I found Neem helpful for all kinds of problems and parasites on plants. Neem is an amazing plant with lots of uses, not only gardening and organic agriculture. There are a lot of links but the following one is a good startneem foundation.
I love the old roses, too. The new hybrids don't have much scent. A friend of mine did give me an antique rose a few years ago. It's a lovely pink and the smell is incredible. Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes
And invest in a pair of good nippers (I was a landscape gardener for 10+ years, and I and all my compatriots use the Felco brand...which has numerous sizes to fit different hands...and, yep, they are Swiss made!) "Once in awhile we get shown the light, in the strangest of places, if we look at it right" - Hunter/Garcia
