Thank you very much Shiva. Hence the catchy tune "Three Blind Mice"! huh?
You've educated me again and I really appreciate the information....not to
mention the visual you created for me! I know we have voles here, but the
roses that are looking bad have symptoms of some black canes and they're
firmly attached to their roots in the ground. I can't see any withering
leaves cuz they don't have any yet. I imagine my problem is something else
but i'm still looking around for answers. Any ideas about black canes?
I'd hate to have killed these babies...they were nice.

I love your colours in your bed of lavendery,magentaish ones! If I'm not too
late to make suggestions, about placement. I'm so not computer saavy i'm
going to attempt to reply between the lines as you do so eloquently, so read
on downward please.
"Shiva" wrote in message
news:aHlwYXRpYQ==.1a5eaac1dfd22d39262e564bbcb4b7b4 @1048436700.cotse.net...
Shiva replied
Jane, I don't know if you have pine voles there, but that is what we have.
they are really field mice adapted for underground life with small eyes
and ears. They like to move into abandoned mole tunnels (they say the
moles only use them once) then adapt them to their uses. Moles eat
insects, while voles eat nothing but young, tender roots. The dead
giveaway that you have them is when you suddenly notice a rose that has
wilted overnight, all the foliage limp, you go to water it, touch it, and
it falls over with no roots. They eat them down until what is left looks
like a gear shift, no kidding. Casualties: Octoberfest, Europeana, a baby
Japanese Maple, a young Dogwood, and my first Reines des Violettes. Look
for holes in the ground, about 3/4 inch in diameter.

OH NO! THey've gone mad! They must be stopped. Have you tried any castor oil
in the ground? It seems to work on MOLES and they run away after we spray it
on the earth.
Do you have a picture of Royal Amethyst? Sounds like one I may need.
Thanks,

Jane, here is the Helpmefind page:

http://helpmefind.com/sites/rrr/pl.php?n=5523

Thanks for this link, it's really good.I looked up your new ones there and I
have a few ideas....

One you may want to look at is Melody Parfumee. It has a deep plum stage
and is very fragrant.

I have Melody Parfumee at least I DID last year and I loved it! I hope it
doesn't die.


Woowoo you have some really nice ones.
Barbra Streisand, Outta The Blue, Blue
Nile, Crystalline, and Climbing Joseph's Coat to plant, still. Maybe you
can help me decide where to put them! (I like contrasting colors, mostly!)

Here is the present side bed, X = space for a rose, *** = walkway


X *Paul Neyron Abe Darby-(2) Granada Pat Austin Golden Celeb. Penelope X
(maybe another climbing JC here?) ( *I couldn't find this one)
(Outta the Blue)


New Dawn ************************************************** **

X X X
(Blue Nile) (Crystalline) (Barb S)
That should pop those joseph's coat colours out and
Little Slope w/ Climbing Joseph's coat to
climb up a brick red wooden thing

Your garden sounds great. I have a few opinions about garden design although
I'm certainly no expert. I think the light colours come forward and the
deeper ones receed so when i decide where to plant things I generally space
my lightest ones in the foreground and then lighter ones throughout to make
a visual trail and lead the eye to the end point of the garden. Likewise, I
put progressively darker shades toward the further end if I want the garden
to appear to have depth. Do you have a little bench at the end near New
Dawn? I think the destination point is best if it lets people sit down and
enjoy the fragrances. I'll bet it's just gorgeous at your house!


Thanks for your help,

Jane