As much as I would like to think of July as a month for picnics, fireworks, patriotism, and fun, it's actually a rather oppressive time in my garden. The weather is heating up and rain is just a distant memory, so I seem to spend all day every day pulling weeds and watering the flower beds. These are truly Sisyphean tasks: As soon as I think I'm through, I have to start all over again.

The thumbnail rose for this month is Summer Fashion, one of the first roses I bought for this garden when I moved here 35 years ago.

Summer Fashion looks like a winner to me. Who can resist ruffled petals and a pink/white blend?

I googled Summer Fashion...and it has a strong fragrance! Hopefully you will get July rain.

I love 'Summer Fashion.' It didn't like my conditions, but I've always loved it.

GONNA GET HOT now, in Southern California . . . But it's still remarkably cool for the date.
and wishing all of y'all a happy Fourth of July.

Jeri - that's a gorgeous Fourth of July!

I don't mind watering. I get outside for a little bit. Even if it's just a few hours at a time. I look at July like this. It's another month closer to the first Wednesday of October. My last chemo treatment. The garden looks pretty decent. The Japanese Beatles should be gone in a few weeks so I can have blooms again. The ladies at the Infusion Center miss the bouquets I was bringing in.

Ken, I keep praying for you ever since you mentioned your chemo...
Arturo

I fell in love with Summer Fashion years ago when I came across a photo by Bob Martin of it I found on line. I hunted for it for 3 years and finally got one from Hortico. I was in heaven. It was not! The most disappointing rose I ever got. It hated Michigan. Never grew, rarely bloomed and succumbed to every disease in the book. It gave up the ghost its first winter here. I still think it's gorgeous but just not for me.

Summer Fashion is lovely Zuzu! Just wondering if you have drip irrigation at all or do you hand water everything?

Here are from pics from today!
Bishop's Castle displaying an extra dose of his raspberry pink color.


Ruby Voodoo which I got last fall from High Country Roses. RV blooms a lot, takes shade, has long lasting blooms, and is highly fragrant. I think it also might survive in zone 4.


Jersey Boys from For Love of Roses. I believe he's a mini flora that was originally called Ben-Panda but renamed. I just planted him in partial shade and he seems to like it.


Bella di Todi from Roses Unlimited. Recommended by Pat Henry if you're interested in a yellow fragrant decorative HT. It's definitely fragrant!


Wonderstripe from Heirloom. Just planted a few months ago. It's not a vigorous grower but it's doing well and is fragrant too.


Suntan Beauty a miniature from RVR - just got this one and it's in a pot but managing to survive my inconsistent watering.



Hope you like the pics!
Ann

Oh, I used to have Suntan Beauty and I loved it, but the gophers got it. It was the most changeable rose in my garden, with some of the blooms going from russet tan to a pink blend to gold with dark edges as it aged. You can see the metamorphosis in my two photos in our database entry.

Rose (Rosa 'Suntan Beauty')

I don't have drip irrigation, Ann. For one thing, my friends with drip irrigation seem to spend as much time tinkering with their systems as I spend watering by hand. It also seems they're always telling me they lost a plant because the system wasn't working in that spot. I don't have that problem because I water every plant. Also, I'm a big fan of overhead watering. It knocks off the bugs, washes the dust and other detritus off the foliage, and prevents powdery mildew.

Holey moley, Ann!!!! Those are GAWJUS roses!!!! I would take everyone of them (except miniatures which I'm not fond of in general)! I really can't choose a favorite...they're all beyond beautiful!! Oh my!!! Swoon!!!

Thanks Carol! Minis are great when you've run out of room. Plus they are kind of awesome at rose shows which I've just started to get into.

Zuzu - I've had drip for twenty years and never had a plant die from a faulty emitter and when I've had some minor breaks they were repaired easily. I hadn't considered what you said about washing the plants but I can see what you mean. More power to you!

Your Suntan Beauty was awesome - I hope mine grows up to be as nice as yours were. I hope the gophers got indigestion.

Ann

I have found that gophers not only eat rose roots, they enjoy having water available to wash them down. I spent more time repairing chewed hoses than it takes to water - as Zuzu said - and watering is far less annoying.

Yeah, on two counts! One, I always hand water. It gives me a chance to really examine each plant as I go along. I see things right away if there's a problem and can take action quick. Two, I believe in overhead watering too! It lets me spray the bugs away and get under the leaves easily. I live on a busy main drag and it gets dusty so I can keep the leaves squeaky clean. I know it's some rule written in stone somewhere that you should never overhead water but it rains on them from overhead and they thrive on that! AND it does it any time of the day too! I read a study once that overhead watering can cut fungal diseases because it washes the spores off the leaves. Although I still get some black spot I believe that!

Gemini starting to open todsy

Golden Celebration

Graham Thoma

Julia Child

How often do most of you water in zone 9 during the summer? Every day? Every other day? Twice a week? Once a week? And how much per rose bush? And what time of day do you favor? I think I read somewhere that roses need one inch of rain per week, but I'm not sure how much water that translates to.

zuzu said:As much as I would like to think of July as a month for picnics, fireworks, patriotism, and fun, it's actually a rather oppressive time in my garden. The weather is heating up and rain is just a distant memory, so I seem to spend all day every day pulling weeds and watering the flower beds. These are truly Sisyphean tasks: As soon as I think I'm through, I have to start all over again.

The thumbnail rose for this month is Summer Fashion, one of the first roses I bought for this garden when I moved here 35 years ago.

• Rose (Rosa 'Summer Fashion')
• Uploaded by zuzu

AWESOME!!
I have a Sisyphean love of words that don't get used enough!

reh0622 said:How often do most of you water in zone 9 during the summer? Every day? Every other day? Twice a week? Once a week? And how much per rose bush? And what time of day do you favor? I think I read somewhere that roses need one inch of rain per week, but I'm not sure how much water that translates to.

I have been watering at least every other day. However, for the most part, we haven't had tough summer here, yet. Only a couple of days in the 100+ range. I probably water 5 times week, and I like to water about sunup, before it gets too hot. It is usually around 81- 84 degrees here at that time, these days. With our humidity, it doesn't cool down that much, overnight.

Not much to do in the garden now as it's mid-winter. A possum broke Mme Alfred Carrier and flattened her out on top so I had to cut her back. It looks odd but it will grow again. My lambs were sleeping in the sun while I snipped everything back. They make it look prettier.


This is the great wall of hemp mulch. I got 6 giant bales for the garden and they should last me a year.

Your Lambs are just adorable! Please share about the hemp mulch!

The lambs look like porcelain decorations.