We're approaching the end of another year. Many of us will be planting new roses and planning new combinations this month. We'll also spend much of the month inside to stay dry and warm while we delight in Lola's photos. While I'm inside, I'll also be drawing up new maps of my flower beds. The ones I have now are largely obsolete because of all the losses due to drought, gophers, and other calamities. In addition, the deplorable state of the maps has been compounded by my tendency to procrastinate instead of adding new plants to the maps in a timely manner.

The thumbnail photos of the December chat threads for previous years focused heavily on the word "Winter," so nearly all of the roses with that word in their names have already been used as thumbnails. This year I've looked at our database roses with "Snow" in their names and I've settled on Snowfire, a 1970 Kordes hybrid tea. In contrast to all of the white roses with "Snow" in their names, Snowfire seems more appropriate for this month because of the substantial amount of Christmas red in its blooms.

Snowfire was one of the earliest roses that I planted. I wanted to grow it next to a pasture fence and foolishly thought that its thorniness would discourage the cows from eating it. Mermaid turned out to be a more appropriate choice, but Snowfire's blooms were striking - as long as she lasted.

That's a beautiful rose!!!I hope everyone has a great December with perfect weather whatever that may be for each of us. ; D
I would love to see an example of your flower bed maps. Mine are ridiculous so looking to improve.

Ambridge
Gruss an Aachen
Wollerton Old Hall
This photo does not do justice to WOH. She is actually a very pale orange colour that is reminiscent of an orange froot loop with a coating of sugar frosting on it. If you have the candy 'fruit tingles' where you are, WOH is the exact shade of the orange ones of those.

Such perfect blooms, Lola!

There's nothing sophisticated or high-tech about my maps, Vaporvac. I just use a ballpoint pen and typing paper, writing the names of plants on a sheet of paper to mark their location in a specific flower bed. The sheets of paper are kept in file folders labeled with eight divisions of the property, bearing either poetic names (The Wisteria Garden) or bland descriptive names (Along Back Fence). They're currently looking very messy, with lots of names crossed out on each sheet representing a specific bed, and other names added either in minuscule print or in abbreviations due to lack of space.

Lola, I like WOH. It will be on my list for 2021. I think I'm done with ordering anything for 2020.

This morning, I just planted my bulbs and moved two clematis plants to their new locations. I've found out the General Gardener is alive but the main stem was dead, so it could be suckers. I'm giving it more time, if I don't see anything, it will be gone. In fact, I don't think I ever saw a bloom from this rose. I have a very nice and deep color Young Lycidas but it's too tall for me to take a picture, I need to buy a camera, not just taking picture using my iPad.

Here's a picture of a brand new Wedgewood. I think I managed to keep the chilli thrips population down on this rose.

Beautiful roses everyone!

Lola, I had to look up Fruit Tingles and learned that they contained bicarbonate of soda and they can be used as an antacid! You will need to take those after you see your dental bill from eating them. Supposedly, they are very, very bad for your teeth. I also learned that there is a super market in Australia called Woolworths! We used to have Woolworth's here (it was a 5 and dime) store, but they have been gone a very long time as a 5 and dime and are now Footlocker).

It is pouring rain like the dicken's here today. We are making up for our deficit! Happy to not have to drive in it or be out in it, as it is cold!!!! I know for you northern folk it is shorts weather, but it is cold for us!

I still cannot get out of my driveway ... too much snow. They only plowed half of the road ... on the other side from my driveway ...

When a friend picked me up for church this morning, I saw that half of the deer fence on one side of the street bed rose, 'Linda Campbell' is down. Now the fence is only about 4' tall with snow up to about 2'. That's a very easy jump for a deer.

Even tho' I do want to go out and fix the fence, there is no way I am getting up on a ladder in two feet of snow ... Not me ... no way ...

We are supposed to get rain tonight, which will help melt the snow, so tomorrow I might be able to get out there and put together a temporary fix.

It's always something ...

I'm back on line. I have never been through such a mess with my internet. Let's just say, never get into a fight with your handler. Then choose another that didn't work and had to go back to your original people. Stick Thanksgiving Holidays at the end and end up eating humble pie. Anyway, it's behind me now. Everything has been upgraded and fired up and I'm back on line. I have a lot of catching up to do.

Ambridge with an echidna that should not be able to get through the fence, but does. He bent a branch at the back but it didn't break. He managed to push his way out at the back so I didn't have to use the welding gloves and walking stick on him.

Lola, I swear you have the most interesting animals at your place. I had to look up an echidna and see what it was. He/she must have spotted some ants that they wanted for breakfast. Interesting that they are mammals that lay eggs. Ah, the world never ceases to amaze me!

Ken! So good to see you back! How are you feeling?

Loved Snowfire when I had it but it wasn't good here. It doesn't like cold or humidity. It took well into July before it would give me a bloom and those would often ball from the humidity. But when it did open it was stunning!



Keep posting those beauties, Lola and SoCal. They keep us snow birds going all winter!

That is one incredible beautiful photo Seil - thanks for sharing.

Here are a couple of photos I took in October - the last ones for 2019. There were several other flowers that never completely opened due to the sudden cold weather - the buds were frozen in time...

I have a few rose pictures, not great, I can see some problem still. A few days ago, I had to remove my first Crazy Love bud, it never fully opened. I saw something wrong with Jeri Jennings buds today.

Sunflare



Violet's Pride





Queen Elizabeth



True Passion

Haven't been on here much. Been recovering from the fire, settling in to our new home 45 min away from Paradise. Spent several months driving back and forth digging up the surviving roses... and once we got done with that.. my sciatica that I've had for over 3yrs off and on came back in Aug with a vengeance! Been in excruciating pain 50-90% of the days... can't sleep in my own bed. Have to sleep in a recliner and then don't sleep much. In between all this also been trying to get the new chicken coop and run built. Trying to figure out where to plant the roses.. etc... Hoping next yr will be a better yr all the way around!! Oh got almost all my Xmas decos up! Have to do it by degrees with this leg pain.

Meantime.. we had wind and rain the last week or so. Had a break today. Jumped up from about 40º to over 60º! Crazy stuff... and here are roses still blooming!!!! Had to share them... I can't wait til spring now!! LOL

APRICOT QUEEN


CHANGE OF HEART




DEBIDUE mini


DELANY SISTERS


HELEN DE GERLACHE


POLYNESIAN SUNSET


SHEER ELEGANCE


TENERIFE


WHITE GENE BOERNER

Totally in love with Delaney Sisters and Tenerife!

Apricot Queen just went on my wish list.

Beautiful roses and I hope you feel better soon. How are the chickens? Any pictures?

A Shropshire Lad


Troilus


Wollerton Old Hall



Princess Charlene de Monaco

Beautiful Lola, I like Shropshire Lad. I have one in my garden but I never saw any bud like your picture.