Mustbnuts, I kinda figured the towhees mated for life. They're always together, or at least not far from each other. I'm quite sure the babies got eaten. They weren't big enough to go off on their own. They were barely a week old, only maybe 2" and just getting feathered. They very well may have fallen thru the chicken wire and down into the pen and maybe the chickens ate them. I'm not even sure how many there were. I only saw the one come out and sit up on top of the awning waiting for mom to feed him. He may have been the only one. It was sad to see the mother so upset at not being able to find him/them. I was wondering if they might have another batch, because awhile back I heard them out there making their cute little sounds and they were chasing each other around like they were dancing. I'm glad they didn't try to use that nest again tho! Maybe they learned their lesson!

Zuzu, I love that PEACH SWIRL. I'm so glad I got that photo. There were 3 blooms and a bud that day, and the next day they were gone. I have a pair of young does who keep coming in the yard. Haven't had deer come in in a looooong time. These two little forest rodents are not afraid of anything. Thankfully they don't eat a lot. They seem to just wander around and kind of pick and choose here and there. I'm often amazed at what they leave alone.

I had no idea who Susan/Suzanne Massu was. I had seen a photo of the rose in a book yrs ago, and a few yrs later Regans offered her, so I grabbed one. She's not been a good grower for me tho. Just recently began to bloom regularly. Interesting rose.

Sue, I love your CAFE. For some reason, mine hasn't done much this yr. And that thistle.... I had one come up in the chickie mulch. Thought at first it was an artichoke! I just let it grow anyway. We yanked it out the other day when we were cleaning up that area getting ready to put the wire up around there. I'll probably have a bunch next yr because it went to seed and they blew all over the place like a big dandelion.

That thistle is growing in my veggie bed. I have been so bad about weeding and general garden care as I was working full time. Last week was my last day working, kind of nerve wracking going from full time to zero income so I am now sewing like crazy to stock up my Etsy store so I can hopefully have a little extra spending money.

I vowed to hubby that I will get out there and do some proper garden cleanup!!

Gorgeous photos, Sue, nicely done!

After looking at Peach Swirl with longing for a while, I realized that the name is also part of the attraction. I think I'm more likely to buy any rose with some kind of fruit in its name. I did a quick search of my own roses and found that I have 12 roses with "berry" in their names, 6 with "cherry," 7 with "peach," and a whopping 16 with "apricot."

Are there names that automatically evoke positive feelings in the rest of you?

Summer Song, based my Etsy shop name on that rose! 👍

I like roses that are named after people.

Sue, Summer is another of my buzzwords. I have 15 roses with "summer" in their names. Years ago, when Hortico used to offer a huge assortment of roses, I'd rush to the "S" page every time the website was updated just to see whether they had any new roses with names beginning with "Summer."

I also like roses named after people, Porkpie. It's nice to have a connection, however tenuous, to Charles Aznavour, Gilbert Becaud, and Victor Borge. (I'm listening to a Gilbert Becaud song on YouTube as I write this.)

No particular order for me in choosing roses (as far as the name goes). I once thought I would collect all of the Thomas Hardy novel named roses that are DA roses, but since I didn't care for Jude the Obscure at all, I quickly stopped that thread.

Calif_Sue and Zuzu

Could you suggest a climbing rose or roses that are disease resistant?

Thanks for your time,
Richard

I can't do it, Richard. I have no experience gardening in your zone, but every rose in my zone 9 garden gets black spot except for a few floribundas and short shrubs. I have no climbers that are disease resistant.

Same for me but based on my personal experience, these are pretty good:

Rose (Rosa 'Aloha')
Rose (Rosa 'Crepuscule')

Richard, I have not grown roses under your conditions either, but Renae (Moore) is a great climber. Burlington Nursery should sell it. I know someone who grows it in Tenn. and she just raves about how many blooms it has all the time and the fragrance. It is also thornless and disease resistant.

Richard, I know you didn't ask me and my zone is a bit cooler, but I do have several suggestions. Smart thinking on your part to look for climbers that don't blackspot because climbers can be hard to spray. Climbers are also harder to offer winter protection and won't always climb and/or bloom if they suffer winterkill. Most things from the noisette class won't have a big problem with blackspot for me. If where you live is warm enough for teas, some of them might work well. Some of the hybrid musks have done OK here, too.
I grow the noisettes Crepuscule and Reve d'Or. They have been free of blackspot and even made it through the off-again-on-again brutal last winter. I have had hybrid musks Buff Beauty and Sally Holmes. Neither had problems with blackspot although Sally Holmes never did well for me. New this year is a modern noisette, Lemon Zen, and Climbing Souvenir de la Malmaison, a bourbon with tea in its background. Both are doing well. (Everything from the SdlM family seems to do well for me.) I only grow a few modern roses so can't advise on many of those. I don't spray. Anyway, spraying a giant climber on a regular basis isn't fun.
Whether modern or old fashioned roses appeal to you, why not contact Roses Unlimited (in Laurens SC) or Long Ago Roses (outside Hickory, NC)? They will have a good idea which roses will be disease resistant and do well for you. I've dealt with both nurseries and both have been very helpful.

Thank you, Margie, what a treat!

Ah, a bit of green! Thank you Margie. You are a miracle worker!

Margie, Gorgeous! I especially love the garden image.

August bloom:

Claire Austin


Ebb Tide


The Poet's Wife



Princess Alexandra of Kent

Chrysler Imperial is about 20 yrs old. Grace is a newbie - an appropriate name as she bows her head to curtsy. Green Ice - an unusual color. Hot Cocoa, a pretty russet. Malicorne produces lots of clusters of flowers that last a very long, long time. Oksana was purchased from Wisconsin Roses as a bare-root maiden - I enjoyed watching her grow up. Pirouette twirls around a 6 foot obelisk. Pompon Veranda is similar to Earth Angel but smaller in size (20"). Rainbow Niagara had to be pruned to ground level due to fluctuating temps this past winter but made a huge comeback. Tineke offers a white rose with no brown edges. Tournament of Roses, a pretty coral pink. One of my favorites of which I have had for 20+ years. Isn't she lovely?

Margie, I agree with your preference with Tournament of Roses. It is such a elegant bush and blooms. Tineke, is a new arrival in my garden, so I'm expectant. Pirouette is absolutely lovely. Its unavailable here but it has Bonica in its background. Perhaps I can find a cross that creates an equivalent climber. I'm partial towards climbers...
Arturo