Just wanted to mention that for me, 'Mrs. John Laing' doesn't need pegging the way the majority of hybrid perpetuals do to maximize bloom potential. I have two bushes of MJL and keep them pruned somewhat like a floribunda and this rose blooms just fine as an upright bush. I agree with you that some of the HP can be stingy bloomers. In fact, for me most of the ones I grow I consider mainly once-bloomers with the rare and highly unpredictable scattered fall blooms. But I have to say that in my climate, good rebloom is a rare commodity due to my short growing season and I may be more forgiving than others. Celeste

Hellooooooooo!!! Hope everyone is handling this heat quite well! UPDATE on these seeds... Received your seeds Donna just in time for the second shipment to SA. Am also forgeting to acknowledge Carol's lovely deep red/"NOT Pink" Hippie seeds....hundreds of them. Sent are 15 packets of 70 mixed seeds each. Some I had to place in more "exotic seeds" as per request. I still got a few requests here and there to take care of. DIZZY... There were not much cybister seeds received but I am just now harvesting my own crosses. So give me more time and I'll send you some. ARIF...Working on your yellow seeds right now. Pray with me my dear friend. Lots of aborting and rotting seedpods here! Too hot and humid! Some rebloomers... Scadoxus seeds were harvested and will be sent hopefully soon. Clivia seeds will also be sent soon. If we get lucky, we might receive C. robusta seeds also. Please don't contact me now for these seeds. I will post an update in this thread once I receive the seeds and are ready to be posted. You all have a wonderful 4th of July!!!!

I found this on the internet of the tea at Empress Hotel. Afternoon Tea Indulge in one of Victoria's grandest traditions - Afternoon Tea at The Fairmont Empress. For almost a century, the majestic lobby of this landmark hotel has played host to England's most beloved ritual - the taking of Afternoon Tea. Award-winning Pastry Chef D'Oyen Christie works his magic, ensuring an authentic and memorable experience - from your very first sip of our secret Tea at The Empress blend tea, right through to his freshly baked raisin scones served with clotted cream and strawberry preserves. Served in the relaxing atmosphere of the elegantly restored Tea Lobby, overlooking Victoria's sparkling Inner Harbor in the stately Harborside Room or under the hand-painted ceiling of the Library, Afternoon Tea is an absolute 'must do' for all who visit Victoria. Afternoon Royal Tea As you take your seats in the opulent surroundings of the Empress Tea Lobby, treat yourself to a glass of award winning Sumac Ridge Steller's Jay Brut with the unrivalled selection of sandwiches, cakes, scones, pastries & teas...you'll feel like royalty. Afternoon Royal Tea is subject to our regular tea pricing, plus an additional $12.00 CAD per person charge, plus taxes. Menu: Tea at The Empress blend tea* Fresh seasonal fruit topped with Chantilly cream Tea sandwiches; cucumber with light horseradish, smoked salmon pinwheel, mango and curried chicken, carrot and ginger, multigrain crostini topped with a mixed mushroom pate. Traditional English raisin scones served with clotted cream and strawberry preserves Delicate bite-size pastries, lemon curd tarts with glazed berries, Battenburg cake, Earl Grey tea shortbread, chocolate cake and a marble chocolate tulip *Tea at The Empress blend is a selection of seasonal, quality teas, created exclusively for The Fairmont Empress by the Metropolitan Tea Company. With components from Assam (thick malty and full bodied), Kenya (floral-like flavor and a golden coppery infusion), South India (superb fruity and sprightly flavor), Ceylon (airy, almost piquant flavor), and China (burgundy depth with light oaky notes), it is truly one of the finest blends in the world. From Our Chef: 'I believe in creating a balance between the flavor and presentation of my desserts, it adds a personal touch I feel leaves guests with a lasting impression.' ~ D'oyen Christie, Pastry Chef ~ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seatings: Afternoon Tea: Daily seatings starting from 12:00 p.m. Pricing: Afternoon Tea ranges in price from $49.00 - $60.00 CAD, per person, plus taxes. Prices fluctuate based on seasonality, please contact hotel for exact pricing. *Afternoon Royal Tea is subject to our regular tea pricing, plus an additional $12.00 CAD per person charge, plus taxes. Dress Code: Smart casual (no torn jeans, short shorts, beach wear or flip-flops, jogging pants or tank tops). Reservations: Reservations are required and should be made direct with the hotel, one to two weeks in advance to avoid disappointment. Tables are held for ten minutes after reservation time. Please contact Resort Reservations at (250) 389-2727 or book on-line with a room reservation. Please Note: For the comfort of those around you, it is requested that cell phones be turned off during Afternoon Tea.

mad_gallica is right about Chinas and Teas and other "warm-climate" roses not liking cool Summers -- and this is probably why the old books written in Great Britain bemoan then as "lacking vigor". In reality, they simply didn't get the heat they needed to promote vigorous growth, despite not having to endure Winters as severe as they are here. Where I am, the growing season is warm to hot, humid, and we get ample rain. I lived in Buffalo, NY for three years, and the Summers there were not nearly as hot and humid as all my years on Long Island and my past three years in central NJ. This is why I went with a wide range of rose types when I was shopping for this garden -- I knew that the once-blooming European OGRs would just yawn through Winters here, but I see that they pretty much stop putting out new growth once the temps start hanging in the 90s. I wasn't sure how well Chinas and Teas would do, but was encouraged when I read that Stephen Scanniello grows some both in his Barnegat, NJ garden and in various client gardens in NYC and Long Island. So I went with a few. Yes, they took a beating after Winter, but while most of my other roses languished through Summer, they were invigorated with growth and bloom. Pruning the dead stuff off in Spring left them looking rather like how most people treat Buddleia butterfly bushes, but also like them, they quadruple in size by the end of the growing season. However, if you don't get hot Summers, they may not get what they need to "make up" for what Winter took away from them, and you'll be left with tiny things that are always on the cusp of growing backwards. When Winter comes, the new Teas and Chinas I got which I intend to keep in pots will be going into the garage or my enclosed-but-unheated back porch. Before that time, I'll stop watering them. I'm hoping that keeping them cold and dry after they get smacked into their version of dormancy will keep them from trying to grow again. And they'll be out of the wind. I'll bring them out again in late March or early April, which is about when my other roses start leafing out. Temperatures at that time of year don't go any lower than they do in late Autumn here, and the few Chinas and Teas I have in the ground are still blooming a little then. And those temperatures are much like the lowest reached in zone 9. Keep in mind that this is my first time trying this, so I can't say if my plan is sure to work. If you have an area where you can set up grow-lights, perhaps you can try keeping them there for the Winter. But as was mentioned before, roses don't often do well in typical indoor air. Beyond that, you may want to look at Bourbons and Hybrid Perpetuals and Portlands (aka Damask Perpetuals) if you want to expand into OGRs that repeat-bloom. When I was in Buffalo, I gifted a few to some neighbors, and they got through Winters there with very little dieback. Of course, this will vary with the cultivars -- those with more recent Tea ancestry will be less hardy. Another bit of advice when looking up roses on HelpMeFind is to go beyond the zone hardiness rating and instead look to see which member gardens grow that particular rose. If a member garden is in your neck of the woods, that could be an indication that it will be OK for you. And be willing to experiment -- most roses don't do well everywhere, but there's usually many which do well somewhere in particular. And if you're starting with bands, aim for Spring delivery and try to push growth through the Summer by growing them in pots with something like my "magic mix". Then plant after the hottest part of Summer has passed, a little deeper in the ground than you'd think. That little bit of extra depth may help a baby through its first Winter. :-) ~Christopher