When you squish those green worms, make sure you skip the syrphid fly larvae. They are FANTASTIC aphid preditors. A couple of weeks ago my roses were positively digusting with aphids. Then along came the syrphid flies and ladybugs, and the aphids are down to a manageable level. I think they actually do a better job than the ladybugs. I was out this morning checking out my seedlings--they had been starting to get an aphid problem, and this morning I noticed some of those lovely little green worms and a lot fewer aphids...

Thanks for your answer. These little green worms were defoliating all of the leaves on my roses. Same? How in the heck do you tell little green worms apart? Barb

Barb, have you ever checked out any of the old roses that are cold hardy? Some of them have really sumptuous blooms and a great fragrance and the hybrid perpetuals for instance can give good rebloom if you fertilize and water them well. Some like Mrs. John Laing and Paul Neyron have huge flowers; Baronne Prevost is another beautiful one. Check out the Vintage Gardens site to see some pictures and info. You might even discover that you like roses there that don't look like hybrid teas because they have their own kind of charm.

Ingrid

I have really good luck with hybrid teas by planting the bud union 4-6 inches deep. And yes, that portion of cane above the bud union and below the soil surface will root. Mine usually do the first year. The only winter protection they get is whatever leaves blow at their bases each fall. While I do get a lot of dieback on unprotected canes, all mine have new growth from the roots and any green cane that overwinters under the leaves. AAMOF, burying the graft has been so successful for me, I've begun ordering a few new hybrid tea varieties to try each spring. .