This year was a super sucky year for roses for me.. well, for gardening in general. Winter would NOT let go (got a last snow AFTER Mother's day!) and then it went super hot, and super dry, but had SOME rain, then went back to super hot... bleh! So I only got 2 flushes of roses this year. Oh well, at least what I did get was super pretty! True to color for the most part, no photo shopping (other than cropping out like my fingers & toes out of the picture).

Julia Child, Bolero, Sundowner


Sheila's Perfume


Singin' the Blues, Escapade, Tardi Gris


White Licorice, Holsteinperle, Summer Holiday


Chaching!, Parfum de Grasse (I could smell this a mile away), Charles de Gaulle


Hawkeye Belle (& friend), Inkspots, South Africa


Nicole Carol Miller, Molineux (not blooming right), New Year (gorgeous!)


Velvet Mist, We Salute You, Oshun


Macho Man, Day Breaker, Bronze Star


Cinco de Mayo, Pure Perfume, Love me Tender


Playboy, Blue Girl


Heirloom (buried in the agastaches), Betty Boop, Elle


Blue Bayou, Melody Perfume


Ruby Voodoo, Scentimental, Julia Child


Kordes Perfekta, Montezuma, Cardinal de Hume


Artistry, Hot Cocoa, Picante


Heirloom, Perfume Tiger


Tequila Sunrise, Golden Masterpiece, Summer Sun


Siena Vigorosa, Ring of Fire

Wow! Your roses are lovely, the blooms so bright and the foliage is unbelievably healthy! Right now most of my roses look like leafless sticks.

I do have a spot of blackspot here & there, but not much. Need moisture to have that and pretty much don't have any. That being said, it's raining like hell right now.. go figure. But we need the rain desperately!!

No blackspot here - need leaves for that, besides it is now too hot. We too are behind on rain but not like 2011, so I won't complain.

Stopped raining right after I got home, so took some wet bloom photos

Artistry & Blue Girl


Charisma & Charles de Gaulle


Distant Drums & Doris Tystermann


Ebb Tide & Elle


Hawkeye Belle & Heirloom


Honeysweet


Inkspots & Judy Garland


Kordes Perfekta & New Year


Melody Perfume


Nicole Carol Miller & Orchid Masterpiece


Oshun & Perfume Tiger


Pure Perfume & Rock n Roll


Scentimental


Sheila's Perfume & Sundowner


Sonya


Summer Sun



We Salute You


White Licorice

They were lovely dry and are even better wet. I'm so glad I can enjoy yours; my roses seem to be estivating.

Toni your roses are beautiful. Your rain fell at just the right times, I think!
Pork pal, my roses are in the same boat. The grasshoppers have eaten every single leaf off most of them. Why on earth are some roses untouched, though? They did not get any chemicals.
The Fairy Tale series, for example is untouched and getting way too huge for the space. I had no idea those would get 7' tall!

Tonight was the first night I could work in the garden without dripping sweat.

The triple digits are over and it is starting to cool down at night, too. Bliss ! I also have more afternoon shade. More bliss !

The blooms are no longer frying and the roses are putting on new foliage to replace the fried foliage. That means I can prepare the roses for their last flush of the year. I am anticipating it as much as I anticipated the first flush this year, because I didn't dead head anything this summer and have looking at water stressed plants and fried blooms since the triple digits hit. YUK !

The roses that have been stalled all summer are putting on new buds.

I do the hard gardening work in the mornings, and just kind of work my way through the garden slowly in the evenings so that it doesn't feel like work. I've been removing the hips that have formed from the first flushes and damaged foliage when I saw new foliage coming along on the plant, but it has felt like a gentle time instead of hard work. Of course, I'll have to prepare things for winter and have lots of fall chores ahead of me, but tonight was for puttering in the garden.

I've been working all summer just to keep things alive during the drought. I think I lost only one rose, Paloma Blanca. It's a Griffith Buck rose and all of his roses were tested as budded roses. I don't think this one can make it on it's own roots. I've got both budded and own root plants in the garden and this is the only rose that I think is going to croak. Of course, it is also virused like all of his roses and that hasn't helped.

Today I found out that we will probably have another dry winter. How dry ? I don't know, but I do know it won't be enough to solve the problems caused by the drought. I have friends whose wells have gone dry. Creeks that have never been dry, now have no water. Of course a lot of the water is being diverted for the illegal pot grows, but that's another story. And, yeah, we are still sending water down to the southern part of the state.

