Here are some pictures of roses at a favorite local nursery here. I've bought many roses from them the last few years. I will post some pictures when they start to bloom. The plants are beautiful even without bloom.

WOW. Those are some beautiful plants! Lucky lucky!!

I agree. Google maps says Pleasant Grove is ten hours drive from where I live. I guess I better look around closer to home.

Steve812 said:I agree. Google maps says Pleasant Grove is ten hours drive from where I live. I guess I better look around closer to home.

8 hours for me. LOL. Daytrip!!

What healthy looking plants!
They are giving me major zone envy!
I am at least a full day and north of you and your beautiful rose plants.
No growth on any roses here!

The roses in the pictures are in hoop green house that they open up during the day as it gets warmer. My own roses in the garden are budding out. I think this nursery tries to have roses in bloom for Mother's Day which is a major sales day.

That's pretty much how most of mine are looking now, love the fresh new growth in spring and especially the bronze new leaves! Should have some blooms later this month.

Sue - I won't see any buds for at least another month if I'm lucky... mainly 'cuz this winter was so mild. Gotta prune this weekend!

I've got one rose that looks like that, Abe Darby. Most are just starting to make leaves. It took me about 15 minutes to prune all my roses because they are growing so slowly and they are so young. Mulch, on the other hand, is going to take a matter of hours. I took inspiration from you, Toni, went to Lowes, and in three trips have brought back 33 cu. ft. of mulch and spread it on the garden. I'm guessing that's about a third of what it will need. Maybe if I keep at it the job will be done by June.

Spent a relaxing half hour in the garden lying then sitting in the hammock observing wildlife. I counted six different lizards patrolling for insects - very good. I counted two squirrels trolling for food. When one had the audacity to saunter up to a new rose and start nibbling on new growth I chased them both from the garden and sprayed some more liquid fence. I guess I need to hire a dog. Or maybe look for squirrel traps.

Squirrel traps don't work.... they breed like rats & if you get rid of one, more will just take over. A dog will do the job, but just be careful 'cuz they can carry ticks. :(

I need to take a picture of my mountain of bags of mulch. It's ridiculous. I ended up getting 66 bags of mulch. 66 bags at 2cubic ft each.. so that'd be like 132 cubic feet? divided by 9? so like 14 cubic yards? Something like that. The pile is ridiculous. I still haven't pruned, I'll be doing that tomorrow morning. I have nothing else planned for tomorrow morning except for yardwork. As I was checking things out this evening, saw Sam (or Samantha, dunno who.. as I didn't try to catch them to sex them.). Sam & Samantha are two garder snakes living in my front yard. They keep the mouse population under control from all the bird food.

In reading about squirrel traps at Amazon.com, I learned that some people had moved 30 or more squirrels before the problem began to subside. I haven't quite figured out how to keep traps from catching skunks which are quite numerous around here, too. Sadly, DW won't have a dog, even outside, due to allergies.

Squirrel traps are too small for a skunk to get into. Plus I'd recommend putting the trap up in the tree if possible, or on the roof next to the tree if you can. peanut butter does the trick. And poodles are hypoallergenic due to the fact that they don't have dog fur, they have hair very similar to human hair. No dander. That's why in the mid 2000s "doodles" were all the rage.

Doodles?

Labradoodles, golden doodles,.. poodle mixes. Mutts. Back in '04, DH & I were in one of the malls here & walked by one of the petstores (Puppymill store). They were advertising an 8week old labradoodle for $1600.

Yes. Sixteen HUNDRED dollars. One thousand, six hundred dollars. For a friggin' MUTT.

Mutts here are expensive. Hell, adopting from a shelter is expensive. http://www.ddfl.org/adopt/the-... or http://www.gadzoo.com/denver/A...)

Do the half-breds inherit the non-allergenic trait?

Most of the time the poodle hair breeds true, thus the hypoallergic trait. http://idog.biz/AboutLDGDs.htm...

These are my 2 non-fur babies, Penny, the 7 lb tiny toy poodle and Kasey the 6 lb Yorkie Terrier. Most of the terriers are the same. And the bonus, they never smell like dog either. No allergy issues at all.


List of Dogs Considered Good For Allergy Sufferers
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/al...

Concerning the cost of adopted dogs: all of ours have been saved from death row at animal control or picked up off the road - "free". However by the time we get all the vet work done they probably cost the same as those adoptables.

Cute dogs, Sue. Do you suppose they would terrorize a huge crowd of hungry squirrels? Or vice versa.

I'm thinking I could buy a lot of squirrel traps for $1600. About sixty. And have money leftover for peanut butter. Plus, no house training. But certainly not as cute and cuddly as a labradoodle. Still, for that price, they should be able to draw and paint, too.

And their works should SELL.