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2023 rose & health & garden & what we treasure

strawchicago z5
last year
last modified: 9 months ago

At 61-year-old, taking care of my health is vital for growing roses. Didn't realize that vitamin A is essential for good sleep since it regulates the circadian rhythm. If I sleep well, I can do more in the garden. If I have enough vitamin A, then I can maintain my eyesight to enjoy roses.

The genetic INABILITY to convert beta-carotene in plants into vitamin A caused macular degeneration in many of my 8 older sisters. From healthline website:

"Vitamin A1, also known as retinol, is only found in animal-sourced foods, such as oily fish, liver, cheese, and butter. Your body can produce vitamin A from carotenoids in plants. These carotenoids are known as provitamin A. About 45% of people carry a genetic mutation that significantly reduces their ability to convert provitamin A into vitamin A."

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in older people. See excerpt: BCO1 Gene: Converting Beta-Carotene to Vitamin A - Genetic Lifehacks

"Genetic variants in the BCO1 gene cause a large difference in the amount of vitamin A produced from dietary beta-carotene. About 80-90% of the retinoids in the body are stored in the liver. Retinol is important for:

  • Stem cells & Photoreceptors in the eye & Epithelial cells
  • Embryonic cells Various & immune cells & Red blood cells
  • Circadian rhythm
  • Deficiency: A deficiency in vitamin A can cause poor night vision, worsen infectious diseases, and blindness. Skin problems: Low levels of vitamin A may cause skin problems such as acne and keratosis pilaris (bumps on the back of the arms)."



Comments (745)

  • rosecanadian
    5 months ago

    Jim - I love the saturated colors too! What a fresh, pretty bloom on your At Last.:) :)

  • KittyNYz6
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    @strawchicago z5

    Beautiful Tchaikovsky!

    I have a new Roald Dahl with buttery yellow or apricot yellow blooms. Partial disease resistant-as most of my roses have s little BS this ranier season. Rain more this year than ever! No worries…..

    Roald Dahl very yellow and Julia Child’s, too!

    Julia Child’s hundred percent disease resistant

    Roald Dahl, blooms often (apricot yellow & oink tones in falll, more yellow in summer)

    Roald Dahl




    !


    Julia Child’s, buttery yellow





    Jum, Try Julia Child’s deep yellow and super disease resustant. At top if my list no fungus ever in drenching rain, shade, & humidity!

    @strawchicago z5

    My Eustacia Vye, own root from DA, is 3 feet first year, lots of blooms! Really enjoying her blooms & fragrance!





    The blooms are more luscious color in person!

    (Not sure why your EV grew slowly)

    I had a Desdemona who grew 1-2 feet in first 2 years…. tiny sickly growth…roses near it were flourishing.. it may have hit clay… had plenty good soil-very enriched organic a foot around it and 2 feet down originally., Anyway, transplanted it to a pot 2 months ago & it instantly grew to 3feet and sent out lots of bushy new canes-super healthy now! I am soooo excited about my Desdemona filling out and blooming beautiful pink blooms this fall! Maybe you need to transolant EV to a pot to nurture her?

    Alao, I now grow several new starter roses in home over winter, spray for mites/bugs as needed. I grew 2 Japanese roses in home successfully near kitchen window Dec-March last year 2022-2023 -gave them a jump start. They start out 6 inches-1 foot in pots. By April they go outside and are about 2 feet and do super well!!!! Fun! This year I will have 7 new Jaoanese and spray small roses growing in kitchen & living room bay window over winter. And I’ll have a lemon tree and few other olants inside for winter. Lemon tree has many small fruits about 1/2 inch size. Wonder if I will have lemons to eat over winter, Lol

    strawchicago z5 thanked KittyNYz6
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  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    I tried Julia Child KittyNYz6 but here I could not keep leaves on it... The strain of disease we have here was just way too much for JC! :-( I really liked it too...

    Easy Does it and Living Easy were the same way here...

    Wow great blooms KittyNYz6!

    Ohhhh I'll be leaving soon today...Lisa and I are going to meet a new little doggie... Praying this dog is the right one for her... :-)

    strawchicago z5 thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • Diane Brakefield
    5 months ago

    Good luck, both of you, with the new little doggie. Get some little kitties, too. Nanadoll

    strawchicago z5 thanked Diane Brakefield
  • strawchicago z5
    Original Author
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    KittyNYz6 THANK YOU for those gorgeous yellow: Roald Dahl and Julia Child.

