It takes years to get enough roses so you can control your obsession.
Like you I started with one, then 25, then 95 (that was my 2nd year when I ordered every roses in J&P's catalog). I now can pass up the many temptations but I still look. Occassionally, I'll find one I have to buy but more times than not, I pass them up.

I read somewhere that the only cure is complete poverty.

'Bishops Castle' has a lovely sweet fragrance. I love that one! Enjoy!

Abe is a beauty too, but here it can develop severe rust. A 6'x6' plant that resembles a Nacho Cheese Dorito ain't pretty.

Quick! Go back and grab 'Christopher Marlow' and 'Chicago Peace'. Especially CM...I have two of them and they are absolutely full of blooms right now. CM is a very full, fat bush for me, always in bloom, and is one of the best Austins in my garden IMO. You won't be sorry, I promise.
-terry

"....and the only treatment is complete poverty..." which is the result of the rose buying madness!

You should hope for poverty sooner rather than later so that you will only have a hundred roses to take care of (in your destitution) rather than a thousand!

Lynn (who just received and unpacked a box of 8 roses from K&M Roses and didn't need any of them because she already has a pot ghetto full of tenants without homes)

Well luckily I am faced with poverty, space challenges, and deathy constantly. haha

When I am in a permanent residence, I can pretty much guarantee myself I will go out and buy every rose that's out there. Now I am spacially challenged...in fact I might ask my neighbor if she wants them in our adjoining yards along the fence for backyard decor. I'm totally broke at the moment....that's college for you, but I have checks from work coming in and other money as well, so it covers it. The only downside I guess is having to pay more for pots/soil for the roses. Really...so far...the only hope I have of turning down roses....is if I don't go to the garden center or see sales to begin with. I have to cringe and feel joy at the same time everytime I have to pick up a bag of Rosetone at the local nursery as I wonder which rose might allure me next as I always have to check the plants out. I saw a WS2000...last one last time I went...almost got him, but turned away as I already have one.

Jeffcat, you make me feel so much better:-).

I love Bishop's Castle, and my Abe Darby doesn't rust (yet).

I can proudly say that I passed on Vintage's unloved roses sale, even though at one point I was on their site and actually chose some roses, added them to the shopping cart, and then stopped myself right before punching in the credit card number. Whew!

When I had a few roses, taking care of them was a lot of fun. Now that I have close to 100, some tasks become chores (deadheading is one). So, it is a little easier to stop now.

Masha

Jeff, I traded my obsession for purses and shoes for roses. I don't think I've purchased shoes for 3 years, and can walk by them without even feeling a pang, but roses! They all call my name...I'm up to 250 roses now.

I know what you mean about the Rose Tone...I buy 20 of the 20 lb. bags every season. Good thing I gave up purses and shoes.
-terry

Try paying with cash only, I guarantee that will slow you down. I started out with fives roses with no intent of getting any more. Then there was eight which is all my current rose bed can hold. I now have ten and I figure I'm going to have to start a new rose bed because I can't make the current one any bigger if I still want get the lawnmower through. Poverty is my friend but damn it, does it look the other way when it comes roses, shrubs and plants.

Terry - let us know when you give up clothes and food along with purses and shoes, and we will take up a collection for you............(you might want to start acquiring thornless rose varieties - yikes!)

:o

Lynn

Lynn, um, I HAVE actually cut way down on my clothing purchases, but somehow I can't quite convince DH and the kitty to do without their food and snacks.

Since I had such a huge shoe collection to begin with (it was a shame really; I could rival Imelda), I'm still living off the dregs of my shoeville. But you could still take up a collection....I could use more roses LOL.
-terry

Every rose lover must buy 300-1700 roses over their life time. That way, towards the end of your gardening abilities, you will know just which roses are the very best for your little earthen domain.

Your self will be controlled by getting those answers. and you then may downsize, but only of you want to.

I succumbed to VG's summer sales. It's just money...

There are worse addictions... You ARE stimulating the economy by buying! I believe I have added 30 this year (still have a few to put in the ground). I usually shop only one nursery for my roses but decided to check out a couple others earlier this month and lo' and behold found some I didn't have already!! Up to 120 now.

Thankgod I am limited in my space! (And my wallet!). I live in a mobile home community and it is a small lot, so not lots of room! Besides that, my house takes up most of the lot :)

WAIT!!! They have PJP II??- well go back there and get it..Pronto!! Mine died, I don't know where else to get it from. The local nurseries here does not sell JPs, they sell Weeks Roses though.

As far as self control and roses... listen the only time I stopped buying roses was last year, when I was so huge with my pregnancy I could barely move. I bought 4 in Spring last year and I only planted them in this year.

I don't have the space anymore either, so I find myself buying huge pots also. And yes, buying pots, soil etc does add up!

I just put eight more in the ground a couple of weeks ago, adding up to 103. That's a total of 30 new ones this year to replace/add to my gardens this year. The only way for me to control myself is to just not go to the nursery.(I only buy from a local nursery). Everytime I have went to just get one or two, I come out with four, five, six!
At the beginning of the year my goal was to get to a hundred, and I made it. But I will be going back to the nursery this w/e with my mother, and I already know that I won't be able to come home empty-handed! (Actually, I can't wait to go!! Yippeee!!)

Shelly

Jeffcat and others, I just posted a strategy suggested by Kim_SC long ago.

I'll put a link to it below -- hope this helps@

Here is a link that might be useful: How To Count Roses