First venting: I hate, hate, hate deer and of course, RRD.

Get me on the watch list of Haters. There I am.

This morning I found those creatures chopped my blooms AGAIN despite spraying. If I forget to spray a few evenings, it's chopped. I am not even sure what I am thinking about planning a hedge at the front of the driveway without some kind of fence. It's insane.

I barely see many roses from those in the ground (along the driveway) because they get chopped before you know it. The only ones that do well are those in containers on my deck but then again these will always be smaller than they could be, since a container can only let them grow so big. But it's better than altogether chopped.

I wish deer could ... disappear. Poetry and all. Apologies to all animal lovers, Eco-concerned people and everything related, but I hate them with the passion of 1000 suns.

If anyone could recommend a good fence or similar solution, I would appreciate it.

Now the love:

Ode to Climbing Pinkie - finally gorgeous after five years of cautious, slow progress. It "only" took it five years to grow into what she's supposed to be. Another problem is that she blooms only one glorious flush in spring because after that the trees in the area leaf out and she's probably not getting enough sun anymore. But the romantic effect is amazing,We don't see much of her since she's on the other side of the deck, just peering through the potted roses sitting on the deck, but our neighbors have full view of her - maybe they should pay for front row tickets :).

Finally, bows to the queen that "Easy Does It" is.

She gets the crown because she is by far my best performer in many ways - floriferous, great disease resistance, impact in landscape, beautiful aging of bloom, she just glows and reigns.

I want another one right next to her for mass splash on the deck, and 3-5 more along the driveway if only I could figure out the deer.

Can't have enough EDI-s, apparently. Talk about everything you could want in a rose.

Below I have posted some 2024 pictures as the still Novice gardener, because things keep happening that I have no solution for, six years after being bit by the rose bug. I've made it so far with the help of this wonderful community here, so many thanks for putting up with my inner eternal Novice.

You can click on each photo to see close up and some have a note (click on 1).

I could never dream of getting bushes covered in 50-100 buds at one time as I see Ben, Hoang and others manage (amazing!) ...but I am grateful for what I get.

I don't have a lot of space or time to tend to as many bushes as I would like to, and I am still fighting tree roots, deer and now apparently RRD pressure too - but right now it's the best blooming power I've had: from a total of 20+ bushes, ground cover drifts included.

Some are still arriving (a second Munstead), others maturing (first Munstead which is doing worse than last year, its first) or living in ICU (Lady of Shallot eaten by voles, but doing well).

Beverly, Eden and Dee-lish are taking their sweet time.

I hope everyone is well and enjoying amazing blooms.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/tHjrf4czVZ2quvDV9