"Trish Brown" wrote in message
...
Before I shuddup on the subject of roses, it occurred to me to ask whether
others have had much success with miniature varieties? I've been growing
roses since I was about twelve years old ('way back in the dark ages), but
I've never yet been able to keep a miniature alive past a single season.
They just seem to shrivel up and kark it, dying back and back until
there's nothing left.

???

i think the miniatures are more prone to fungal disease & are generally a
bit more delicate; what you describe could be fungal. i don't think i've
ever seen one that's not covered in black spot :-) but i've most certainly
seen them alive & kicking well after their first year (albeit covered in
black spot like i said). when i was in charge of someone else's, i kept them
pruned in a really open shape. never did quite cure them of their woes,
though.

concerning roses in general, i'm not a fan of them it must be said, but we
have an old-fashioned-looking thornless climbing (rambling??) one with wee
butter yellow flowers in clumps - i find it really beautiful! and because
it's been forced to look after itself for quite some time now, it's very
healthy. to celebrate this fact, i might give it a prune this winter (i let
it go a bit berserk last year with all those shoots that come off the
sides).
kylie