I’m trying a bit of concrete “art” in the lower terrace. I have been planning for a year or two now to make pour-in-place stepping stones along the bottom level. If I had known how incredibly easy this is to do, I’d have done it before now. Ok, the concrete bags are heavy to handle, but the rest is far easier than I expected. I’m having too much fun! I’m about a quarter finished so a lot more to do, but this was done in the last two evenings. I don’t think I spent more than 3 hours so far on this project. When I’m finished, I plan to put compost all around the stones, plant some ground cover plants etc and see what happens.

judi, I think that's brilliant! They look terrific. I expect you were missing the workout after all the stone wall building :)

Kentucky, I was going to ask you if the red stripe was Red Intuition... it's unique and hard to miss! I've had it since 2007, and I love it ever so much. Interestingly, in the past ~3-4 years, it has a couple of canes that bloom solid red. And those sport canes have remained ever since... so I guess they're here to stay.

That’s funny, Trish. Maybe I was. ;) Actually, I just had this vision in my head of what I could do and it had to be worked out.

Susan, yes, the red stripe is Red Intuition. I love that rose and wish it was more commercially available.

My rose report as the heat finally breaks here (although still hitting high 80s during the day)—Peach Swirl is probably the top overall performer, hardly anything on the foliage and blooms like crazy, nonstop. The vase life on it is good, too. The heavily thrip affected roses are bouncing back well—Lemontini took a big hit but is back to vigorous growth. Forever Yours finally has some new buds but continues to be slow to open them up. Maui Sunrise is a Jalbert that also had a ton of thrip damage but is rebounding and starting to bloom again—I don’t have a well formed bloom yet but the fragrance is so nice. They describe it as honey and vanilla and I think that’s pretty apt.

The A&A roses are producing well; Royal Amethyst I think is the overall standout for growth and flower production so far; but Cappuccino has surprised me with how much it has put out. Jeanne produces such big full flowers but they are pretty tight through the middle and take a long time to open. I love them but I’ll be curious to see as she settles in if they start opening a little quicker. Both Pink O’Haras seem happy!

Cappuccino, then a group that is Marc Chagall, Peach Swirl x3, De Colores, Jeanne, and Cappuccino. Such a lovely group.

I love your new project, Judi!!!

Thank you, Sheila. I’m having fun and look forward to the finished product. I’m thinking of adding Armeria and Lambs ears along the edges, just placing them in clumps here and there in a random fashion. I also want something spiky, like irises. I’m thinking of some of the smaller iris plants but haven’t nailed anything down yet… maybe there are some suggestions for me? I really like some of the more wild looking irises. I don’t know the names of many of them, but I saw some on the Europe thread a while back called “ roof irises”; of course, I can’t find anyone in the USA that sells them.

These are USA, Judi. I had not heard of "Rare Roots" before.

Good to know, Sheila! It’s been several months since I’ve looked for these and it’s nice to see someone here carries them. I’ll check out this company.

Kentucky, I've always been surprised that Delbard hasn't released Red Intuition into commerce the way they've released their other "Painter Series" striped roses, but at least it's available from a few specialty own-root nurseries. I also have Pink Intuition, which is impossible to find at any own-root nursery. I'm assuming that's because it is nearly impossible to root. I've tried for years, and I even sent a big bag of cuttings of it to one of my former trading partners (now retired) who was a titan of rose collection, and he had no luck either. I got my original from Steve at Wisconsin Roses in 2007. Trying to propagate Pink Intuition was one of the primary drivers of my desire to learn to bud roses :-D

Judi,

Love your beautuful Roselle fruit! Lovely craftsmanship on yoyr faux stone pathway! Great job!

Very unique! Also, lovely designer concrete faux stone pathway! Easy? Amazing! Looks perfect! Great job! (Updated.😊)

Otterbon,

Thank you for your rose report which is intriguing! My favorites today are Lemontini (w/ the licorice scent) Amethyst, Cappuccino Pink O’Haras, & Marc Chagall! Although, I am more & more enjoying Peach Swirl!

Cappuccino is soooo beautiful in her form & exquisite coloring! Amethyst is a star beauty-can’t wait to see her lavendar ruffles in my garden! Pink O’Haras have been my top faves-and I can’t believe you now have 2 Pink O'Haras! YAY! How truly lovely! My Pink O'Hara has a few buds starting to open, but so cool outside, and cloudy, opening slowly. White O’Hara has a bud trying to open, too.

