Belinda's dream - 6 hours texas sun not enough ?

9 years ago

I just moved my Belindas Dream into the sunniest, hottest spot of my central texas backyard. All day sun and blazing afternoon sun. I had it in what I thought was a prime spot , morning sun through 2pm, followed by some dappled sun the remainder of the day. It hasn't bloomed much and is somewhat leggy. We have several that grow at our local library between a dark brick wall and the driveway, on the west side. They seem to love it and bloom their heads off. Until they were pruned recently, or rather cut down to 4 feet this winter, they towered at 8 feet providing a home for a multitude of sparrows. I hope the poor sparrows have found a new place to call home.

I am hoping mine does better this year. Fingers crossed :)

The only other roses that I have that handle heat so well are Ducher and Martha Gonzales. My teas, Mrs Dudley Cross and Duchesse De Brabrant seem to prefer afternoon shade.

I planted some SDLMs in the same area as Belindas Dream. I hope they can handle the sun and heat just as well. I read somewhere that they didn't make it through the earthkind trials in Texas, but couldn't resist. They smell so lovely !!

Asha

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
9 years ago
Asha, my SdlM is a better performer than Belinda's Dream, which had frizzled leaves all summer and very few blooms. My SdlM blooms constantly while BD takes a rest between blooming cycles so for me it's much the better rose. I suppose it's all a matter of location. I hope your BD improves; you seem to have it in a perfect location.

Ingrid
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
9 years ago
How long was it in that spot? Mine took a few years to really get going.
Related Discussions
Belindas Dream torn up by dog
Q
Comments (9)
I have two Belinda's Dreams, and I love them. I did not know they are heat lovers, but we have heat here. I don't like to spend too much time saving roses. I would rather purchase another rather than to coddle a plant, and encourage it to grow. Jeri said hers took about a year to return to what it was. If I were to spend that time on the rose, I would at least buy another rose to stick in the hole. Chamblees has probably stopped shipping. Their prices and shipping costs are reasonable for Oklahoma, but I don't know where you live, so I can't tell how reasonable they would be for you. Sammy
...See More
Belinda's Dream
Q
Comments (20)
It does great in Coastal Virginia and up here in Maryland. With enough heat the flowers rarely ball. Nice bushy growth habit, good disease resistance, strong stems, excellent remontancy (rebloom), lush full flower form, pleasing color, long vase life, and the thorns aren't that bad either. Would be dang near perfect if the fragrance were stronger. Even with this fault it is my top pick for the novice who wants florist quality roses on a tough plant.
...See More
Belinda's Dream
Q
Comments (14)
Thanks Diane and Carol. Carol, the picture that looks upside down...isn't. The camera interpreted it to be upside down and so placed the date stamp accordingly. Irritating darn computers think they know everything. Diane, The size of a rose bush depends upon a lot of factors and I for one will not tell you that Belinda's Dream will only gets this big or that wide. In lean years when it is extremely hot and dry here where I live, there is little growth, but the blooms are still gorgeous and smell divine. The heat really brings out the rose oil and hence the fragrance is stronger. In cooler years when there is a lot of rain, the growth can be immense a there may be more blooms, but the fragrance may not be a strong. That's the trade off. Still, she has a lovely fragrance and is a prolific blooming rose. Lovely huge blooms. This one bush is now over five feet tall and approx. 3-1./2 ft. wide. That is what I wanted in this spot, so it's not a problem. I have another one in the rose garden that I keep pruned back to a more compact size. I get the same blooms, just a smaller bush. I do my major pruning in early spring or late winter when buds first start to form on the stems. Then, do more prunings as needed throughout the spring and summer, removing deadwood and branches that cross over and rub against another branch. If the bush starts growing in a direction I don't like, I head it off by snipping it back to a nodule that points in the direction I want it to grow instead. If there is plenty of rainfall, I feed them once a month. If not, I limit that to only three or four times during the growing season. I don't spray my roses for insects or diseases because I have honeybees. Generally, I follow the rules of Mother Nature - "Healthy soil = Healthy Plants." Everything else is up to the roses.
...See More
I love my Belinda's Dream Roses!
Q
Comments (45)
Belinda's Dream did not do well for me in my zone 5/6, W. PA garden. I went full steam ahead responding to all its good press, and planted 4, one gallon size, four years ago. Four years later, a more than fair trial period, and nothing. BD died to the ground every winter, got to 14" by seasons end with very weak, puny growth. However, it made every effort to bloom but balled badly and its thin stems could not support the flowers. It also black spotted which surprised me in light of its Earthkind designation. I believe BD is a warm climate rose. It apparently does very well from zone 7 and higher.
...See More
ashrosetx
Original Author
9 years ago
Ingrid, thanks for your response. I do hope so. I just planted gallon pots of SDLMs from Chamblee's earlier this week. It rained over the weekend and looks like they have settled in nicely.

Hoovb, my BD is 2 years old. About 3 feet tall. My friend who bought a BD at the same time planted it in a sunnier spot has seen hers grow to a 4 foot well rounded bush that has bloomed well. I am hoping mine will do better in its new spot. It's been my experience that most roses I have planted ( OGRs) take about a year to get established. Year two is good and year three onwards is excellent, if they make it through our drought and water restrictions ( once a week ). I have most of mine on a drip, but the squirrels seem to have discovered them too.
The only exception seem to be climbers. I have an old blush I am so tempted to do away with. But he is healthy throwing out 6 foot canes, just no flowers. Same with Peggy Martin. Beautiful light green, shiny foliage. I am giving them another year. Patience is not a virtue I seem to have :)
boncrow66
9 years ago
I planted Peggy Martin last spring and she was busy growing but no blooms, I hope to have blooms this spring but if not I'm not going to worry. From what I've read and learned on this forum climbers can take a whole to bloom because they spend all their energy growing. Patience is not my virtue either but I know when it starts blooming it will be worth it. You will live your SDLM! I also plante mine last spring and she did great in my east Texas heat.
ogrose_tx
9 years ago
My Belinda's Dream is in all day sun and seemed to love it; it grew into about a 7' bush, but like Ingrid said, it does take a rest between flushes. Likewise, SDLM and Duchesse de Brabant have all day sun with no problem with blooms. I did give mine plenty of water when they were young, and alfalfa meal in the spring. I'm guessing patience is the answer.
shopshops
9 years ago
I have 7 Belinda's Dream roses. I live south of DFW. Three are in all day sun. Two get 5 hours morning sun, then evening shade and two are in a raised bed in the shadow of an old oak. They get 4 hours morning sun in the summer, less at other times. I get a monthly flush from all of these bushes. The ones in full sun all day seem like they always have a bloom on them in between flushes. I use organic fertilizer perhaps twice a year on Belinda.
I have had reliable rebloom with her. I love love this rose with her wafting raspberry scent. To think that she almost did not make it to commerce were it not for Mike Shoup of ARE. Dr Basye thought he could do better than this rose.

Belinda's dream - 6 hours texas sun not enough ?

Comments (6)

ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9

hoovb zone 9 sunset 23

Related Discussions

ashrosetx
Original Author

boncrow66

ogrose_tx

shopshops

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Belinda's dream - 6 hours texas sun not enough ?

Comments (6)

ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9

hoovb zone 9 sunset 23

Related Discussions

ashrosetxOriginal Author

boncrow66

ogrose_tx

shopshops

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

ashrosetx
Original Author