I'm pretty big on colour too. Russet, mauve, black, colour changing, green, purple. I love them. I've got a few new additions to my yard in bloom right now. Well. New since I last posted on this thread a few years ago. Please excuse the weird lighting. It's cloudy and the light keeps shifting. Stainless Steel. A very light mauve with a rich heady fragrance. Distant Drums. A lovely rose with red buds that open a lovely tan russet colour. As it ages the outer petals turn pink, until the bloom is all pink by the end of its life. Also a lovely fragrance. Like spiced wildflower honey. This one wasn't chosen for colour. I stuck a few reliable bloomers around for constant blooms. This one is Pillow Fight. It's a about 3 feet and throws out a profusion of white blooms with a hint of cream. Usually lightly scented of violets the fragrance is surprisingly wafting and heady today with it being so humid and warm. Twilight zone. Not new lol. Not as purple now that it's warmer.

Hi Seil, I agree with the above comments. One thing I didn't see mentioned is pH. Have you done a pH test? Roses prefer slightly acidic. 6.5 is ideal. Will still be happy in 6.3 to 6.8 range. You can buy a cheap pH Test Kit at any garden store. Some of the drug stores have them too. If your pH is too high or too low, it will lock up the nutrients so your roses can't get to them . . . even though you are feeding your roses. Water was mentioned as well. Rule of thumb is 2-3 gallons of water per week. Depending on the season and your climate, they may need more. Deep watering is best. Meaning don't water a little every day. (I made this mistake in the beginning). We want to encourage roots to go deep into the soil. Therefore, it's better to water twice or three times a week for a longer period. Also good to check the drainage. Roses don't like "wet feet". Easiest way to do this is to dig a hole (6" should do). Fill it with water either in the morning or evening. If the water has not drained within a few hours, you have a drainage issue. Can add 1/3 perlite or sand to help with this. It's a lot of info we've given you. It's hard to tell offhand what the issue is. Might be a combination. Just need to eliminate things one at a time. Hope this helps. Melanie

There are many variations - but I suspect that yours may be starting slowly from too much heat. Can you arrange some shade/filtered sun using other plants nearby? If you started from seed, Allium can look like tiny grass the first year when it sprouts - so be careful not to pull grass-like seedlings in that area! Yes, for several years new seed and small bulbs will grow larger and be more rewarding each season. And if you cut (mince and eat like chives) the leaves about the point where they flop, you may find that your Allium begins to feed bulbs and multiply from the base. The flowers will throw seed - or you can collect the seed when it begins to dry - and perhaps begin seedlings indoors, or in shade before planting out, to minimize heat-struggle. Flowering Stalks should be firm - so provide mulch &/or Am water if possible. Once flowering begins, it is normal for leaves to flop and die back to feed bulbs. We have opposite problems. I recently moved massive droopy peonies that were not blooming enough, and some over-vigorous clumps of ornamental Allium (medium size purple-globes) to the sunny front garden, and took care - so that the ground does not parch in peak sun...as that is the only spot where that is a risk for me. I added compost and to help hold moisture, and bulbs are aided by a top moist mulch, and the variety of other plants all around for filtered shade at the base. I intend to eat most of the spicy leaves as I don't care for more Sword-play in my garden by late spring - after masses of tulips, narcissus, and hycinths have quit and the lillies and iris are taking over...and Crocosmia ileaves are waiting to join the dance. I'm adding a Dahlia border to the sword beds...and am excited that a Bachelor's button has already pushed thru the mass of swords to bloom cutely. All are worth growing - in their display seasons. Growth and dormant seasons is balanced with other Perennials and annuals. Adding sheer Dahlia foliage mass to existing Roses and monster Rhodies - and by gosh, there's not much dang subtlety about who rules each season in this section of the urban rain forest. Whoo-ah...now to get back to that rain-or-shine deadheading - or the jungle-look will rule. Having so much Spring rain in the PAC NW - we wind up with too much foliage & dense shade unless we deadhead, prune, pull, divide and hack back plants regularly. Wonder if I'll get the courage to prune that lush Magnolia this year - for more light?

Debra- Cherry Sunblaze is three shrubs planted really close together. The little white roses in the pondside roses picture are actully two shrubs side by side. In the rose planter corner, the red in front Be Bop, is one plant but the pinkish white directly in back, Charles Aznavour, are two shrubs. Florabundaville has lots of yellow in front. Four plants of Sunsprite, one of Sunblaze and one of Julia Child. All planted in a row about 18 inches apart. Then there is a pink at the very begining of the row. Above that row are many more roses going up the slope which is not terraced except for the front row. They are all one of each of whatever. Have lots in there. The exception is Home Run, red single rose, visable in the looking up at my house picture. It is two side by side. The curved terrace and the mid yard have only one rose of whatever type but there are many roses and they are close together. In fact they are two roses deep (staggered) in the curved terrace and three deep in the mid part of the mid yard bed. Sort of football shaped.