    My Eustacia Vye was in a pot & full sun and it grew slowly (perhaps a bad grafted on Dr.Huey.) Thank you for the info. that your own-root is vigorous at 3 feet tall.

    I spent at least 1 hour digging a HUGE & deep hole for Eustacia Vye. Husband bought this 4.5" long tool to go through the hard clay below. We always dig a hole 3 feet wide and at least 2.5 feet deep to cope with the heavy rain here.

    Below is the $30, four and a half feet super-long Fiberglass Handle Trenching Shovel that husband bought to dig DEEP hole for any roses. He also uses a long DRAIN SPADE shovel, plus a regular shovel to make the hole 2.5 feet wide, and at least 2.5 to 3 feet deep. That is to ensure winter-survival in my zone 5a (at -20 F below zero windchill factor), plus flash flood via heavy rain.



  • ingrid_vc zone 10 San Diego County
    5 months ago

    Straw, I so wish I had rabbits instead of ground squirrels that can climb! We do have two rabbits, all that's left after the coyotes came through en masse the last time. Your Marie Pavie is so gorgeous. I'd love to have one again, but everything I grow is tall and viciously thorny, and even that's not a guarantee. Still, I'm thrilled to be trying roses again, and surely, surely some will survive and bloom. The five I've received recently will stay in their pots or be planted into larger ones until they've bloomed. I'm not taking any chances this time.

    strawchicago z5 thanked ingrid_vc zone 10 San Diego County
  • strawchicago z5
    Original Author
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    ingrid_vc zone 10 San Diego County What are the 5 roses you bought ? Agree with Kitty that things do so much better in pots, esp. air-pots. I should take a pic. of a $1 cheap marigold in an air-pot, it's so big & gorgeous. Next year I'll put more annual flowers in pots.

    Ground squirrels can climb up to the pots here, but I have a compost pile (kitchen scraps) with so much for squirrels to eat, that they neglect my roses in pots. I no longer clean up my thorny rose-canes .. I put them all over the rose bushes so rabbits can't come near. I also put thorny canes in the pots (with tiny rootings) so the chipmunks don't eat them.

    Chipmunks don't eat from my kitchen-scraps-compost like squirrels. Chipmunks prefer tiny rose-rootings. Below is a Thai Basil plant in a small air-pot. The leaves are fantastic in Vietnamese Pho (beef noodle soup):


    Below is instant Vietnamese beef noodle soup bowl, sold at Sam's club. The spice is better than what I can make at home. Below won a taste contest. I buy it mainly for the fantastic spice packets, then I add more noodles and put lots of freshly slice steak in the broth.

    Pho'nomenal Bowl Instant Pho Noodles Gluten Free Low Sodium Vietnamese Beef Soup. This stuff is addictive with fresh Thai basil leaves. Takes less than 15 min. with a piece of thinly sliced sirloin steak. It tastes better than restaurant since I control the amount of spice/sodium for the broth.


  • Diane Brakefield
    5 months ago

    Straw, I'll pass your info on to my granddaughter who is a huge fan of Pho. We like lots of Asian foods from many cultures and my son in law is a fantastic chef. We have a wok burner built into our stove top for all his stir frying. And you should our condiment and ingredients' shelves. It's enough to make my head spin. Diane

    strawchicago z5 thanked Diane Brakefield
  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    5 months ago

    Everyone meet Lisas new doggie Savanah...female , 1.5 years old and 11 pounds...



    strawchicago z5 thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • Diane Brakefield
    5 months ago

    Ooh, she is so sweet. And I'm the cat fan. But this doggie is adorable. Congrats new mama Lisa. Nanadoll

    strawchicago z5 thanked Diane Brakefield
  • strawchicago z5
    Original Author
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    Diane Brakefield For Vietnamese Pho noodle-instant-bowl soup, the best flavor is the pic. I posted above. The spice packet is salty but super-flavorful in that bowl of instant VN pho soup. So I use 1/4 of the spice packet per 1 big bowl of soup (for one person), then save the rest for the future.

    To make the best Pho that beat restaurant: Heat 1 TBS. of extra-virgin olive oil, fry 2 chopped green oninons for a few minutes until fragrant. Put 1 1/2 cup of water. Cover until boiling. Add thinly sliced beef sirloin steak, stir for 3 minutes until it's barely pink. Add chopped FRESH Thai basil, chopped cilantro last.

