Maybe within a week this first ever bud from a seedling of (Don Juan X Spice) will open.

One of the things I love about spring here is seeing first buds on TEENSY rose seedlings of mine.....this one is (Don Juan X Spice)...I'm guessing it will be pink.

I probably wasted time again using Rosa laevigata as a parent, but I just used its pollen in my climbing Tea Noisette 'Elie Beauvillain'.

I just checked all my roses seedlings after taking my back yard shower on this lovely day.....they are 100% FREE of aphids just a few days after I gave them that drench of strong Neem leaf tea! A week ago they were COVERED with them, something I've dealt with annually since I started breeding roses in Denver in 1993. Thank you so much Vicki Nettles Parsons for giving me that baby Neem tree years ago when you and your employees came here to take a class. FINALLY a solution! I was going to spray but gave a drench as you suggested since you grow a large scale Neem tree farm east of Tampa....it worked! John

I was wondering if this open pollinated seedling of my 'Seagull' rambling rose might open today....tomorrow? Sunday morning?

Mike Reisman I just potted up that radical thornless form of climbing Rosa multiflora you gave me while here....it is in a decorative Water Wise Container Garden. I would SO love it if it could actually grow and BLOOM here in Zone 9B so that I can cross it with Teas!

There are SO many petals in each opening bud of 'Teasing Georgia' bred by David Austin, SO few anthers BUT a nice column of pistils in the center, that I did these pollinations a new way for me...I leave many of the petals until the pistils are exposed, apply the pollen, then put on the shroud and label each cross. I did this because I ruined a few perfectly good blooms by trying to remove every petal. The pollen parents here are: Mme. Antoine Mari, "Barfield White Climber" and my 12 year old climbing open pollinated seedling of 'Blush Noisette'.