There has been subsidence on my slope which is further evidence of the impact of the drought on my property. The soil next to the patio that was once flush with the patio is now two inches lower than the patio.

Toni ... I did save my trees ! I no longer have to duck under the lower branches and they are all fully hydrated. Your roses are looking wonderfully healthy. Thanks for sharing them.

Smiles,
Lyn

P. S.

Thanks for letting me blither on ... this had not been a great rose year for me.

Toni, those roses as scrumptious. I particularly like Scentimental and Judy Garland. Glad you got some rain.

Lyn... Drought ain't no fun. Hope it eases soon for everyone there.

Took some more pictures this morning.. it was about 10am but some of the roses were still in full shadow.

Angel Face & Artistry


Blue Girl w/a Bumblee & Bolero 2000


California Dreamin' & Coffee Country


Colorific & Della Reese


Distant Drums & Distant Thunder


Doris Tystermann & Dream Come True


Elle & Gemini


Golden Masterpiece & Heirloom


Ice Girl & Ink Spots


Intrigue & Judy Garland


Julia Child & Ketchup and Mustard


Kordes Perfekta & Marilyn Monroe


Melody Perfume & Nicole Carol Miller


a No ID (need to dig down & see if I can find a tag) & Orchid Masterpiece


Outta the Blue & Parfum de Grasse


Peace & Perfume Tiger


Picante & Pure Perfume (finally got a real picture of it not looking like a white blob!!)


Rainbow Parfait & Redsi


Ring of Fire & Sheila's Perfume


Shocking Blue & Shockwave


Sonya & South Africa


Stainless Steel & Sundowner


Trumpeter & Tuscan Sun (with a friend)


White Licorice & White Licorice w/Rhapsody in Blue

Toni, kudos to you for growing so many colorful and beautiful roses in a challenging climate. I know your growing season is shorter than most, but it sure looks like a productive one where your garden is concerned.

So many pretty colors, Toni. This thread is a real treat!

Toni, what is your favorite white? And it is the same one as your toughest white?

Debra - I don't have many whites. I'm not overly fond of them. Blues & Oranges are more my line, but not 'cuz of "Broncos".. I just love the mauves & the gaudy oranges. That said, I'd have to say it's a tossup between Pure Perfume & JFK. JFK was my 2nd rose I bought and bought it at Walmart back in '08. I planted it in an area that doesn't get really full sun (probably 6 hours max), is neglected most of the time, and I've been told by many rosarians that JFK won't survive here. Well, going on 6 years, I think that it's a survivor. But I do have to say that it's been one tough rose. Survived my bad planting, survived many nice winters & a couple of really harsh ones. But no scent (a major loser-point for me) and shatters quite quickly after blooming. So I'd say that the only reason why I keep it is because I was told it wouldn't grow here. Pure Perfume, however, I adore. 1) the scent.. VERY strong citrony scent. 2) tough as nails. When I first got it, I planted it on the west side of the house, which gets only about 3-4 hours of full sun a day before the sun's behind my massive maple tree & that part of the yard is under deep shade (a full 10-15 deg difference). The canes are rather spindly for the flower heads, so they droop all the time. I transplanted it to the east side of the house a few years ago and it's .. well, I can't say "thrived" but been much happier there. Canes are still spindly, but at least it can mostly hold it's blooms up. I do love White Licorice, but don't like that it's more a creamy yellow and not a true White White. I would be happier if it was more white than yellow, but beggers can't be choosers and as long as it's blooming, good enough for me. But they shatter fast & have a crappy vase life. I have those two, 2 NoIDs (one was labeled "Chrysler Imperial.. and blooms this huge beautiful smelly white blooms), and Ice Girl (she starts out an apricot and blooms mostly white. Oh, and Bolero 2000. I want to get Full Sail one of these days. Oh, and Pope John Paul II, but he hasn't bloomed but once this year. I tried Moonstone three times, no go. I also love SugarMoon.. smells SOOOOOO good, but definitely couldn't survive in my environment (didn't see it any nursery this year). Growing roses in CO can be a challenge 'cuz my winters are too erratic. Winter 2013-2014 wouldn't let go... we got our last blast after Mother's day & traditionally Mother's day is our first "safe" planting day. However, I traditionally also ignore "safe" rules and just plant whenever I feel like planting. And if the item is being planted while still threat of winter, I just mulch the snot outta them. I don't have to worry about mildew or rust or blackspot 90% of the time because my humidity here is non-existent (when the humidity is above 40%, it's miserable here with my altitude of over 6000ft). DH & I were in DFW this past Dec and we were actually looking to Garland. I wasn't looking forward to moving.. I'm kinda like a dandelion or bindweed.. once I set down roots, I am NOT moving. But, we had to think about our future & finances & crapzilla like that. The job didn't fall through, so there's no chance of us moving now. But, one thing I had consoled myself with the concept of moving to the DFW was the fact that it would have been SOOOOOOO much easier for me to grow things there! DFW is a very nice city to grow things... during Christmas I'm just running around in a very light jacket, if that! at NIGHT! because it's not cold at all! What a difference!