I lately added Marc Chagal to my order list and I am so happy to see you have it! Marc Chagal has a score of 3 (excellence) in disease resistance from A&A and moderate fragrance! Do you notice M. Chagall’s fragrance?

Kentucky,

Can’t wait to receive Tropicana , which A&A kindly rescheduled for me to deliver on Tuesday.I am totally enchanted by hearing about her fragrance and changing oeach-punk-yellow colors! I have heard rave reviews from froends about her!

I order 4 A&A roses on Monday to receive the “4th rose free & free shipping promo”. Then on Tues. I ordered Shania Twain and Wed.I ordered Tropicana. So I asked A&A for these 2 last single rose orders if

I could receive “free shipping,” as a continuation kinda added to my original order 4 promo, by A&A? A&A was so kind and refunded my shipping charges $19.00 for Tropicana and another $19 for Shania Twain- shipping the last 2 roses together for me. I am so happy for their thoughtfulness & the great savings. And tgey are ”rush shipping them to me 4 roses on Monday & 2 roses in Tuesday, because it’s getting very cool ger w/ winter coming-I requested asap deliver & they instantly shipped them! Soooo truly kind!

Kitty, I find that Marc Chagall’s fragrance is pretty weather dependent—in the heat the fragrance is moderate, now that it’s cooled off I’d say it is light. It smells sort of apple-y to me. Here is Royal Amethyst—you can see some of the buds on the plant and then the one I cut with a Broadway!

I must be missing some posts? Kitty mentions something about Otterbon and a decorative concrete driveway… and I see nothing of the sort. Occasionally it happens that someone comments on a post that doesn’t show up for me.

I’m loving the deep colors that are showing up in my garden and are NOT crisping in the heat. It’s getting up into the 80’s every day but it’s so much better than the high 90’s. Here’s Prospero, Cardinal Hume and Munstead Wood and Yves Piaget from yesterday.

Enjoying ALL the photos!

Deeper & bright colors are my favs anytime of the season... :-) judijunebugarizonazn8 ...

Mostly been in the upper 60's F & low 70's daytime temps... Couple nights dipped to 37 degrees F but mostly 40's-50's night-time temps...

Susan, your Pink Intuition is perfection. It would be a nice surprise if A&A offered at least Red Intuition for 2027!

Judi, love your rose pictures and stepping stones.

Kitty, I think I want another Roberto Capucci next year. My POH has a HUGE bud! I may want another POH. I am running out of ”me” and need to remove a few underachievers. Impressive that A&A accommodated you with your orders!

Carol, you are missed. Hope new repairs exceed your expectations.

Otterbon, glad you got the roses that you wanted from A&A.

Grace Farms has their 2027 rose list out. I saw ”Be Good” yellow Kordes grandiflora available. Does anyone have any info on this rose? A&A’s 2027 rose list should be soon?

Judi, I think maybe Houzz just shifted some of Kitty’s message around and it really should all have been directed at you for the pathway! None here :) and I do love yours!

Judi,

I just updated my comments above for you…..typing bounced around and I put it back all for you. You are the only one I know if with a new concrete stone pathway. Lovely! Beautiful roses! Thank you for sharing more of your lovely rose photos!!

I’ll chat more later. Busy w/ home stuff!

Here is today’s bounty:

Grande Amore

Lauren Leigh (big pink stripe)

Roberto Capucci

We are suppose to get rain Sat & Sun.

Judi and all,

Those Hibiscus sabdariffa flowers, a.k.a. Roselle Hibiscus, when dried and brewed make the most remarkably delicious sweetened iced herbal tea. I learned about, 'Jamaican Sorrel Tea,' for the first time while staying at the home of the grandson of a past Governor of Jamaica, while attending the wedding of a college classmate held in Philadelphia, PA, many years ago. I was served this delicious tea there, and couldn't believe how similar it tasted to cranberry juice! From then on I was hooked!

The Celestial Seasonings herbal tea, Red Zinger, has as its main ingredient H. sabdariffa, but it is, 'watered down,' with other herbs/spices. To get the real experience, the iced, sweetened (must be sweetened to be authentically the way Jamaicans drink it), of the dried hibiscus flowers as the only ingredient is mandatory.

What pleasant memories your post stirred in me. Thank you, Judi!

Moses.

judi, gorgeous photos. Yves Piaget is particularly lovely.

kentucky, I love your Roberto Capucci.

