Shiva wrote:

I need your secret. Tell me this, did you put in any
bare roots? And, how do you keep the voles from eating
your roots? I know the best way is to not have anywhere
for them to hide, but I like mulch and do not have time
to keep the non-rose areas tidy, so they love my yard.
This year I'm hopeful because it appears that the moles
are back. Since the voles use the old tunnels of moles,
maybe this means no voles this year??

I put in one bare root last year. All the rest were potted in one way
or another. What I mean by that is that a couple were el cheapo rescues
from Walmart, others were beautifully potted from vendors and then the
tiny pots with my miniatures.

I also (knocking on my head since that's the closest substitute to wood
I have) haven't had a problem with voles. I also haven't done anything
to stop them. I don't use mulch is the only thing I can add since I'm
lazy and I don't really like the looks of it. Also, almost all my roses
have companion plants of one sore or another at their feet.

Purple, isn't it? And scented, IIRC.

That's the claim on Heirloom. *grin*

You DO need both. Barbara squeezed out several blooms before
she expired (one of the bare root casualties last summer)
and they were wonderful. Scent!! Strong scent!! Desert Peace
is lovely, too. I just had such a bad experience with the
original Peace, I'm afraid of all offshoots.

You're the one responsible for me wanting Barbra Streisand. I just
haven't got a chance to go down to Witherspoons to pick one up. I'm not
sure if I'm going to be able to find a local Desert Peace. If not, I've
got a list of a few others that I'm also willing to put in: Perfect
Moment, Bella Roma, and Sheila's Perfume. I'm not as fussy about colour
(though white does nothing for me) as I am about perfume. I also want
something that I can cut for in the house.

I think we need a diagram of your yard with plantings
(including g-g-g grass) identified. Only fellow rose
heads can really tell if you have enough roses. :')

*grin* I keep telling my partner that I'm simply minimizing the amount
of grass that needs to be cut. After all, I take care of the beds and
my partner mows the lawn so am I not doing my partner a favour?

OTH, right now we're at around 20 roses, strawberries, a peach tree, 8
blueberry bushes, several butterfly bushes, ornamental pond with plants
and fish, a lily bed (alstroemeria, star gazer, candy, etc. along with
freesia) and lots of other various flowers all on 1/4 acre. *laugh*
Next house will have *more* property. I started my list for the realtor
within six months of moving into this house. *grin* (FYI, this house
was only planned for a couple of years.)

Susan
shsimko[@]duke[.]edu