Not all wild roses have the mites. I don't know how many states have Rose Rosette disease, but it is a serious problem. I have seen nurseries selling infected roses. I have it my yard now....so am afraid I will lose several of my favorite roses. There are many sources on the internet about it. Ann Peck is considered to be the premier expert and her web book contains a wealth of information: http://www.rosegeeks.com/index.htm For a shorter read, you can try this brief explanation: http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=0016232 I was excited to think I had "wild roses" on my property! If only I had known back then. I have multiflora bushes that are 20 or 30 feet tall and have been fighting losing battle for years..... I also want to mention that Round Up drift can cause similar damage to roses....as I have accidentally gotten it on a few roses several years ago even though I thought I was being careful. Here is a link that might be useful: multiflora

Thank you all for sharing your experiences with Buck roses and enticing me to other varieties. You, evil rose people, you! I am very pleased to hear about PS. As I mentioned, it was an impulse buy and never thought about it or never paid any attention to it. I was so fascinated with the large 4 inch bloom with intoxicatingly sweet fragrance. The bush was in a 2 gallon container and about 1 ft tall. When I go back to the nursery and see the roses, I have a better idea about how they are. My garden contains some Buck roses also - Carefree Beauty, Earth Song, Aunt Honey, and Blue Skies. All the roses are indeed carefree except BS. BS had very strong citrus fragrance and acted like HT, but he decided to not grow.

If you bend any cane on any rose past horizontal, more buds along the cane will grow and produce flowers. I imagine any other training would just depend on what shape pleases you.

Same here, but tractors, combines, etc., are supposed to be hiway safe, signal lights, flashers, tail lights, head lights, and the like. And farm machinery is covered under ones farm policy. Off road vehicles (quads, dirt bikes, side by sides) do not have signal lights and flashers, and traditionally cannot travel at speeds high enough for hiways. They should, however, be added to ones farm policy, if nothing more to cover fire and theft. I would still suggest that in the case you mentioned, the off road vehicle was not legal to be on the road, no matter what the operator was using it for, and as such, he would be libel. On the other hand, the hit and run vehicle should have also been fined and paid his own fees for leaving the scene of an accident, IMO. But, who can read what goes on in the mind of those who make those decisions. Anyway, Reggie and I do not have to be on any public road, and the private road is that, private, and so I can travel it without that worry. As for Kobi, I hope she changes her mind and decides to ride with me. Love her company! And love the fact you thought enough about us to give me the heads up. Thanks.