Oh I hope they bloom before you get a frost! It would be a shame to have such beautiful blooms wasted.

One always wonders this time of year--and hopes! But it might look a bit surprising to have a whole bed burst into full bloom in November.

On the other hand, I have had an occasional rose here or there blooming in December.

Kate

I know how you feel, Sara. I have lots of buds out there too but I doubt any of them will open now. I took some pictures of a few that were showing color already but even those may never open. We had a little last hurrah of warmth but the temps are falling off fast now.

Brilliant Pink Iceberg
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Bees Knees
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Cinnamon Dolce
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Elle
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Grace Seward
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Love Song
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Trump Card
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I've found once the temps dip down into the 50s for daytimes things just sort of stop where they are. It needs to be at least in the 60s before I see any movement in the buds. It will be 7 or 8 months before I see any opening now!

seil, do you take the buds that you know won't open outside indoors for bouquets? I imagine they'd open beautifully inside and you'd have at least a week of wonderful roses to enjoy.

Ingrid

I've tried that, Ingrid, but most of them don't open. It's like they're frozen in time. They just end up turning brown.

Seil, lovely buds, even if they never open. I had time to look at even more roses last evening. A few of my newly planted roses that didn't do much at all as far as blooming are setting on buds too. Twilight Zone had a few blooms early on, but then shut down, it is setting on several now. That's just one example, almost all my newly planted roses have struggled this year. There may not be time for me to see many, if any blooms, but this gives me hope that they will do much better next year.

I am still cutting. Lots of mine are more bud than bloom. Here's today's bounty.

Seil, I cut some mini/flora's and a few small Red Intuitions that are buds.

Kentucky Rose - As always, gorgeous! I've been wondering how many varieties you have?

Sara, I have 80+ different varieties and 116 rosebushes. Today I called K&M and changed my spring order, canceled Tiffany Lynn and ordered Zach Nobles since I love Let Freedom Ring.

Thanks Kentucky Rose. I really do think you have a special touch with your roses, a true gift! I would agree that LFR is truly a good rose, it really puts out the blooms, and they are almost always huge and perfect, no matter what the weather. Hope you don't mind if I ask another question, I was wondering if the fortuniana rootstock does okay in your zone, I've been wanting to try a few, because I've read so much positive feedback about it and K&M has a very good selection.

Sara, the 2 roses that I lost due to winter this year were on fort. rootstock. They were Randy Scott (3 growing seasons) and Summer's Love (2 growing seasons). I do bury the bud union about 2 inches and try to plant them in more protective areas. Most of what I order are varieties I can't get elsewhere. Some roses seem to do better on fort. and you get more blooms and longer stems.

Buds opening here each day...
Took these today...

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The buds in the vases look absolutely beautiful. It's difficult for me to believe they wouldn't open in the warmth inside, but what do I know? I haven't exactly encountered that problem here.

Ingrid

I had some nice blooms open up--Gemini was almost at exhibition stage on Wednesday.

Typically, blooms are done by mid November. But, this year I have two dozen bushes in the front yard, where the microclimate is warmer--direct Southern exposure next to a busy road.

It was supposed to get down to 24 degrees here last night, I think it only got down to 28, think the roses are okay now. I'll have a few blooms, but not many. My roses look like they are setting on the spring flush, they are loaded with lots of little buds. I believe the almost spring like temps, combined with the rainfall made them think it was spring, I hope they don't get confused when it's really spring. LOL!