over as you spray them, feel the texture of the leaves over your fingers, examine them, and remove anything that looks discolored. 3. Some here recommend an insecticide, and I think that's fine, but in my experience, you just have to be diligent in observing the plant more than anything, before things get out of control. 4. Avoid transferring indoor plants outside in the summer. This is just a personal preference, as I don't want to have to deal with a bug issue once I bring them back inside or infest my other plants. 5. Ivy likes medium-high light, but also likes cool evenings, but also likes humidity so their leaves don't dry out. Can you say, "Goldilocks plant?" It's a challenge with most home environments as we tend to regulate temperature more moderately. Ivy is beautiful, and it can be fussy, and I am by no means an ivy expert, and I have lost a few. However, having learned over time, I think the extra work is certainly worth it! Don't give up!

Are you sure it is dying and not just losing leaves? Does your definition of "chemicals" include fertilizers? Where have you been keeping it, inheriting sounds like container, is it indoors or outdoors? etc.