Bliss this morning

Lioness

Trish, thanks. Your pictures of Bliss and Lioness are breathtaking!

Judi,

Your concrete art stepping stones look like they have been there, weathering for 100+ years. Those rounded over edges are game breakers! I really like them. If you plant creepers like dwarf sedums, and herbs like carpet thyme they may tend to obscure those rounded over edges, which to me are a strongly positive, artistic feature. Maybe think about using a fine fir bark, nothing else (remember negative space in art is as important as positive space), but only up to ~1" below the height of the stepping stones. They will gray-up with age and blend right in. Minimal approach.

Moses.

Otterbon,

Exquisite photos of Royal Amethyst! I had to take several up close looks! Beautiful lavendar ruffles! Thank you! She’d make lovely bouquets in my kitchen with my lavendar & cream decor.

Judi,

I love your Munstead & Y Piaget! The otiginal Yves Piaget has the best blooms of any Yves rose!

Kentucky,

I’d like a second pink Ashley & a 2nd POH, too! My POH has 2 blooms today & couple more buds. Photos maybe tomorrow. Yes! A&A hope bring out their catalog soon?? Your bounty of roses is soooooo impressive-unbelievable! Rob. Cappucci is gorgeous-lovely peach/white cupped bloom! The most beautiful photo of him yet!

Trish,

Bliss & Lioness are lovely photography! My Bliss has another flush starting, too. I need to do photos….. just really busy with move stuff right now.

Jim,

68F but sunny so I walked Anastasia while I only wore a sweater. It was the warmest day left I see in the forecast. Cool eve w/ a jacket. It’s truly fall for us! Cool and some leaves falling. My roses are still blooming a little. . Many buds, but I wonder if they will ever open.

My fave blooms today are POH & City of San Fransisco. CofSF has deep wine blooms & a very very strong fragrance-simoly love her! Hope I get photos tomorrow.

WOW! kentucky_rose zone 6 & titian1 10b Sydney ,,, Very nice! :-)

Diane, this arrangement today is for you. Thank you for enabling me to get Augusta Luise.

Augusta Luise, Roberto Capucci, & Tineke

Showpiece Berry for Carol. Too low for me to sniff. It sprinkled earlier.

The Jubilee Rose. Another bred by Bruce Brundrett. Its first four blooms opened this morning a lovely egg yolk yellow and a few hours later they look like this. It's described as prolific.

Madame Delbard's first bloom of the season. I don't understand why this rose isn't available in the US. It's a stunner.

Trish, I must comment on your last two photos. Bliss and Lioness are absolute beauties and you captured them so well. Just luscious!!

Moses, I am so happy that my photo of Roselle brought back such good memories for you! Yes, the tea made from Roselle is delicious, whether hot or cold, made from the fresh calyxes or dried. We use them to make so many healthy, delicious beverages at our house that I plant a long row of bushes in my garden every year now. They are quit easy to grow and even the plants themselves are quite pretty.

Well, we're home again, utterly exhausted from our 5 day "vacation." Between walking the dogs multiple times/day for them to eliminate and for exercise, driving back to Calgary for doctor appts, shopping (fun!), etc. Don and I are done in. lol We came back and found that the restorers had washed our walls, cleaned each wooden slat on the window blinds, etc. Our house is much cleaner. :) This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving, and I'm going to make lasagna and some more apple crisp. We've got my nephew and his girlfriend coming too and staying here.

We had a weather report that temps are going down to -7C/19F overnight in a few days, so we were doing backyard stuff to get the roses ready for the garage, drain the water totes, etc.. My hands are all cut up from pruning the roses. You all know that ouch feeling. lol So we were here for parts of 2 days doing that, and then the forecast changed to lows of -4C/25F which is okay for the roses. I'd just as soon get it all over with. We're getting daytime highs of 2C/36F this weekend with snow on Sunday. But then we're warming up a bit to 15C/59F. Wacky weather.

Kitty - my Anni has rust all over the leaves; yours may behave better. :) I'm keeping it, as well as Pink O'Hara. I'll see if they do any better next year.

Judi - that stone/concrete pathway is incredible!! So well done. You're very capable.

Kentucky_rose - thanks. :) I missed you and everyone else, too. :)

Trish - thanks for the Showpiece Berry rose photo!! It's a beauty!! I love the coloring a lot, especially how the dark center fades along the edges. :) Madame Delbard is a beauty!!! I agree; it should be more widely available.