    If frozen steak is used, defrost it until half-frozen (easier to slice thin) .. spread out on a plate to defrost until thawed in microwave. The sliced steak SHOULD NOT BE frozen when stirred into the soup. The trick is to use the smallest amount of water to make the soup flavorful, but use only 1/4 of the spice packet (in foil).

    I use gluten-free & brown rice PAD THAI noodle for this soup. There's not enough noodle in that instant-soup bowl .. and the brown rice PAD THAI noodle tastes so much better. So skip the instruction, use 1/4 of the spice packet, and add MORE noodle. Aldi grocery store & many others sell brown rice PAD THAI or gluten-free Fettuccini noodle.

  • Diane Brakefield
    5 months ago

    Thanks, Straw. I'll tell her your instructions. We have a lot of different noodles around here, and I know we have Pad Thai occasionally, but I don't know if our noodles are brown or white. Will check. Do you like beef Pho better than the chicken Pho I see. Or is that inauthentic? Diane

    strawchicago z5 thanked Diane Brakefield
  • rosecanadian
    5 months ago

    Kitty - beautiful roses!!


    Jim - oh, that's a GREAT idea! I hope you two find the perfect dog for her!! :) :) Send us pics if you get one. Oh, you did show us a picture...and of the most adorable dog ever!! Does she get along with Gracie? Wonderful, wonderful!!


    Straw - for sure...if you want a new rose to go in...you have to really want it for that amount of work. :) :)


    Ingrid - Straw gave some great advice...thorny rose canes spread all over around the roses. I bet that would work!

    strawchicago z5 thanked rosecanadian
  • KittyNYz6
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    Thank you, Staw & Carol!

    Straw, Those are big holes you dig! I think my rose holes are 2 ft by 2ft, but then I raised ground level about a foot with adding manure and new soils, too. My clay soil , also, is soft to dig in, because I brought in new soil for almost all of my yards-new landcaped over last 6 years. I had cement/asphalt removed on 3/4 back yard & almost all of side yard. Then I brought in a mix of new soils I am still working on improving my soil by bringing in organic soils in all beds a few times a season.

    I am even trying out bedding soil this year on beds as it dries/drains fastest. With my rains I am looking to keep things dry! Lol! The organic bedding soil seems sooo much better than ”heavy wet Miracle Gro ground soil which is full of bark & sometimes mildew, when I open a fresh bag.” I like Espoma organic soils, too-light-fluffy.

    strawchicago z5 thanked KittyNYz6
  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    5 months ago

    Gracie met Savanah today... :-)





    strawchicago z5 thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
    5 months ago

    What darling dogs, Jim! Your hearts will fill back up.

    strawchicago z5 thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
  • rosecanadian
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    Well said, Sheila. :)

    Jim - such a cutie!! Lots of Yorkie in her. Maybe some Border Terrier?? I'm glad that their meeting went well. :)

    strawchicago z5 thanked rosecanadian
  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    5 months ago

    We had our first frost last night...Dipped into the 30's and everything was white this morning.... :-O


    strawchicago z5 thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • KittyNYz6
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    Jim, Sweet Savannah! Gracie looks so froendly with Savannah! I am surprised hiw cool you are. I may have a freeze on last day of Oct., but don’t exoect regular freezes ubtil mid—Nov

    strawchicago z5 thanked KittyNYz6
  • ingrid_vc zone 10 San Diego County
    5 months ago

    Jim, little Savannah is such a cutie and she looks as though she has a very sweet personality. I'm sure Gracie will be a wonderful big sister for her.

    Straw, the five roses I've received are Quicksilver, Madame Bovary, Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, Mlle. Franziska Krueger and St. Elizabeth of Hungary.

    Using thorny canes to protect the roses might have some success, but since the roses are so close together the chance that I might impale myself on the thorns is probably even greater. I notice more and more that I'm not as steady on my feet as I'd like and will have to be very careful around all the thorny roses that I chose to deter the ground squirrels. Alas, nothing is ever perfect.

    strawchicago z5 thanked ingrid_vc zone 10 San Diego County
  • judijunebugarizonazn8
    5 months ago

    I’m late, like usual, with my replies, but here is the picture of Perfume Breeze you asked for Carol. In my climate I can’t imagine trying to keep this one a shrub, but I have a long warm growing season here!

    strawchicago z5 thanked judijunebugarizonazn8
  • rosecanadian
    5 months ago

    Jim - I lost my title of First Frost Champion thanks to your early frost. lol


    Ingrid - I started to fall onto a rose (balance issues) and I grabbed onto the stems in order not to do a face plant on the bush. That was fun. lol


