Karen... Leda

Hi Karen,

I've dug up and potted on a 'Leda' sucker if you would like it? I'll keep it potted up for a while to make sure its small roots keep developing a bit more but it's yours if your would like it.

Hi Simon, I have a grafted Leda now, but thankyou for thinking of me. Keep it or give it to someone else.
I also realised that I am far better to have grafted roses than trying with ownroots where ever I can, if the rose is to survive drought. This is what I am learning now
With the graft under the soil. hopefully they eventually get their own roots, and it is more protected there instead of above the ground.

No worries Karen... I don't really understand your thinking about the drought resistance of own-root roses compared to grafted ones as my experience with own root roses is that if they are vigorous they will make root systems equally as extensive as the grafted ones (and if they aren't then they should probably be grafted anyway)... but then I have not experienced the same same level of drought (quite the opposite really) as you have.

Hi Simon. I have had great success with ownroots in the past. But not this year, and also in the past. I surpose I put them out into the paddock too early to compete with our dry times. I still have some ownroots growing so far and if they survive they will probably live for ever. Its just disappointing when you manage to get them to strike, keep them growing for so long and then you loose them in the end.
Did you see my last 'cementry' post ? No one commented , which was disappointing too.

I saw it Karen but don't have anything constructive to add... they don't look familiar to me.. maybe a little damask-like (the buds remind me of 'Leda' in a way.. maybe 'Pink Leda' could be a possibility for the first one but I don't know enough about the old roses to be of much help).

All my own-roots seem to go through a slow-spell soon after planting where they don't move much... then they start to move a bit more... I guess at this time they are making roots and would be very sensitive to dry conditions. Seems that some take longer than others too.

Hi Simon.
I just wanted someone to say whether they thought the buds looked like they might have been nice roses if they had been given more water or eventhat they were good photos ( even if they are not good photos ). But that is how it goes with forums, you can't answer all posts as there is just not enough time. But you notice it yourself when its yourt own post. Years ago when I was on Yvonne's forumn, I got a complex when none of my posts were getting answered, thinking people had got sick of me.
I have been going to the Antique Garden Forum lately, so I surpose I have been doing the same thing by not being involved here regular as much somtimes. But I want to say how valuable I find your forum, so I am keeping in contact with all the rose motivated people that come here and it keeps me learning about roses at such a greater speed than if I didn't have this. So thankyou for all your work for this great forum.
From now on I am going to have two or more windows open of different forums so I can go from one to the other instead of just concentrating on one forum at a time.