I enjoyed reading everyones posts this morning!! Lovely hearing & seeing your pathways and beautifil roses!

Good Morning Otterbon, Judi, Moses,

and Rosie Friends! Lovely pathway ideas, Moses. Wishing you a grand rosie gardening adventure today!

kentucky,

Especially I am enchated with your Augusta Louise & D Cappucci photos! I have been thinking about adding them to my ordets. O wonder if Augusta L.& D Cappucci have excellent disease resistance? Ypur photography really shows them off well! Mmmmmmm!

Carol,

Soooooo happy to have you back! Vacas can wear us out! LOL! Your Thanksgiving soubds scruptous! Lasagna & Apple Crisps-my 2 faves! Mmmmmmm! May I come, too!-you're making me hungry? Oooooh! My sin is making the baked apple recioe I shared for his girl froend this week! Yummy! Sounds like your nephew & girl frien may be serious coming together to Thanksgiving? I’m sure your doggies loved their walks even though it tuckered you out. LOL ! Anastasia loves her walks, too, and they have to be a ”fast walk,” because she’s so energetic! I think she’d run the whole time if I let her! Tee, hee! Your roses do well in just below freezing, butwith snow on the way , it sounds like garage time. I need to prune mine, too. (i’ll chat more later…. super busy today!)

Trish,,

Madame Delbard is trulyva beauty! A&A may have her in the future here! They have many Delbards. Showpiece Berry is gorgeous! Jubilee is another beautiful peach. Yummy!

Wishing Everyone a Beautiful Rosie Day! Sun shining 67F here. Very busy w/ house stuff. I’d love to chat more w/ you later! Have a wonderful Day!

Jim,

Enjoy some sunshine today! Woohoo!

Diane,,

Missing you! I hope it’s not too hot for you? You may have some of my cool and Carol’s cool IF YOU LIKE? LOL!

FAVORITE FALL RECIPE!

Chicken-Pumpkin Soup for Halloween or Thanksgiving! I wanna maje this inext week! Yummy!

CHICHEN-PUMPKIN SOUP

Add i grfients i to a carved out pumkin. Smear pumpkin with okive oilIl. Bake in oven.

No added water! Scoop out the pumkin inside as well as tge other soup ingredients and serve soup-YUMMY! Mmmmmmm!

Baked Apples, Apple Crisp or Apple Pue for desert! I’m in heaven! 😊🥀

That looks interesting Kitty! 67 degrees F here today with part sun... Suppose to start raining 3am tomorrow thru all day Sunday... @ 60 degrees

Nice rose blooms everyone! :-)

Snapped a shot of Oso Easy Double Red a few minutes ago.... This rose seems to like the heat but also likes the colder weather...

Kitty, Ty. Augusta Luise and Roberto Capucci are healthy, clean bushes, but I do spray. The chicken-pumpkin soup looks perfect for Halloween.

I cut these this morning before the rain.

LAMPION had a few blooms. The bush is healthy and really thriving. Yes, it is thorny, but manageable to handle.

HEARTS, POH, & BLUE GIRL…POH has a HUGE bloom

I forgot to say that I really enjoyed all the pictures everyone posted! So much beauty...happy sigh.

Kitty - That is the most bizarre thing...putting a whole chicken in a pumpkin and cooking the whole thing. You have to tell us how it turns out. I watched a few videos, and wow, this is a real thing. :) :) Thanks, Kitty!! It's good to be back, and sleeping in our own bed with the fan blasting, heaven!! :) Yes, you may come to our Thanksgiving meal. Lasagna always makes enough to feed everyone, and then some. That's good that your son is making your baked apple dessert for his girlfriend. A guy who likes to cook...a keeper! Yes, it does sound like my nephew and his girlfriend are getting serious. They haven't known each other for long, so we'll see. Anastasia and Sugar would probably love to run around together. Poodles really love other poodles. Well, I'm going to leave the roses outside. The dahlias and fuchsias will go inside the garage...it'll be too cold for them. We had a bit of snow today, but it's all gone. It's a cool day today at 3C/37F with wind. I'm sending Don out to bring everything in the garage, and I'm staying inside. lol He has to go out anyway to drain the water totes. Yes, definitely, I'll send some coolness down to Diane. :)

Jim - nice weather!! Your OSO Easy rose is fantastic!! What a bloomer!!

