The local rose societies sell books/pamphlets specifically for growing roses in the desert. Summer rose care is simplistic, though. Water your containered rose every day or every other day, making sure the container has good drainage. Withhold fertilizers until the weather cools down in the fall and hose off the foliage every few days with a blast of water to keep the spider mites and dust off.

By the end of September and beginning of October, free rose care demonstrations and programs will start up at the public rose gardens, some nurseries and society meetings in the Phoenix area. If you're closer to Tucson, they'll have a similar schedule. The upper desert areas are completely different due to their seasons.

Christian Dior is a great old scented red hybrid tea. My only complaint about it is that it seems to be a powdery mildew magnet in the spring. Since I no longer use chemical controls in my rose garden, any disease-prone roses have to respond to a water/bleach/baking soda mix or they're replaced.

My father grew it 40 years ago in Florida, and I remember big bouquets of CD and shasta daisies. It is probably still valued in the Deep South for heat tolerance but is a notorious mildewer.

I don't know this rose, but welcome to your new addiction! The story of his birth/rebirth is only going to further endear you to these plants, and you will yearn fopr more.

Congratulations, your life just changed forever. :o)

CONGRATULATIONS! On your lovely, thriving rescue rose!and I love the "Come-back Kid" kind of stories with our beloved rose "children" Hope you get to hear some nice history about Christian Dior... One of the roses I'll be getting for 2010 was inspired by finding out about its fragrance and wonderful history from ZeffyRose...I love learning about Old World/romantic roses

Christian Dior, meilland, france, 1958 frm independece x happiness and peace x happiness. modern large flowered hybrid tea. named for a Paris fashion designer. large well-formed bright crimson double blooms have lighter underside and a high centered and pointed shape. 55 petals and a subtle fragrance. flowers with great freedom and repeats through warmer months. it makes a bushy plant with glossy green, leathery foliage and is useful as a standard or in beds and borders. the long stems are useful for cutting. when protected from powdery mildew the growth is really healthy. there is a climbing form too. Zones 4 - 9 Sorry about no capitals I have the Botanica's encyclopedia of roses and it is a really big book to balance in your lap and type. Hope you like the info, I enjoy the histories of roses too. I remember some time back someone posted really nice pictures of C.D. Try a search in the photo gallery. Susz

Wow ! Thanks so much for such prompt responses ! I neglected to say that I live in Bullhead City, which is not "near" anything, any place, anywhere ! Unless you consider Kingman (which is totally unlike Bullhead elevation-wise)or Lake Havasu, which has basically same temps and humidity (or lack thereof)as my lil ole town !

I AM going to sign up with my Senior Circle group for an overnight trip to Phoenix in September; the trip highlights are a Diamondbacks baseball game and a visit to the Botannical Gardens the following day ! I've not had such a bonanza since leaving southern California nearly twenty years ago ! Baseball and gardening ! My favorite things !

Poor Chris is kinda in "transplant shock" I think...I liken it to the 4th or 5th day after a surgery...you know, when you're doing great then all of a sudden you have a downslide, but then you perk back up and really start your recovery !

Maybe he's just overwhelmed by all the attention ! But I'll think positive and keep you all posted !

Thanks again for your advice and encouragement !

It is possible Cris won't be a powdery mildew magnet in your climate. Must be destiny. Fingers crossed.

desertmama, my friend has a mature Christian Dior here in San Diego, CA. We are more inland so it gets fairly hot and dry here in the summer. She is not pampering her roses and CD is doing very well for her, no mildew at all. The plant has formed a nice bush for an HT and is very floriferous. Every once in a while she cuts a rose of CD for me and I love it. To me the fragrance has only medium strength, but is very pleasant. Over all I would say it is a great rose, at least here! If my rose wish list wouldn't be three pages long already, I surely would put him on there.

Hope your CD is getting over the transplanting shock and you can enjoy him!