Beautiful, Margie.

Love the succession of looks for that Sunset Celebration! Pompon Veranda is always such a girly girly bloom.

Thanks Lynn - you always cheer me on...
Thanks Suzanne. "succession" - that's a good word, a good description - I'll have to remember that one. How are your chickens coming along? I had quite a few Russian Singer chicks this breeding season - another one hatched today.

Chicks are doing fine, the 6 week old ones will be going out into the coop later this week and the 3 week old ones will wait at least a couple more weeks, they still need to feather out more.

Was curious what Russian Singer chicks may look like, no way was I getting any correct hits on Google until I changed it to Russian Singer Birds.

They were imported directly from Moscow little over 10 years ago. They sing a much more intricate song than the typical canary. There is nothing like waking to your own little Philharmonic orchestra each morning.

I need some of those, to go with the Siberian Forest Cat I hope to have one day.

Margie, your Pompon Veranda is such a beauty! Gorgeous photos.

Here are some shots showing the progression of Julia Child over the last couple of weeks. After staying puny for over a year in her previous location, she's proving to be happy with the move and the additional TLC. On the down side the blooms do fade quickly in this heat and humidity, but oddly enough, the Japanese beetles aren't devouring them. This is particularly strange because yellow is their favorite color- they always go for yellow blooms first. Golden Fairy Tale is producing lots of blooms, but they're being eaten as quickly as they're being produced.

'Sangerhauser Jubilaumsrose' (aka Floral Fairy Tale) is performing impressively under less than favorable conditions.

Brothers Grimm and Kordes Rose of Hope

Neil, where did you move Julia Child's to - a more sunny spot??? I have to agree with you about the blooms color fading quickly. I know it's popular - I don't get it. The Japanese Beetles are here too. I used DE (Diatomaceous Earth) on them with some success. The food grade DE "NOT" the pool grade. Helped with the slugs too. Your Floral Fairy Tale and Rose of Hope are beauties. The newer Kordes are the so dependable - no fuss, no muss.

Margie, I think Julia's current position does get more sun in the afternoon/evening. The previous bed she lived in has peonies, irises, lilac, lilies, baptisia, and several other sun lovers growing happily, so it didn't occur to me that she was lacking sun. The new location was heavily amended with compost too, so that and a couple more hours of sun must have done the trick. The really surprising thing to me is how she's being looked over by the Japanese beetles. They're devouring several, but are at least leaving some for me too- hopefully we've come to an agreement, LOL.

How do you use DE - on the soil? I inoculated the soil here with milky spore several years ago, and never see grubs when I'm digging any more.

Thank you for the acorns!

Well my beetles don't discriminate - they love them all - lol. Maybe they aren't attracted to Julia because she doesn't stay a good yellow color for long.
For the roses = 1 cup of DE to 1/2 gal of water into a spray bottle. Keep agitating the bottle. If it rains you have to repeat. It does leave a residue = green leaves with white polka dots. Actually it looked kinda cool. For the slugs, sprinkle directly on the ground ( dark damp places). I read DE does not harm earthworms. If you want to really get rid them = Sevin. Spray, wait 2-3 days and repeat. I'll give you the directions if you want. Ya the Milky spores works but it is my understanding you have to do it once each year for 2 - 3 consecutive years.

I used to use Sevin back when I used chemicals, and it was the only one that worked for the beetles. I didn't want to stick my nose near a sevin sprayed bloom any more than one covered with beetles, so I didn't do it much even then. Interesting about the DE though- I may have to try that sometime.

Recently I've heard that about Milky spore, but in the past I had read that it actually spreads in the soil as years go by. I still don't see any grubs (whereas I used to see them with every trowel turn of the soil).

Ok so you were using it for grubs. The treatment I was referring to was to be used for eliminating iris borers where you had to apply it for 2-3 years. I am glad you eliminated the grubs.

http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/...
Found 2 things interesting:
In July, the beetles are vulnerable to biological insectacides (milky spores). Sounds like this is the best time to apply.
In Autumn, the grubs overwinter "below the frost line". Wow - depending on where you live, that could be 3 - 4 feet down.

This is what I think I know (but I don't have Japanese Beetles or Iris Borers to speak of so I am no real authority on the subject) :

"Milky Spore" is a disease of the early stage larvae of Japanese Beetles only. It is also the name of the product that is used to cause the disease. The product is a bacteria--it is not an insecticide. The bacteria reproduce inside the larvae and when the larvae die more bacteria are released into the soil, so yes it is supposed to spread in the soil as years go by. However, the bacteria do not overwinter well in environments with cold winters so it is supposedly valuable to reapply if you have mating beetles after cold winters. It is good to apply late July/early August when the larvae are hatching and voraciously feeding close to the surface so that they can become infected.

The product, Milky Spore, has no effect whatsoever on Iris borers. I think there is a very different yet similar thing where nematodes, which are tiny worms, are added to soil to compromise the iris borers--and more frequent treatments are required. This could possibly be what Margie is thinking of...
Hope that helps.

Sorry to just barge in to ya'lls thread like that--

Beautiful roses everyone! I just found the July edition and I am duly impressed

Thanks dirt, that makes sense of what I'm seeing. For several years our winters were very mild, so that would explain the longevity of the effects and possibly why I saw a dramatic reduction in Japanese beetles during that time. The last 2 winters have been rough, and this summer I'm seeing beetle activity. And good timing to receive this info- better get some MS ordered!

Oh great.. looks like we now have Japanese beetle here in Colorado. Knew it was too good to last forever..

http://www.9news.com/story/lif...

My roses are too fried to even think about taking pictures. Plus I've been down most of this month with health issues (had surgery last week), having to water heavily due to extreme heat & lack of ANY kind of moisture.. I'm about ready to just get a professional out to my place & till the whole thing under.

Sorry to hear that Toni. Hang in there, hopefully your health and the weather will be much improved next year. Thankfully first flush happens before Japanese beetles emerge.

Toni ...

I, too, have had years where I couldn't work in the garden well due to health issues. The roses survived.

There have been times when I just wanted to give up, too. I am gardening in lousy soil and it takes years to improve the soil when you can't just go out and buy good compost or mulch.

The California drought has had an impact on the garden, so the roses do not look as good as they have in the non-drought years.

The blooms on most of my roses are fried, too, but I am looking forward to the next flush.

You do what you can in the "bad" years and look forward to what the garden can be in the coming good years.

I have found that this is the only way I can keep on keeping on.