Kentucky_rose - My Roberto Capucci was terrible for disease. The worst of my roses for rust. It's amazing how many blooms you get from your rose bushes!! Your bouquet is wonderful :) :) I'm in love with your Lampion!! The only yellow rose that has done well for me is White Licorice. I've tried many, and they don't do well for me. Your POHara is delightfully pink and large. Mmmmm :) :)

Wow those blooms of yours kentucky_rose zone 6 are pristine! Very nice!

Thanks Carol...

My only annual flower left is the potted begonias...Other ones bit the dust when we had two light frosts..

These are starting to fizzle out alittle but still hanging in there...... Yep got weeds I gotta pull..lol

judi, thanks about those photos. Just dumb luck. They were taken early on a cloudy day.

kentucky, I know you spray, but would you say Lampion was healthy? It's lovely, and one I seriously considered before settling on Candlelight. Good yellows are hard to find. Hmmm, that sounds familiar!

Carol, your 'holiday' sounded exhausting! But almost worth it to have walls washed and blinds cleaned. I just threw out some wooden blinds as I was so sick of attempting to keep them clean. They were white and the window where they were drops dirt from a gap above to make matters worse. Writing that makes me wonder why I haven't investigated sealing the gap :)

That Showpiece Berry bloom this morniing. It's about 41/2".

Jim,

Fibrous rooted begonias, which think yours are, always put on a great show. From full sun to quite a bit of shade, they give their best.

Moses.

Trish, that’s a beautiful picture of Showpiece Berry and it is huge. Have you cut any for inside? I consider Lampion an healthy bush in my garden. When we had temps in high 80’s and 90’s, the blooms blew fast and I was disappointed. Now that we are having cooler temps they are lasting longer. I just went out and took some bush pictures for you.

Lampion is in back between 2 posts and has smaller leaves.

Diff angle of Lampion

Close-up

Picture of thorns

You can see the bush is thriving and healthy. Doesn’t my cutting garden remind you of Mortisha on the Addams Family cutting off the blooms and arranging a vase full of stems!

Jim, that’s a gorgeous begonia and I love the deep color.

Kentucky,

Morticia arranging a vase full of stems-your cutting garden! yes! Hysterical! Actually, I am simply amazing at your cutting garden! Lampion does look kinda tall-thorny, butbeautiful blooms, very tempting! Do you really have much of a rain & fungus problem w/ roses? I do.I really need disease resistance. Augusta is most tempting! I love your Blue Girl, POH, & Hearts arrangement!

TODAY

Today 67F & POH has 3 gorgeous 1/2 open blooms & 2 otger buds! Ooooooo la, la! Best blooms in my whole garden-exquisite! However, City of San Fransisco has tge most decadent cupped beautiful & stringly fragrant blooms, too! Most beutiful & fragrant red-wine rose I ever had-VERY SURPRISED with her! Love her! She has several blooms, too and beautiful glossy healthy leaves-SUPER WINNER for my climate! Must get photos of each.

OHHHHHHH! I AM MOVING FIRST WEEK OF NOV. , things progressing really well!

Carol,

Loving that Chicken-Pumpkin Soup-best recioe I saw this season! I will use chicken breasts w/ skin as tgey will better flavor the soup & that is what I usually buy. I need some storage cobtainers to freeze soup when done now. Loving your comments! Poodles do love poodles! Anastasia has been lovi g neighbor dogs recently-met an Aussie and a Chihuahua! She enjoyed both! Dahlias & Fuschias must go in garage now-good! 37F & snow coming sounds pretty cool to me! I still wish it was summer!

Trish,

Another beautiful Showpiece Berry bloom! BIG bloom! Lovely!

Jim,

Your red begonias still blooming! YAY! Surprosing to hear you already have frosts. You can be hotter & colder tgan me at the dame time. I still see one day of 76F coming in a couple days, but thunder on tgat day, too.

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

I still have a few home projects to do…. As I packed I found a few areas needed painted I had not noticed when closet was filled. I painted the walls & floor of the gall closet recently and I have a paint touch up to do on a trim & wall tomorrow. Otherwise, all walls in the home look newly painted. I forgot a few outlet covers I will be doing, too. Then inside home looks brand new almost. Afterwards, I have a few garden chores, weeding, again, pruning roses, I need to pick several large bags bags apples, & spraying aphids. Oh….. I’m having carpets cleaned next week, too! And today I cleaned all 11 large roses off back porch, cleaned porch, and put them in sunnier garden beds. The porch doesn’t have much sun in later fall now. I have 40 potted roses in garden beds now. A uniaue garden look! LOL!

