Third night in a row we have had rain (the gentle type)--I had to run out with stakes this morning to prop up some of the heavy wet-heads, but otherwise the garden is really beginning to pop! Here's some photos of newly opened roses and re-takes of some of the earlier bloomers.

Scepter'd Isle (Austin shrub)--this is its third year and the first year with mature blooms all over the bush instead of a stray bloom here and there. I was so excited!

Oklahoma (HT)--love its dark shades and BIG blooms, but it needs to develop stronger necks. Have to prop up the top-heavy bloom every time it rains! (If you look closely you can see the stakes.)

Queen of Sweden (Austin shrub)--This is a newly transplanted shrub--about a week ago--too big for the spot I had it in formerly. It was about 7 feet tall--had to cut it down to about 3 ft tall to move it--but look at those 3 sweet blooms that survived the pruning and the move and opened up without me even noticing until today.

Here is a re-take of Munstead Wood (Austin shrub)--for some reason the color is much better today--more magenta-ruby tones apparent. And off to the right is my little hybrid musk called Jeri Jennings--finally blooming, but has never managed to grow taller than a foot or two--don't know why. Pretty golden and crème colors.

Another re-take--of Berolina whose blooms, I swear, got twice as large overnight. I guess she liked that night-rain, although I had to prop up a couple soaked blooms this morning.

And finally here is a long view, viewing through some taller plants in the back bed (clematis scrambler on small tutour, Molineux in front of it, and then the colorful center bed (that has the Perfumed Path and Berolina and Braveheart, etc.) seen from a distance. (I was experimenting with different angles and whatnot.)

If the sun would stay out, I think the rest of the roses might also burst into bloom--but I guess that gives me another day when I can post more pictures, doesn't it. : )

Hope you liked these.

Kate