Oh Malorena, it has recently been announced there is to be a Mary Berry rose! Your neighbor will think that you were lucky enough to grab it early! http://www.roses.co.uk/roses/567-mary-berry-rose.html

Thanks for the link, Ninkasi. It's lucky for Marlorena that the Mary Berry rose is also yellow. Now Mary can go head to head with Julia--may the best chef win. Diane

My Julia Childs are three years old and have proven their merit in my W. PA garden. Their attributes are: very disease resistant, well foliaged, shapely bush, very noticeable but not powerful fragrance, and blooms a lot with a yellow that is easy on the eyes. However, JC is not winter hardy in my USDA zone 5/6 garden. It dies to the ground if not given winter protection.

May I suggest you look into Karl Ploberger, a Kordes variety that has received ADR designation. I do not grow this rose but am planning to try it soon. It has quite a following.

nce

oldworldroses, I sp'ed my JC too. Blackspot and just didn't thrive. I don't know why, but I've never had a single HT that did thrive. I have one left - New Zealand - and it will be coming out shortly. 3 years and one spindly cane.

Marlorena and nanadoll, honestly! - your gardens make me feel like giving up! nanadoll, all that fertiliser you spread was definitely worth it.

Trish

Thanks, Trish--it was 75 bags of manure. It went on everything in my garden, and I got some Achilles Tendinitis out of it (that's what happens when you are 70 and overdo it). I'm fine now, but have to watch it. Up next is Soil Pep which is a finely ground bark mixture. I don't know whether I should risk lugging it. I wonder why floribundas and hybrid teas aren't successful in your garden. That's too bad. My impression of Australian rose gardening was that roses love the Australian climate. Isn't it too dry for blackspot?

By the way, Trish, I'm still enjoying the D.E.Stevenson books. I read the three Miss Buncle books, and have "The Young Clementina" coming any day. I also have coming "The Grand Hotel" by Baum, which was written a good while back. I've finished off all the Maisie Dobbs series and am craving more--hope Jacqueline Winspear is busy writing.

I know this is a long shot asking, but do you know anything about why Melodye (ozmelodye) quit posting to the forums? Boy, do I miss our discussions. Diane

It is an odd thing with Julia Child. I got three of them a long time ago. This was after reading all the praises on here about her. In the first year they lost their leaves to black spot. Grew them back and lost them again. This went on for two years. When black spot showed up the third year that was enough. Shovel pruned the first two and pitched them. Dug out number three but didn't have the heart to throw it away. Instead it was planted in the empty lot. Where it promptly turned into a healthy blooming fool.

The only real difference in the two spots was sunlight and food. In the yard JC received 6 hours of sun. In the lot more like 8 or 9 hours and only fed maybe once a year out there. Every year I stare at it thinking what the he**. I knew if I moved her back the trouble would start again Well I moved her back last spring in a spot that gets 9 hours of sun. She's beautiful but I don't think she ever be taller than 4 feet. She dies to the ground in winter here.

The last two years I've been on a yellow rose buying spree. Can't comment much as they so young. First impressions on a few of them is doable.

Karl Ploberger has a gorgeous bloom.

Lemon Fizz I never give up.

I love love love Sunny Sky.

Artful Anna if it stays like it is I really got lucky.

Dakota Sun is looking really good.

Everyone else is to tiny to say anything yet.

nanadoll, I don't know why ozmelodye has stopped posting. I just looked at her profile, and I can't see a way of messaging her. It's worrying, as you and she were always chatting.

Sorry to hear about the tendonitis. I'm 67 and getting more aches and pains it seems daily. I recently got sciatica, and was horrified, as I thought that only happened to old people!

Australia has a lot of differing climates. Sydney has hot, humid summers and gets a fair bit of rain. We get huge downpours, often with long dry spells inbetween. Blackspot is rife. Tea roses do best here, but even they've been infected by a nasty form of die-back.