    Judi - ooooh!!! Now that's a wonderful Perfume Breeze!! I just looked on hmf and the max it's supposed to get is a bit over 13 feet. It looks like yours is about as big as it's going to get. Bet it will prove me wrong. lol



    strawchicago z5 thanked rosecanadian
  • judijunebugarizonazn8
    5 months ago

    I hope it proves you wrong, Carol, because I’m planning on it covering a full half of that dome eventually! The other half is getting covered with Pretty in Pink Eden. The plant is growing well so far but it has given me only a few blooms, just enough to know it’s the right rose. Next year should be better. It’s the first year for both of them on this arbor, both own-root babies, and I’m impressed with the progress they made this year.

    strawchicago z5 thanked judijunebugarizonazn8
  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    LOL Carol... One year we got 8 inches of snow on Oct 15th...Only happened once that I can remember...We usually do not get snow until in Dec.,..

    Sometimes freak things happen...Says the new first frost champion...lol

    OSO EASy still blooming....In between flushes this is basically what it looks like always at least 10 blooms on bush...I never seen no less all season...



    strawchicago z5 thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • Diane Brakefield
    5 months ago

    Jim and Carol, we got a freak snowstorm, lots of damage, in May of 2022. This was the first May snow since 1964, the year I graduated from high school (actually I graduated in 1864). Weird weather things do happen for sure, especially to gardeners. I had huge splatted Julia Child roses and Munstead Woods after that storm that I had to raise up. UGH. Great Oso. Jim.


    And beautiful Perfume Breeze, Judi. Diane

    strawchicago z5 thanked Diane Brakefield
  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    5 months ago

    Nanadoll, you did not graduate in 1864....lol....

    I have never seen snow in May here....Only April...


    strawchicago z5 thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    strawchicago z5 ...

    Ok some of my roses are planted in the native soil here... Right now some of the leaves are turning paler green and yellowing from our cooler weather we have had for a couple weeks now...No big deal since its the end of the season...Does not bother me...

    BUT my AT LAST rose is planted into mostly compost soil...Let me explain: My uncle has a a small wooded area and he never raked the leaves so over the past 40 years the leaves have been breaking down and created a mound of soil... I had a 3x3 firepit in my yard when I bought it and I decided to fill it in and plant grass seed...

    Anyhow I filled the pit in with the soil I hauled over from my uncles house...Instead of grass seed I decided to transplant my At Last rose to that location...

    Remember I said my other roses are planted in my native soil and leaves are turning paler green and lots of yellowing...

    WELL AT LAST still has springtime fresh leaves so I'm guessing its because of the better compost soil its planted in???What u think strawchicago z5 ???





    The lighter leaves on At Last is new growth...Not yellowing..


    strawchicago z5 thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • rosecanadian
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    Judi - oooh!! That dome will look INCREDIBLE covered with Perfume Breeze and Pretty in Pink Eden!!! The small and larger blooms will give a sense of depth...it will be heavenly!!!

    Jim - 8 inches!! That's a lot! I'm bowing to the new First Frost Champion. :) :) Yeah, your Oso Easy Red is a Wowzer rose for you!! Interesting about the compost...I wonder how that will affect it over winter. Let us know next year. The compost seems to have been fabulous for At Last!

    Diane - I remember that...everything went splat. LOL 1864. :) :)

    I found this:

    t's enough to make you can huff and puff shoveling the driveway and sidewalk. It's enough to turn a 25 minute commute into an 80 minute crawl. And it's not out of the ordinary. There has been snow on the ground in every month of the calendar year over Calgary's history


    I had 9 more strawberries today...so delicious! I never want store bought strawberries again.

    strawchicago z5 thanked rosecanadian
  • strawchicago z5
    Original Author
    5 months ago

    jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6 Leaves are the BEST fertilizer for roses since it's high in alkaline minerals (magnesium, potassium, calcium). Leaves make soil MORE DENSE to buffer against acidic rain. Leaves break down to alkaline pH, versus grass clippings and alfalfa pellets stay acidic longer.

    My roses also turn paler green & yellowish, esp. the rose right under the rainspout like Poseidon. It's from leaching of potassium and magnesium from too much acidic rain. My roses with the most leaves topping don't have that yellowing problem with too much rain in the fall.

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    5 months ago

    Thank you strawchicago z5,


    I was always to stubborn to mess with my native soil.... But no more! lol

    I have to transplant Earthsong next March and I'm going to ammend the planting hole with leaf compost/soil from my uncles...