Carol,

Monday & Tues. I have my A&A 6 new rosrs coming! I ordered roses for the promo when you went to the hotel & A&A is rish delivering them to me. YAY! I ordered sime very FRAGRANT -disease resistant roses!

White O’Hara-light fragrance-biggest rufgle blooms!

Jardin Couture-Strong Fragrance. Pretty pink cupped bloom.

Royal Amethyst-Vigorous, double velvety purple-mauve ruffled blooms.

The Most Beautiful, Rose blush big cupoed floribunda blooms-strong fragrance.

Shania Twain-peachy-pink-yellow blooms!

Tropicana-Strong Tropical-Maracuya Fruity

Fragrance.

kentucky. thanks for the pics of Lampion. It does look healthy and bushy. The seller's write-up says it's a late flowerer. How do you find the repeat? I'll see how Skylight does this year. It would need to come out for me have room to plant another rose in that bed. it's already ridiculously overcrowded. Skylight grew into a large sprawling bush last year with hardly a flower. A Jolly Green Giant as Ben calls Kordes, but it was its first year. I haven't cut any Showpiece Berry blooms yet. Both my bushes are rather small still and I'm not a great one for cutting blooms anyway. Silly really. I've thought about cutting a bloom of Dolly's Rose for a few days but haven't managed to bring myself to do it! I might run around tomorrow early and cut a few, as it's forecast to be over 90.

My goodness, Kitty, the people buying your house are lucky. Good to hear you've got a moving date. Not long now.

Jim, I'm surprised weeds have the gall to pop up in your garden.

A littlr trivia on: April & Ashley’s

”The Most Beautiful,” rose , bred by Roses Forever. . She’s coming to my garden -delivery MONDAY! WOOHOO!

I am looking forward to seeing these big floribunda (abundant -flora) (disease resistant-scored 3) plump fragrant blooms! I hope they are as outstanding as ”Prince’s wife, named after!” Mmmmmm!

A&A introduced “The Most Beautiful rose” on V-Day-I missed the baptism! Pretty cool debut!

(Excerpts from tge article.)

Oops, above is Ashley and a Rouge Royale plonk. Below is Love Song. She had a rough summer between the deer and the heat. But she's liking autumn. I am really enjoying the RR plonk above with its gorgeous scent. The blooms last, and once the temps had dropped became huge.

Couldn't resist posting another which shows the size of the bloom better.

Moses, I want to thank you for your input and ideas for my garden pathway. I agree, negative space can really set off the beauty of the garden and you’re probably right that my pathway would look great with just mulch around the stones. I did consider that, but I’m sort of into the cottage garden look which means you stuff plants into every available inch of ground because plant nuts always want to grow as many plants as possible! :)

I’m going to post the inspiration picture that has been in my head for a long time so you can see the general look I’m going for. Obviously, my pathway will look quite different than what this picture shows, but I do love the green growing between the stones and crowding it at the edges. My pathway is a bit narrow at some points so I’m going to need to be really careful not to crowd too much. Unfortunately, I am in a zone too cold to grow Dymondia between the stones like this picture shows, but I have baby lambs ears and creeping Veronica that should do the trick nicely.

Judi,

Lambs Ears & Creeping Veronica sound lovely for your pathway! Beautuful!

Diane,

Love Song is exceptionally exquisite! What a perfect lavendar bloom! Happy she is doing well now-avoiding the deer! RR is truly sumptuous! I don’t see your plonk yet or Lovely Ashkey? Did you post them yet!

I’ll check in the morning, again. 😊🥀

Trish,

Thank you! When I renovate a home I have to finish. I think it’s expected to paint all the rooms, not just leaving one unfinished. I missed that closet & it soooo needed it! Lovely cream walls now! The new buyer plays piano & teaches pilates! She loves roses and my grand piano, which I sold. (Funny-now I need another maybe baby grand for my home.) We will see… Her hubby is a painter-artist and engineer! Perfect for the home! I am so happy for them.

It's "Morticia", not Mortisha :-D

Judi, are you going to get hammered by tropical storm Rachel? According to the path on the national news tonight, Arizona looked kinda scary soon. Newport Beach already had flooding from it today. We're too far north, maybe some sprinkles tomorrow.

