Uh huh. Anyway. If the leaves are 'holey' they're being munched by someone...inspect the backs of the leaves for slow moving insects. To remove things like aphids you can hose the plants down with a strong spray of water daily (or however often you remember). Don't know if you have JBs where you are; I have no advice about them, but there are lots of threads here regarding them. Roses are heavy feeders, and these would likely enjoy some fertilizer. I personally top dress with well aged [cow/sheep/horse] manure; I also use Osmocote because it is time release, and I put down alfalfa pellets and water them into the dirt. (This doesn't add a lot of nutrients, but something in it helps the roses absorb nutrients better? Some people also make a fermented 'tea' out of it for their roses.) Last year I was, ah, bored? And so I made my roses smoothies from my kitchen scraps. They really seemed to like that! (Though do cover it with mulch..otherwise it looks like a cat horked in the rose bed!) Also, if your roses aren't mulched, they should be. Leave a few inches around the canes free of mulch, but everywhere else put down a couple inch deep layer of your favorite mulch. (Rock is fine, I believe, as far as moisture retention goes, but woodchips will break down and add organics to your soil). Roses also need plenty of water, but not too much. How helpful was that? The exact amount will depend on your soil, and how quickly it drains. Maybe check the FAQ for recommendations. Regarding the fire; if it didn't kill the plants outright, I'd say you shouldn't worry about it. All the ash from the fire probably added some potassium to the soil, and may have upped the pH. You can get a soil test to know for sure. Hope this helps! You should post pictures of your roses! Lara

I know this isn't what you asked about but I'm confused. Are you planning on finishing out "future bathroom 3" NOW? If not, which bathroom will serve bedroom 4? The only access to bath 2 requires one to travel through either bedroom 2 or bedroom 3. And, even if you're finishing out "future bath 3" now, do you want whoever is using bedroom 4 to have to go around and into the unfinished bonus room area in order to use the bathroom???

I'm a third grade teacher and our "excellent" is called "advanced", "satisfactory" is called "proficient." I almost never give an "advanced" grade unless the child's ability level is extraordinarily above grade level. "Proficient" or "satisfactory" is a great mark. It means the child is doing everything that is expected at his or her grade level. I'm doing report cards right now and I have given one "advanced" or "excellent" grade for a child reading and comprehending beyond an 8th grade level. All other marks are either "progressing," "proficient" or "emerging." We also have "minimal" but for the same reason I am careful with "advanced," I am also careful with "minimal." "Minimal," to me, means that a student doesn't have ANY skills in that area that are grade appropriate. That is almost never the case. "Advanced," to me, means that there's nothing left to strive towards. I think that if you're concerned about the mark, by all means, talk to the teacher about it. But please don't be disappointed if it is his or her opinion that behaving appropriately in school is an "all or none" type grade. Either you are doing it and your mark is "satisfactory" or you're not and your mark is "unsatisfactory." I just can't think of any real-world examples of behavior that tops "satisfactory" to the "excellent" level. I truly doubt that any teacher would tell any group of students the marks of the other students. If that is accurate, I would have more of an issue with that. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. Janet

People like this floor to go with their Honey Oak cabinets. Vintage Honey Floor