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Re: Why is there so little mail?





Hi, Keith!

Without going into a long bio about myself, I'll give some background:  I'm
a baby to rose gardening compared to some on this list.  I don't own a
greenhouse or gardening business, just a large backyard.  I'm in the Ohio
Valley, right in between zones 5 and 6.  Lots and lots of haze, heat, and
humidity.  Long dry summers, spotty winters with no reliable snow cover.

I've given up on the hybrid teas as they require more pampering in my area
than I can give them.  Black spot claimed every bush I ever had despite
repeated sprayings and systemics.  I've fallen in love with shrub roses,
however.  They are the reliable heroes of my garden, but curiously
overlooked by the people who stock our local garden centers.  (I don't
understand that at all due to the nature of our climate here)  They are
super hardy, very disease resistant, and very adaptable to my clay soil.  I
also have some climbers that help to cover a fence I don't like.  I try to
do research before I purchase any roses.  I specifically look for
black-spot resistant shrub roses, those who can tolerate full sun, some
drought, frigid cold, also those that provide a long season of bloom (I am
accepting suggestions from the list....)

I try to use organic methods to treat the pests that will come and I like
the soap spray that someone else had mentioned for aphids.  To be honest
with the everyone on the list though, I find that most insects leave the
shrub roses pretty much alone.  I don't have nearly the problems that I had
with the hybrids.  The aphids I do have are eaten by other insects before
the problem gets out of hand.  There are occasions where I do spray, but
because the shrubs are so hardy and strong growing, the bushes are hardly
stunted or affected by them.  I also include other plants, i.e. perennials
and bulbs, in my garden.  They encourage other beneficial insects to take
up dwelling.  Unlike the tempermental hybrid teas, the shrubs don't mind a
lot of underplantings to share their space.

I don't belong to any rose societies in my area, as I find that the talk is
almost exclusively about the hybrid roses and usually meetings are held
during the day when I am at work.

Enough rambling!  My original question was about a rose that a friend is
going to let me have.  It seems to be a climber that isn't climbing up
anything -- it just sits to the side of the house.  It is huge and has very
long canes.  It bloomed a beautiful pink and had a strong smell.  Do I move
it now?  Do I cut it back first?  What is the best way to do this so it
won't die?  I've never transplanted a bush that wasn't from a garden
center.  How can I be sure to get all of the roots?

Help is appreciated!!  (and I'm glad to hear from y'all)

Val, zone 5/6, Kentucky, Ohio River Valley
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