Pest battle with Peace — and how I won

I had a serious problem with aphid infestations on new growth on my Peace earlier this year. Caught it late and had to work hard to bring the plant back. The experience was frustrating but educational.

Now that it's healthy again I can fully appreciate dense double blooms with a classic silhouette, which is remarkable. I've repositioned it in a large terracotta pot on a sunny patio and improved my attention to deadheading spent blooms to encourage reblooming. bare canes in winter showing the plant's architecture was the proof that the plant had fully recovered — genuinely beautiful. Moral of the story: inspect regularly and catch problems early.