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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0095_01CDCA76.0E429A50 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The multiflora rose is a beautiful flowering plant that produces = hundreds of splendid petals that last for about three weeks. In my = rather coolish coastal area the plant blooms in mid July. The thousands = of berries appear in mid to late fall and provide food for almost every = migrating and overwintering bird. The red berries are magical when = covered by snow and descended upon by hordes of thrushes and finches of = all types. The mimics, waxwings, sparrows and flycatchers also take = their share. The plant is low maintenance providing you follow some simple rules. = Never use it as a show plant, display plant or foundation planting. Use = it only in areas where humans do not frequent for the thorns are as = vicious as on any plant I've met. Plant it around the boundaries of your = garden or yard where it can grow uninhibited in three directions, to the = back and to the sides. The leaders are amazing, growing 8-12 feet per = year but have a rather nasty overhanging strategy. Where the rose = overhangs onto areas where you don't want it simply cut off the leaders = and throw them back onto the top of the plant. I do this once a year! = The seedlings that sprout into new roses are your opportunity to = continue building your hedge. Simply pull the sprouts out of the ground = when they are 2-3 feet long until you see roots, cut the sprout, and = throw them in a bucket of water. The same procedure applies to root = spread plants. Root starter is not necessary in your bucket of water. = Take your sprouts and using a spike or fork create a hole and drop the = sprout into it, tap it down with your feet and water, then forget. I = have about a 90% success rate at replanting the volunteers. Older plants = do not grow much at all and produce considerably less berries than the = younger ones. As well as a source of food the plant is the best = protection against raptors that songbirds can have. I've seen songbirds = huddled in the middle of the rose with the raptor sitting nearby = frustrated, knowing that a plunge into the rose provides not a reward of = bird flesh but numerous thorn stabs. Sometimes the raptors get so = tangled I've almost had to rescue them, but not yet. The plant was introduced from Asia to act as a natural animal barrier = which it does well enough but as has been pointed out by others it does = spread. It's banned from some American states as a noxious plant. It's easy to get your supply of cuttings. Take a heavy pair of gloves, = good shears and a bucket of water and visit locations where this plant = grows in abundance. Pull out leaders, cut them off at the first sign of = roots, throw in your bucket of water and replant along the edges of your = property where people do not frequent. I don't recommend this plant if = you have dogs or children running about. If one follows these simple guidelines the plant is a wonderful = introduction to your garden, providing birds food and protection and the = home owner the pleasure of unbelievable blooms. Gray Catbirds nest in = this plant as do Baltimore Orioles, further south of course. Hans _________________________________________________________________________= ________________________________ Hans Toom Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada http://www.hanstoom.com/ ------=_NextPart_000_0095_01CDCA76.0E429A50 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.19328"> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>The multiflora rose is a beautiful = flowering plant=20 that produces hundreds of splendid petals that last for about three = weeks. In my=20 rather coolish coastal area the plant blooms in mid July. The thousands = of=20 berries appear in mid to late fall and provide food for almost = every=20 migrating and overwintering bird. The red berries are magical when = covered by=20 snow and descended upon by hordes of thrushes and finches of all types. = The=20 mimics, waxwings, sparrows and flycatchers also take their = share.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial><STRONG>The plant is low maintenance = providing you=20 follow some simple rules</STRONG>. Never use it as a show plant, = display=20 plant or foundation planting. Use it only in areas where humans do not = frequent=20 for the thorns are as vicious as on any plant I've met. Plant it around = the=20 boundaries of your garden or yard where it can grow uninhibited in three = directions, to the back and to the sides. The leaders are amazing, = growing 8-12=20 feet per year but have a rather nasty overhanging strategy. Where = the rose=20 overhangs onto areas where you don't want it simply cut off the leaders = and=20 throw them back onto the top of the plant. I do this = <STRONG>once</STRONG> a=20 year! The seedlings that sprout into new roses are your opportunity to = continue=20 building your hedge. Simply pull the sprouts out of the ground when they = are 2-3=20 feet long until you see roots, cut the sprout, and throw them in a = bucket of=20 water. The same procedure applies to root spread plants. Root = starter is=20 not necessary in your bucket of water. Take your sprouts and using = a spike=20 or fork create a hole and drop the sprout into it, tap it down = with=20 your feet and water, then forget. I have about a 90% success rate = at=20 replanting the volunteers. Older plants do not grow much at all and = produce=20 considerably less berries than the younger ones. As well as a source of = food the=20 plant is the best protection against raptors that songbirds can have. = I've=20 seen songbirds huddled in the middle of the rose with the = raptor=20 sitting nearby frustrated, knowing that a plunge into the rose provides = not a=20 reward of bird flesh but numerous thorn stabs. Sometimes the raptors get = so=20 tangled I've almost had to rescue them, but not yet.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>The plant was introduced from Asia to = act as a=20 natural animal barrier which it does well enough but as has been pointed = out by=20 others it does spread. It's banned from some American states as a = noxious=20 plant.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>It's easy to get your supply of = cuttings. Take a=20 heavy pair of gloves, good shears and a bucket of water and visit = locations=20 where this plant grows in abundance. Pull out leaders, cut them off at = the first=20 sign of roots, throw