In article 2_5ja.318986$3D1.174681@sccrnsc01, Allegra
wrote:

Hello my dear,

Guess what? I think I have finally arrived to the Shangri-La
of the climbers and scramblers support area. While looking
for better brackets for one of the window boxes that took
a dive the other day I found some U shaped doo-dads
covered with a soft spongy fabric which is actually used to
hold tools to the wall.

I've seen those jobbies, but how come I always see them in red? They
were disguised as tool stuff.

Straight up with a "supergrip protective coating, holds up to
50 lb." The Campsis radican that has terrorized the neighborhood
since last summer ate the original pipe holders faster than you
can say it. So I guess this will have to do the job. I figure that
screwing them to the supports of the climbers (that is the ones
that are not on the metal arbors) it would be easy to tie the canes
across without having to worry about ever girdling the rose.
Placed at several heights they will support the canes and stop
any kind of wind whipping as well as I suspect they can be
painted the same color as the walls to make them disappear.
Here are a couple of shots including one with a penny for perspective.
The opening of the U is 2-inch inside and 3-inch from side to side.

http://www.theoldrosarian.org/photos/climberhook1.jpg

Great idea. It's filed for future reference. For now, I've done three
things. I've used stranded wire for the ones that saw through
everything else but already have support. Wonderful idea and thank you.
I've pounded rebar right through the middle of big shrubs and tied a
few canes to it. And I set a tee pee pole set in a 5 gallon paint can
in Quicrete, painted the pole dark green, and then buried it below the
rose hole for a new climber I just interred. I'm still looking for a
retired, leaky, dark green hose to use secure the various roses to
these uprights. The rebar rusts right away and disappears into the
landscape. Crass but effective.

We got these at the Despot, where the roses were dying inside
little plastic bags and I had to move fast. My days as a rose social
worker are over.

I wish I were as smart. There was a huge pallet of Weeks 2 gallon roses
at the local Despot, and I bought two: Iceberg and Granada, if you can
believe it. It has already flowered and demonstrated that the blooms
can both take the wind and last in the vase for 4 or 5 days.

Did I tell you that Robin is holding a baby Nigresse
for me? When we go visiting her in Tacoma it will be waiting, and if
you are interested I will save a couple of cuttings next Spring to send
down. I have been looking for that rose for a real long time. I had it
many a moon ago and I loved it.

I still do.

Didn't I hear that it is almost impossible to grow? Puh (French, doncha
know), I should talk, with Mme. Driout. Who, for the second, looks
pretty good, probably because she hasn't bloomed yet. She can surprise
me, for all I will see of her. She is so sheltered that she's almost in
the neighbors' back yard.