As Baby Boomers age, allergies are increasing tremendously, far worse than with any other generation we have records of. I submit it likely has a great deal to do with the smog and other pollution in the environment they (we) grew up in. Yes, what your neighbor sprays or dumps greatly affects you, too. I completely understand the necessity of spraying roses in environments where most won't grow without it. If I had to live where extreme winter protection or frequent, regular use of sprays were required, I honestly doubt I would grow roses. My hat is off to you who do it as it just seems too much work from my point of view. Ingrid made a great point about the found roses from the area. A plant which has survived, even flourished, for decades without our intervention seems a perfect choice to enjoy. Many OGRs and earlier modern roses have survived in old gardens and cemeteries in the Deep South and California's Gold Country and they frequently make excellent landscape plants. It is truly a case of climatic suitability, what is happy where you garden. I'm very glad you brought up that point, Ingrid, thank you. Perhaps they aren't exactly the flower you might be looking for, but using a variety of those which are successful where you are then filling in the premium spot with the desired flower on a plant specifically selected because of its performance in your climate should provide you a beautiful personal environment with less effort, time, energy expense and exposure. Working with Nature instead of trying to bend it to our will requires a whole lot less of everything. Kim

Thanks, ya'll! This side of the pergola faces south east, so I thought that would be good sun, but it turns out the house roof shades the lower parts pretty much from after lunch on! Higher up, like on the top of the pergola, will have more hours of sun -- really good sun there, really. But at the base of the plant, it gets shady all afternoon, so something like a tea would get cranky there ;) I don't even mind a lack of blooms lower down on the rose; I just want something that can survive the first 6 feet or so well enough to catch the light and take off from there. (The blooms above head-height are the key ones because the rest of the front garden blooms well at other eye levels. Nobody would notice a bare-legged climber the way it's laid out.) -- Zephy is an idea! I wish she bloomed more, but she probably really does bloom enough (I don't want only one bloom period, but at least 2 big bloom times are good). Mine didn't get tall enough where I had her, but that was a really bad, grafted specimen in an awful spot to boot, lol. The cold winter finished her off. -- Hybrid musks could be great if they get tall enough! Some have interesting enough blooms, yeah. I couldn't think of any that were quite tall, but Lavender Lassie just might do :) Can y'all think of any other really tall ones? I'm not looking for ones that fade to white too much, either, though. That's the problem with some of my big noisettes for this spot -- too pale too fast. New Dawn is also pale, but mine never go white, at least. They stay visible against a white lathe background, just barely so. I'm considering Natchitoches Noisette, because her blooms are noticeable and she'll take that shade, but my other one doesn't seem like she'd ever get tall enough. HMF list up to 15 feet, so maybe she'd work eventually? Also, what about Cl Pinkie? Her pictures look very nice, but I've never grown her.

**WOW! To score a grafted plant that is already 2 meter high! ** Yes! One of the most important and older rose nurseries in Italy, Rose Barni, has a good collection of Old Climbing Roses, that are availables only potted, "ready for flowering" as you can read in their catalogue :o): these are a 2 years old plants, grafted on R. laxa, ad average 2 meters high, sometimes more than that, depending on the variety's vigour, in pots of 18/20 cm ( 7" 1/2). Last spring, I bought from them a 'Cooper's Burmese', which is now more than 5 m (17') high LOL! Lady Hillingdon is in a pot, because I was thinking to have bought the bush form, but now -first year- she's 2 meters high, climbing up a pillar, so I think I have the climbing one. Not so bad, there's so much more to enjoy!! :o)) Hoov, I will take many pictures, ok? :o)) The "orange" splash colour in the picture above, under my selected Miscanthus sinensis seedling, is a Chrisanthemum x rubellum 'Lady Anne Brockett': it's a delightful variety, very long flowering. The colour change as the flowers mature: they open in coppery apricot, then changes o salmon-peach, then pink... ;o) ciao! Maurizio PS: I was discussing by now about this thread with a friend, which has a rose nursery, specialized in rare, historic and old roses. "You must to have 'Chromatella! I'll present it to you". So, this is the story: I will have soon also 'Cloth of Gold'. But definitely NOT have the space!! What's the solution ...? The mother and the son, maybe togheter, in a soft yellows' hug? Sounds nice....!!

Ok, I have found it for $370 at an online retailer. If you don't know this retailer (I don't) you can contact a lighting place that you are familiar with and get them to beat the price. I mentioned above I have used WeGotLites.com in the past and recently. If you send them the link to the lower price, they will beat it for you. I'm sure other places do this too. Wall Sconces...not sure exactly what you have in mind, except you don't likeethe ones they have. I"ll just put some links in this message and you can check out some of these ideas. Not even sure if the finishes will match, but I'm focusing on style http://lightingbygregory.com/lighting/product/mf-wb1349af.html http://lightingbygregory.com/lighting/product/ml-341-357.html http://lightingbygregory.com/lighting/product/hl-4090ri.html Ok, those are just a couple. Not sure exactly what you are looking for. That lighting by gregory website had a lot of sconces though! Here is a link that might be useful: Link to the cheapest I could find it.