I like that compact bush and the blooms' color look similar to my Moonlight Romantica (too tall as own-root). What are those tiny dark pink annual flowers, they look great with yellow roses. Thank you.

strawchicago z5, that's also salvia but i do not know the name, it comes back every year for me as we don't have a real winter here

Hoang Ton, you just answered one of my questions about the pink companion flowers. At first, I thought they were snapdragons, but then I thought they didn't look like snaps, after all. I love them and they look wonderful with Larger Than Life. That's a beautiful rose, and reminds me of a rose I am currently in love with, and just found out about--Golden Zest, available from RU, I guess. I grow many snapdragons and they come back for me, too. After about three years, they get woody, and I pull them out, but they develop huge roost during the three years. Nothing like an annual's roots, which snaps are supposed to be. Snaps also do a lot of reseeding, producing natural hybrids that I love, but of course, don't always look like their parents. Diane

Diane, the reason i go all in salvias because they deers don't bother them haha

I have the curse of the rabbits here, so I grow these: Blue salvias, alyssum, geraniums, and snapdragons. Snapdragons self-seed in my zone 5a (they live forever).

Deer don't bother snaps here, either. Other good plants deer hate are all kinds of penstemon, lavender, butterfly bush, rudbeckia, echinacea, Jupiter's Beard (which might be invasive in your climate), boxwood, catmint, and Russian Sage. They don't bother my hardy geraniums (cranesbill), peonies, hibiscus, OK, I quit. Deer love roses! Arrgh. Diane

Thanks for posting the progress on Larger than Life, I think it’s one of the most interesting new varieties. Unfortunately, my rabbits thought so too, and after a few beautiful blooms last year, they devoured my plant until it was ’Smaller than Alive’. How are you keeping critters away from your plants?

lol Bent, nice new name for the flower, i do have rabbits problem too, i just started hanging CDs and it seem to have helped so far, i'm very surprised that my peaches are still on the tree because last year they squirrels got them all, i heard from a neighbor that his dog was scared to walk near the CDs and would avoid it

Ben, I've tried many deer repellents, and like Deer Out best--it works pretty well. It's available on Amazon. For rabbits, which were a very minor problem at one time and don't live around here now, I used garlic power sprinkled on the affected plants. I think it worked, but it's been a while. I'm sorry about your Larger Than Life. I take it you aren't growing this rose at your new home. Diane

Ben, are you truly sure you have no deer? I didn't think I had a problem years ago, until they showed up. They are pretty much my only trouble makers. No squirrels, bunnies, RRD, fungal diseases here, either. Never had rats--ugh, and the voles have retreated in the face of our kitties when the kitties are let out at supervised times during the day. I don't see how people grow roses and put up with this stuff East of the Rockies. I think black spot alone would keep me from growing roses. Even the deer problems have lessened a lot in the last two years, due to new housing developments a ways away--the "lawns" are rocks and there is zero for deer to nosh on in these hideous new developments. Diane

Diane,

There are plenty of deer in these parts, but they don’t get into the suburbs like mine that are quite well walled off and/or fenced off. I look at the ’Roses without Chemicals’ list and there’s not that much I’d want to grow, so I sprayed when I lived in the East Coast and Texas. We’re both pretty lucky to live in such garden friendly environments.