This morning, apparently, we got a light rain shower. And the roses were SOOOOOO pretty I had to take more pictures before work. So between 930am & 1010am, took some pictures & harvested enough blooms for 3 bouquets (1 for me, 1 for bossman's wife, 1 for coworker's fiance.. other coworker doesn't have a GF).

Blue Bayou (still in deep shadows as you can see)


Blue Girl & Blue for You


Cinco de Mayo & Della Reese


Distant Drums & Distant Thunder


Ketchup and Mustard & Marilyn Monroe (I *love* this rose's odd coloration!!)


Midnight Blue (this is not a strong rose.. it fries in 70deg temps? maybe it's the altitude..) & Nicole Carol Miller


Picante & Pope John Paul II


Pure Perfume


Sheila's Perfume



Sundowner

Thank you, Toni, that was the kind of information I was looking for on the white roses you grow.

On the one hand, it is easier to grow many more plants here than in cold country. On the other hand, it is harder to grow plants here that need water and cool temperatures like peonies and lilacs. Pros and Cons to each. And, yeah, having come here from northern Indiana and having lived in Littleton for several years as a young child, it is still refreshing to not normally need heavy duty clothing in winter.

Toni ...

How does 'Della Reese' hold up in the heat ?

Lyn

Lyn - Della doesn't seem to like it at all. She starts to fry at about 85degs and shatters quickly in 90+. But, again, look at the altitude differences. Even at your .. what.. 3000ft? is a big difference than 6000ft. Every 1000ft the sun is 6% more intense, so the sun is about 36% more intense here than it would be like in Zuzu's yard or even Debra (she sits at probably 500ft.. when I was there, I was testing the altitude to see if I can breathe OK there.. the air's too thick!!). And I rarely have a pollution problem in my area (unlike the foothills or downtown Denver), so, when the sun's out, the sun's OUT. You can get a nasty burn in about 20 minutes w/o protection.

Toni ...

It really is pretty much the same here even at a lower elevation than yours.

85F is considered "cool" here ... I have a couple of roses that only look good in spring or fall, but forget about anything for the summer months. I keep them because I like the roses.

I don't have to worry about pollution unless there is a wildfire like now, but I do have to worry about heat. I can't grow many of the roses Zuzu can grow because they would simply fry up here. I think a lot of that has to do with more than just the difference in elevation. We are both growing roses in more arid conditions than Zuzu.

Thanks for the info on DR. I don't need another rose that will fry all summer.

Smiles,
Lyn

The lighting this morning was PERFECT. There had been a very light rain, so the blooms had water drops on them... it was too much & I *had* to take more pictures.. first snow was reported up in the mountains so looks like my grow season is almost at an end. http://www.denverpost.com/weat... All pictures are untouched other than cropped for size & true-to-color except where noted.

Artistry & Betty Boop (you can see the morning-glory weedie thingie seeds on Betty..)


Blue Bayou (with an assassin bug) in heavy heavy shadows


2 different Blue Girls


Bolero 2000 (in deep deep shadow) & Cardinal de Hume


Coffee Country & Colorific


Denver Dream & Europeana


Golden Masterpiece & Heinrich Karsh


Heirloom & Incognito


Judy Garland & Julia Child (I *love* the first picture..)


Koko Loco & Kordes Perfekta


Marilyn Monroe & Orchid Masterpiece


Picante & Quo Vadis


Redsi & Ruby Voodoo (I can't seem to get a true-to-color on this one)


Sheila's Perfume (1st picture was overcast, next 2, 10 minutes later, sun had popped out).


South Africa & Stainless Steel


Tardi Gris & Tequila Sunset


Tuscan Sun & Vavoom


Memorial Day & We Salute You


Yankee Doodle & some agastaches...