On 11/7/05 16:44, in article ,
"Dave Poole" wrote:

Rod Craddock wrote:

Don't know if you noticed years ago that the Harry Wheatcroft & Sons nursery
was downwind of the local coal burning power station and fungal diseases
weren't a big problem except on some varieties that shouldn't have made it
to the catalogues. Once when they found rust on something they took us all
up the field to look at it!

Yes and when their roses made it over to Worcestershire, many fell
prey to mildew, blackspot and rust.
snip
Despite the fact that there are bromeliads perched on trees in flower
at the moment, the Strelitzia and Clivias flower well in spring and
the palms and bananas are going great guns, I still occasionally yearn
for the rich, heady, myrrh-like fragrance of a really good rose.

Portland roses are supposed to be more disease-resistant than most, aren't
they?
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)