We get some rose blooms all the way into November. It doesn't get cold enough here for the roses to really go dormant. I prune some time between Christmas and Valentine's Day.

Most hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas and miniature roses repeat bloom from spring until fall. Many shrub roses, climbers and heritage varieties do too.

I will put a link to information on rose clubs in Southern California. You won't need to be a member to go to a meeting and ask questions -- the best advice on good varieties that bloom well your area will come from folks who live in your microclimate.

In public rose gardens with labeled varieties you can see how the plants look, and at rose shows (several held this fall and next spring) you can see hundreds of cut blooms grown locally.

Here is a link that might be useful: Southern California rose societies

Thanks alot!

Adam

I don't think my hybrid teas would ever go dormant if I didn't prune them. I always prune in January and it kills me because I'm always pruning off tons of buds and blooms. Granted, I get a killer flower arrangement in the house every January, but it doesn't make cutting off the buds any less painful! My first new flowers pop out around late February or March. I tend to do something between a moderate and hard prune every year, just to keep the bushes manageable.

Sonja

Adam, depending upon where you are, and what the roses are, SoCal gardens can have blooming roses all year.

There are roses which bloom continuously, 12-months of the year. They're called China Roses.
Virtually all repeat-blooming roses descend from Chinas, but they themselves are the "mother lode."
(They are also among the most disease-resistant no-spray-needed roses you can grow here.)

Jeri

I appreciate all of your responses. I am running into a situation where some of the local nurseries aren't stocking roses anymore until January :( Is there an online site that you recommend? Thanks for all of your comments. As I said, I am a newbie when it comes to rose planting, but not for long :)

"I am running into a situation where some of the local nurseries aren't stocking roses anymore until January :( Is there an online site that you recommend?

A lot of own root mail order nurseries resumed shipping in mid-September. Ashdown, I think, is shipping if you find there what you want. Vintage just had a long going sale offering their bands at reduced prices. ARE, Chamblee ships till late November, I believe. If you look for grafted roses, Canadian nurseries also ship in late fall/early winter. Wisconsin roses could ship you roses (maidens)that are available in November.

So, depending what you are looking for, you have many vendors who could satisfy your rose urge.

I forget the links...

http://www.pickeringnurseries.com/tw/Web_store/web_store.cgi

http://www.ashdownroses.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=414

http://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/

http://www.chambleeroses.com/

and finally my favorite nursery for grafted roses -along with Pickering:

Here is a link that might be useful: Palatine roses

Y'know -- It's mid-September.

Instead of placing orders now, how about if you start to work on your rose beds.
Dig your rose holes now. Mix your soil. Put it in the holes, and let it age in place.
Pray for some rain. (In Southern California, we are ALL praying for rain.)

Then, do some research. Decide what roses you want.
Check local nurseries, to find out if they'll have what you want.
Go to a couple of the Fall rose shows scheduled in Southern California.
This will help you decide what you want.
There are shows upcoming in the Santa Clarita/Valendia area, at Descanso Gardens, and a couple in Orange County.
Attend those shows, AND ASK QUESTIONS.
With this time in hand to do real research, you can avoid the mistakes most of us make when we start out.

Jeri