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30 Roses To Start A Garden With
Susan H. Simko wrote:
I've always been a fan of the underdog. I sense a kindred spirit in you, Susan! At least in this respect. Hopefully your reaction to bullying (something often done to "underdogs") is not as black as mine. Must be why I like roses so much. My neighbors have been known to laugh at me or claim I gross them out when they see me picking the japanese beetle scourge off of my roses on a twice daily basis during scourge season. Ahh, what do they spend their time doing? You get what you pay for, in so many ways, in so many areas of life. It's not that good things cannot be easy--it's just that some of the best things are not. Honestly, it is the fragrant roses that always get eaten up and blackened Love that last line! That's exactly what I'm hoping DD does which will make any fussing with a temperamental rose well worth it. Hee! I'm going to saunter up to a few of my underperformers and say "put out or get out, baybee!" Actually, I am trying to give them each three years to prove they are worth the trouble and garden real estate. But--at times I just cannot. A scentless rose that also is stingy with blooms? Unless the few blooms are HEAVENLY to look at, that rose is gonna have to be gone. Hey, I cater to four tempermental felines in the house - roses are easy in comparison! I have two. Hard to imagine a more perfect creature in the world. Both are rescues/former strays. They are all wonderful, but the other day it saddened me to see two of those overbred persians--the ones that honestly look deformed because their faces are so flat, it is as though they have no face? My acquaintance paid hundreds for these animals, to one of those kitty mills, and the health problems bred into them have already meant high vet bills. Meanwhile--thousands upon thousands of strays, many at the no-kill shelters, healthy genetic mixes, all shots, spayed or neutered, maybe $75. Here is my retirement plans: to become That Weird Old Lady on the street who has about 900 cats. Only I want a vast mansion and full time staff to care for them. And, hell, me too! G FYI, I did order the Double Delight from Jackson and Perkins. Decided that I *know* their quality and didn't want to take any chances with anyone else. I love J&P roses. There in Durham, just like here and lots of places, J&P is all you see in potted roses in many garden centers. I have had nothing but good results with potted J&Ps. I have never actually ordered a bare root from them, though. Let me know how it does. My J&P BOXED Don Juan is my very best rose!! Never out of bloom, vigorous beyond belief, medium fragrant, damned near the perfect rose. One of these days, I'll get around to buying *something* from Witherspoon. I budget about $100 a season to blow on roses at frufru nurseries. You know, where you pay $20-$25 for potted? I find I need to have that little "thrill!" (My GOD but I am growing middle aged!) Maybe, some miniature roses to fill the spots where I removed azalea bushes in one of the front beds... *grin* (I know, some of you may consider it heresy to uproot an Azalea. Susan, we need to have a party here at my downtown Raleigh house. I have 40-year-old azaleas in one yard--many, many, many of them--that I hate except for that ten days in April when they bloom in concert with the dogwoods and globe kerria and such. They were not pruned at all by the previous owner--so when I do, they are nothing but thick wood. Some say azaleas should be replaced every ten years. Yes, but then what will the s.o. do for exercise and skill sharpening if there's no grass to mow in and around the various beds? I have two words for you: ROSE HOLES! Susan s h simko at duke dot edu |
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