    Also will ammend soil where I put Double Easy Orange Rose ... Which will be where Earthsong was since Double Easy orange is a smaller rose bush... I want the tallest roses in the back ...So some changes are coming...

    strawchicago z5 thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    5 months ago

    I'm ready for Spring...lol...Anyone else? lol But guess we gotta get through fall and winter first...lol...

    Nanadoll, Jackson and Perkins told me to check back in November to see if they will be offering Double Easy Orange as a own root container rose with leaves in May.. Hoping so but I will try a own-root (bareroot) if I have too... That I would plant in March...

    strawchicago z5 thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • Diane Brakefield
    5 months ago

    Jim, I know you prefer own root, but I'm really happy with my grafted Orange Dude. He's starting a major fall flush, and I forgot to take pics today as the first buds opened. Will get that done in the next couple of days. We're staying warm enough that DEO should be able to have that last flush. I planted my rose in April as a bareroot. I was slow to make up my mind about Orange Dude, but I'm so glad I got him. I would like another, in fact....How is little Savannah doing? I hope she and Gracie are having fun doing some playing together. Nanadoll

    strawchicago z5 thanked Diane Brakefield
  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    5 months ago

    Nanadoll, I shoot straight from the hip! Savannah is doing just great! BUT Gracie tried to attack Savannah and we have no reason as to why??? So I can no longer trust Gracie around Savannah and probably no other dogs also... Gracie is a 12 yrs old female...


    strawchicago z5 thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • Diane Brakefield
    5 months ago

    Jim, I only liked the above to show I read your post and am so sorry that Gracie can't get along with Savannah. I'm thinking it's Gracie's age, maybe. My experience is with kitties who don't often accept a new, younger kitty. We've found it takes time, and they need to be separated for a while. Gracie is so used to being the top dog and the center of your attention. Maybe, just maybe, things will improve, but you're correct not to trust. Nanadoll

    strawchicago z5 thanked Diane Brakefield
  • Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
    5 months ago

    It took our older dog several months to settle in with the newbie. They are jealous.

    strawchicago z5 thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    5 months ago

    Gracie was around my neighbors dog today and was fine just like usual... So for whatever reason she's just not accepting little Savanah it looks like... otherwise gracie is her old mild/gentle self with familiar people and pets...

    Gracie got so upset with Savanah she looked like a wolf going after its prey...It took everything I had to hold her back....And savanah was just walking by Gracie to go pee...

    strawchicago z5 thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • pricklycuttingnoca
    5 months ago

    Sunny Sky from Roses unlimited is a big yellow that is wafting in room. Quite a surprise. I bought it to bring down the price everage on a single rose of the shipment. I call it a tea fragrance.

    strawchicago z5 thanked pricklycuttingnoca
  • rosecanadian
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    Jim - I have a nervous alpha dog (Zephyr...11 years old). He will growl and snarl with my other dog. They look and sound like they're killing each other. But there's no damage. If this happens, I'll take the back legs of my subordinate dog so that he can't fight back. Now Teddy knows that Zephyr is the boss and is very respectful around him...but they're friends and will lie down together. If I toss the ball and Zephyr is around, Teddy will stop so he doesn't run him over. Which is a good thing. So...is Gracie causing any damage to Savannah? Is Savannah scared? If the answer is no, I'd let them settle it with you supervising ready to halt their action. They'll figure it out and one will become subservient. Gracie is trying to be the boss.

    strawchicago z5 thanked rosecanadian
  • Diane Brakefield
    5 months ago

    I agree with what you said, Carol. It's the same with kitties. Finn was always subservient to Clancy, the older chief kitty, and they became inseparable. But we had to take it slow at first. Now Clancy is gone, and Finn is getting used to Barley more, but they are two equals it seems like, and I don't think they'll become close, though they tolerate each other okay. Diane

    strawchicago z5 thanked Diane Brakefield
  • rosecanadian
    5 months ago

    Yeah. So right, Diane. :) But, their first fight Teddy (younger, bigger) took a chunk out of Zephyr in response to Zephyr going after him. But Zephyr wouldn't back down. Lots of screaming from me. Grabbing the back legs really helps. We kept them separate for about a month after that and gave them treats only when they were together and sitting nicely. They still eat separately as Zephyr won't eat otherwise. After the first incident there was never any blood. Lots of noise and it looks really scary.

    strawchicago z5 thanked rosecanadian
  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    5 months ago

    Carol, Gracie weighs 75 pounds vs. Savanah weighting only 10.6 pounds...Yes I feel Gracie wanted to inflict harm on little Savanah...Took all I had to hold her back... I've seen Gracie snap larger rabbits in half so I'm just not willing to take anymore chances...