Jim - you really keep your plant beds so neat and tidy. Great looking begonia and coreopsis!!

Trish - Yes, it was exhausting. Made us realize we are done with big vacations. :) I know, right? They washed our walls, cleaned our blinds, washed our floors, and the glass on my hutch, etc. We have heavy wooden blinds, so I'm really glad they did them. Ours were white, too. LOL, as the British say, "Mind the Gap." Beautiful Showpiece Berry!! SWOOON!!! It's doing really well for you!! The height sounds good, too. I'm going to get one. :)

Kitty - It sounds like your POH is doing really well. :) :) Yes, please get us photos of your City of SF (sounds wonderful) and POH. :) COSF sounds like a rose I would love to get, too. First week of November is when you're moving. You still have lots of time. Do you think you'll have time to dig them in before winter? I guess they can all go in the garage. If your garage isn't insulated, you can cover the potted roses with blankets/sleeping bags. I'm so amazed about the pumpkin/chicken soup. I've never heard of that before you mentioned it. Oh, that's sweet that Anastasia has friends. Hopefully she'll make friends at her new place. Did you say that she'll be able to run free in your yard? It's snowing right now, but just a bit. The weather will warm up again by Monday. Man, these new home buyers are SO lucky they're buying from you. You're really working hard for them. :) Oh, that's great that you're getting new A&A roses!! I'm really interested in how Jardin Couture and Tropicana do for you. I'd love Tropicana for the fragrance alone!!

Trish - I hope your Skylight matures into a great bush for you. I'm like you; I hate to cut blooms to bring inside. I like to enjoy them on the bush. Wow, you're having hot temps!!

Kitty - Oooooh!! Congratulations on getting The Most Beautiful!! I enjoyed all the info you shared. Pink is my favorite rose color, and I'll be happy to enjoy yours vicariously. :) Fragrant and plump blooms brings it up a whole other notch or two. :) :) I so agree with you that they're perfect for your home. Too often we hear that people bought the place and bulldozed the plants/roses off the property. Heartbreaking. I'm glad that won't be happening at your place. :)

Diane - Your Love Song blooms are intensely colored. Your 2nd picture is my favorite...SWOOOON!!! I really love the color of your LS bloom in the 3rd picture. It's a fun one, because of the "8" in the middle. Made me smile. :) Mmmmm...your Rougie blooms are wonderful!! I love the color and the petals. Such a unique rose!!

Judi - I agree with Moses about the negative space. It's a good idea that I would never think of. :) But I love the look of the plants all stuffed everywhere. That's such a sweet picture. I love it!

Carol,

I am sooo excited you are getting Berry Fragrant Showpiece & Pink Ruffles! They looks & sound sumptous! lI love Berry which has perfumed floral notes of anise & spice! Ruffles sounds yummy, too, with a fragrance notes of lychee, apricot, bergamot & powdery old rose! Mmmmmmm! You’d love CoSan Fransisco , too w/ her strong decadent perfumed fragrance! Love her! Yes! I’m loving Tropicana mainly for her fragrance, too!!! That Maracuyu tropical fruit scent is lurring me in! Thanks regarding my new home, big fenced yard for Anastasia, and new rose orders on Monday & Tues. The Most Beautiful rose is truly beautiful! Thanks! Hope garage is insulated, roses need to go in garage. With 4 more weeks for sale paperwork to finish I’ll do a little touching up.

Although, in a week I am having contractors do estimates for me on new home. I am planning on building 2 new porches asap, installing carpets, a new gas stove and a few quick renovations! I plan on painting over winter the inside and setting up for a new B&B maybe by spring/summer. All plans are tentative. Just now laying out a olan to renovate….in first stages of garden designs which I will work on over winter.

I’d like for next spring::

one apple tree, 1 red currant bush, strawberries, blueberries and maybe a grape vine? I’m very happy with my rhodes, hydrangeas, peonies , lilies, bulbs, and dahlias-must recreate similar plants in my new gardens! I still need to dig up a few lilies & an iris.

I’m so happy with new buyers, Thank you! -They are such nice people, cultural, love roses, and made a really ”perfect-strong offer on my home!”

Trish, ,

Your Berry sounds truly delicious with perfumed floral notes!

Yes! I need rose photos! 😊🥀

Kitty, Lakeview Roses offers it.

Kentucky,

Thanks, I looked iup Lakeview, , again, and I’m ready to order for spring! LOL!