I bought a heritage rose (forget the name, but pink flowers, WONDERFUL scent, blooms last less than a week so a cut rose on the table will be a ring of petals surrounding a vase all too soon) for Deb almost 20 years ago. It did beautifully, so much so that I gradually expanded our rose garden to five (longer lasting but less fragrant). And then the deer came through, and the rose garden was down to the original bush five years ago, when we had our backyard rebuilt. The heritage rose went into a big pot (the better to move into the garage in the winter) and our landscaper planted "deer resistant" rose bushes (you know why I used the quotes, I bet) that have done well. Until this year, when the fawns (who take bites out of EVERYTHING — seriously, kids, don't your mothers exercise some control?) decimated them. And we're getting some sort of blight and leaf-eating bugs this year.

I'm trying animal repellent and bug/disease spray to see how things improve. So far, meh. <sigh>