    Savanah is gentle and will not fight back... And Savanah was scared for 2 days straight after the near attack...

    strawchicago z5 thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • rosecanadian
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    Jim. Oh dear. You could try putting a basket muzzle on Gracie. She can still drink and you could give her (and Savannah...that's important that they're both fed treats) treats for being good. For example. Get them to sit apart (8 feet) from each other. Both would be on leash. If it's too close (Savannah is trembling, etc.) then move further apart. Gracie would be on leash with you holding (loosely...no tension) a short leash (maybe a foot of leash between you and her). Jerk the leash and say no if she moves towards Savannah or if she growls. She can look at her though. If Gracie is good, give her a cookie saying "Gentle, good gentle). If Savannah is not affected, give her a cookie. You don't want to give her a cookie when she's nervous. Then about 15 minutes later (after separating them), move them back to (7 1/2 feet) from each other...if they did well at 8 feet apart. Otherwise, go back to 8 feet. They should be on leash (when you are both home). Shake it up with not just you holding Gracie's leash. If you want some time away from them, put one in a crate or a different room. This may go on for months. Any time that they're calm around each other...give a treat and say good gentle.

    strawchicago z5 thanked rosecanadian
  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    Yes that sounds like a good plan Carol... I never thought of a muzzle...hummmm

    Thanks for the advice Carol!

    These 2 plants still blooming up a storm and the leaves still look great! :-) Very Happy with them! :-) This one is sterile...



    strawchicago z5 thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • rosecanadian
    5 months ago

    Also feed them in separate rooms. You should have treats with you in a fanny pouch so you can always reward good behavior. Good things happen when they're together and behaving. No treats otherwise. <3 It worked for my dogs. I can help you with advice any time. :) :)

    strawchicago z5 thanked rosecanadian
  • strawchicago z5
    Original Author
    5 months ago

    pricklycuttingnoca Thank you for the tip on Sunny Sky's wafting scent. I need more yellows in my garden. Yellow roses cheer me up. Below is a Sept. bouquet of yellow Golden Cel. and other reds (mostly Munstead Wood). But Golden Cel is stingy, so I hope for a constant blooming yellow. Can't decide between Sunny Sky or the Poet's Wife .. I postpone ordering roses since we don't know where my daughter land a job when she graduates in Dec. 2023.


  • rosecanadian
    5 months ago

    Straw - this will be your chance (when your daughter gets a job...I can't believe she'll be finished already!) to move somewhere warmer. :) :) Oh my goodness...I looooove your Munstead Wood!!!

    strawchicago z5 thanked rosecanadian
  • strawchicago z5
    Original Author
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    Carol: My daughter is VERY HAPPY after I bought Nature Made Ultra-strength probiotics with 3 of the 4 strains tested in a large scale Asperger's/Autism study. This is the 3rd bottle of probiotics with the 4 strains of bacteria clinically proven to help with Autism. She's 100% normal, gave me hug when I asked, laughing and having diversed interests in life.

    Plus she becomes fearless in social interaction after this past summer of actuary-internship job. She's sleeping well & happy & doing well in school. She drives 40 to 45 min. one way to the university only 3 times a week for her last semester in college.

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    Thats wonderful to hear strawchicago z5 ...:-)

    And nice bouquet arrangement... :-)

    strawchicago z5 thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • rosecanadian
    5 months ago

    Straw - finally!!!! That's amazing to hear about your daughter!!!!!! From a mom of another Aspie...I have felt your pain. I'm proud of you as a mom!!!

    strawchicago z5 thanked rosecanadian
  • strawchicago z5
    Original Author
    5 months ago
    last modified: 5 months ago

    Carol & Jim & Kitty & Diane & Judi & Sheila & others and SoCalGardenNut This post is getting long, so I invite you to post in my other shorter post, see below:

    Fall roses & mindset in growing roses & losing weight & health news (houzz.com)

    In above post, the Culturelle probiotics for weight loss with added B12 and B6 really help with losing weight and I sleep better & emotionally stronger & happier.

    NIH recommends that adults over 50 take B12 supplement, and I agree. I'm short on B12 since I cut out dairy products, and B12 is easier to absorb via dairy products than meat or eggs. I'm also 62 (less stomach acid to absorb B12 from foods).