Iceberg is a great rose, and for a good reason. But being more immune to our scorching summers has nothing to do with some special charm or a spell casted upon the name Iceberg. Like any other iceberg, this rose will also be damaged in the warm sun, but to the far less extent than some fully double, crimson rose. It's simple physics -- white petals reflect more light, thus remaining much cooler. And semidouble, loose flower type allows for more air circulation between the petals, thus producing even better cooling effect. Iceberg's leaves are tiny, and also allow for more air circulation. Plus, flower size is not big, just small enough not to accumulate too much heat. That's why this is an ideal rose for planting in public places, where there's no or very little protection and care. Observe this with any other single and semidouble rose of paler hues -- they whitstand heat much, much better. You'll notice only slight shift in hue in coloured roses as they open, as days become warmer and the sun hotter. But because it's already white, Iceberg will look unaffected, although, in reality, it suffers too, but to the much less extent. Double and fully double roses don't like hot weather of Australia and if we're smart, we'll plant them in shade, in the back, under some protection, and water them well to preserve their shape and their perfume longer. And if we carefully observe how sun moves and casts the shadow around our home during the summer, the better we will be in designing gardens and planting roses. There's nothing worse than plant delicate pinks, yellows and crimsons in the front of our gardens, where their only protection is a lonely cloud, that comes once in a while.

I can't believe that an Iceberg is dying, it is like trying to kill cockroaches. Must be something to do with the original stock on which it was grafted or your soil perhaps. Don't know that this will be much help as you posted this in 2007!

What Sylvia said. TX summers can be rough on roses, especially babies. This Aug. is a HOT one. The crisping leaves concerns me that the granular fertilizer may still be having a bad effect. They are all salts & just like table salt, they're very drying. You can burn plants with organics, too, but granulars are a lot more potent & tricky to use. Also, that your soil around them is "bone dry" 5-6" deep--that's too dry. Yes, roses can be overwatered, but that doesn't sound like the problem now. I'd suggest starting with a good, DEEP watering. Water them well with a hose, make several passes around the yard hitting each plant repeatedly until the dirt is SATURATED. Stick a screwdriver down around them to make sure. It's harder to get it deeply, completely, wet using sprinklers--try to use a hose. For example, fill a 5 gallon bucket from your hose, counting how many seconds it takes--takes me about 30 seconds or so. So when I'm watering, I know it will take at least 30-60 seconds watering from a hose to get 5-10 gallons of water onto a plant--a deep saturating watering for a small shrub or young tree. After you've got your roses watered very well, mulch the heck out of them to retard evaporation--leaves, bark chips, old hay--whatever will cover the bare soil to help hold moisture in. Then keep them well watered throughout this hardest part of the year. Usually, by mid Sept, just 5 weeks off, temps moderate & there starts to be a big improvement in how roses look. Also, don't feel bad that some of the odd colored roses, e.g. Sterling Silver, Cale Ole, look & perform middlin. SS is a famous wimp! I love it & grow it, but it will never be "KnockOut" robust--it just doesn't have the genetics. Such specialty roses will always be your problem children & need a bit more babying through the worst weather of the year. That's okay--I think they're worth it, but they might need a location of more moderate temps, like partial shade, if you have them in pots where they can be moved. And that's another thing to consider with these young plants that are crisping--if you can't move them to part shade, cover them a bit with burlap, shade cloth, even a lawn chair to help them recover from scalding for the next few weeks. Hang on, give them some supportive treatment & wait for fall--often our very best rose season!

the inside is stunning gas lamps, crystal chandelier, and it has a square grandpiano in the parlor and a harpsicord in the dining room they recently had seal the windows as some thieve broke in and stole a full size cast iron stove and the cemetery might get some help since i heard the city applied for 3 million federal dollars to renovate a 1926 stage theatre that had been converted in to a 3 screen cinema in the 70's and closed in the 90's by some greedy bay area people who refused to work with anybody or do anything with the theatre, but they must need money as the building is for sale. the city used to be very against history but they seem to be acknowledging it to a degree now so i might mention next time im in the area about a cemetery garden. i had to laugh as last year a councilman there said no ones gonna want to go to some old theatre or hotel and now the city is pushing to get the theatre and a 20's hotel restored