cjrosaphile, I was looking at OOTN just yesterday--I've been planning to shovel prune it, but of course now it's covered with buds that look like they might open. I'm trying to decide if I should give it just one more year. I hate it when they turn beautiful just when you're ready to give them the axe! If yours looks this bad too, maybe they just don't like the PNW & I should go ahead and make room for someone else. I gave Golden Buddha away, and I haven't been sorry at all. Looking at the pictures on HMF, it looks like it's just an orange rose. There's a photo of a 4-year-old mature plant---lots of blooms, but plain and orange. If that's what you're looking for, great, but it didn't work for me. I am loving Louisa Stone. She was just planted this spring, so she's not even established. She still has blooms--a little haggard looking since she has gotten practically no water in the past 2 months of record high temperatures, but the plant looks healthy and shows no sign of disease. It'll be interesting to see how she gets thru the winter. I've put in a couple other Harkness roses (Jacqueline DuPre & International Herald Tribune) and have more on order--Harkness looks like a breeder whose roses do well in my yard. I have a bunch more roses coming in the next couple of weeks (had to hit that Ashdown final sale), so anybody that's borderline might get the axe when I find out just how much I've over-bought for the space I have! Another reason to buy more roses--it pushes you to get rid of those that don't really work. Maybe I should get just a couple more...

I got this cutting at the beginning of August, I love it. Hoya Benguetensis - Whole plant Hoya Benguetensis - First new leaf I also got this imperalis cutting in a trade and I really really like it, it seems like a fast rooter/grower, got it a couple months ago at the most. I have another imperalis from the hawaii grower and it hasn't done a thing and got it as a small plant, got it in the spring. I have both in southern light. I frequently have to turn this one b/c of leaning toward the light.... shanna

Purchased pot of Peperomia prostrata about 3 mos ago, and about 2 mos ago added stems of variegated zigzag (Euphorbia tithymaloides) and lucky bamboo (Dracaena braunii.) Dracaena marginata & red Ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa) trees with a big air plant wedged between their trunks, sticking straight toward the pic. It has grown a lot of new leaves over the few months I've had it. These trees need repotted so badly. You can see some compromised "indicator" tips in the upper L corner of above pic, a sure sign the roots need attention. This crazy pot has creeping Charlie/Swedish ivy blooming (bottom R corner) and ornamental purslane (Portulaca umbraticola.) Being potted on 8/12 didn't bother these plants at all. Ledebouria bulb is putting up a new bloom stalk.

I have Pretty Jessica and love that rose. I also love Brother Cadfael. HUGE blooms on that one with a scent to die for Also have Princess Alexandra of Kent. Big blooms on that one as well. Old rose with fairly big blooms (heat will shrink them a bit) is Vick's Caprice. Yes, he is a mild stripey. Munstead Wood is also good. It will change colors in the heat. It becomes much more fuchsia in warm weather.