I'm glad you're enjoying Miss Buncle. I've probably said this before, but I'm loving Elizabeth von Arnim at the moment. I got an anthology on Amazon for $1, and 3 months later I'm still reading it! Ones I think you would like particularly are 'Elizabeth and her German Garden', and 'Enchanted April'. I'm going to see about getting D E Stevenson. When I looked before, they seemed quite expensive, but I deserve a treat! I'm going to have a look at the other writers you mention too. Trish

Patty,that's interesting. My JC only got afternoon sun, so perhaps that added to her woes.

My baby (four months old) JC is in a big blue pot outside and looks fantastic. She fainted during our first big heat wave, but since then she's held up sturdily in triple digits (and we have had a lot of them this year - 10a/20). Even ash from the Sand Fire last week, which blew all over the LA valleys, hasn't fazed her. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep her in her present pot, but I would like to keep her potted forever -- she's such a standout and always makes me smile.

Sorry you are getting all our smoke and ash, Sylvia. I'm sure your roses, like mine, will appreciate a good shower. I agree that Julia Child is terrific. Mine has miniature blooms right now, but I'm looking forward to the fall flush.

Bonnie

I'm a bit further south than Titian (in Melbourne) - I think roses tend to be happier away from the east coast ! or at least a coast. My Julia Child tends to blackspot a lot...but then just about every rose I have does, and at least JS tends to keep growing and blooming so far, so she stays....

I should know better about Australia's many climate variations. It is a huge country after all. I think fragrancenutter with her gorgeous roses has made me think there is very little blackspot problem. Can't remember which city she lives in--Adelaide? It seemed that Melbourne was drier, but maybe that was because of the awful drought that area experienced a while back. Curdle I guess I was wrong on that, too. I do so enjoy reading the Australian perspective on rose growing. You make this site more interesting (as do the British (Marlorena, that's you), German, Swiss, Swedish, And all the others I'm missing). Thank you all. Diane

Yes, Diane, fragrancenutter is in Perth (West coast), which is dry. South Australia is good for roses too, I think. And I agree about the diversity of countries. It's so interesting, especially since I'm an armchair traveller these days. Got a Maisie Dobbs yesterday, but haven't started it yet.

Curdle, do your Teas blackspot? Mine hardly do. But my JC was a poor thing, spindly and largely leafless.

Trish

Yes, Titian, it was Perth. I'm an armchair traveler, too, for several reasons, and the biggest is that I don't want to be gone while my garden is blooming away. We have too much off season here, though our winters aren't very bad, to toss away a spring/summer. I have such insomnia issues that traveling can be unfun, also. I'm glad you got a Maisie book. Was it the first one? These books really are sequential and build on previous ones. I still have Elizabeth von Armin's books on my must read list. I'm sorry your Julia didn't work out because she's a marvelous rose in the right climate. Diane

Diane, I think it's the 1st in the series. It's just called Maisie Dobbs. Still haven't started it. Sorry about your insomnia. I know what it's like - had it for over 30 years!, but for some reason am sleeping better of late. Such a boon.

Took this pic today...Our young Julia Child has some blackspot but still holding on to most of its leaves at this point in time anyhow...I feel it blooms very well for such a young plant... :-)... So hopefully it does ok here because it is a great rose in the right conditions...

Mines just a sad collection of sticks at present, so no photos!

I dont have that many teas yet- not enough room for most of them. Just Duchesse de Brabant, Devoniensis and Tipsy Imperial Concubine. They dont blackspot at all, but the Duchesse gets that crinkly just about to mildew look a fair bit, Tipsy balls in spring, and Devoniensis got badly mildewed last season..Actually, it was a bad year for mildew all round, quite a few roses got affected. Even Tipsy, who has been really healthy foliage wise all round for the past three years got some on new growth late autumn.

Its been a bit chilly and raining here almost every day for the last couple of weeks; rather annoying as I need to finish the annual prune and repot.

Jim, your Julia looks great--I don't see any blackspot. I hope she keeps those leaves. Your Julia is showing her wonderful round growth habit. I just love the shape of Julia. And Julia just likes to bloom. When she's happy, she's very, very happy, and then I'm happy just looking at her. Diane

Curdle, I'm sorry about that poor Julia of yours. Hope she gets some leaves soon. Do you grow your roses in pots? I wonder if that could make fungal issues worse. Sorry about the mildew. Here if anything mildews it's because the plant under stress and too dry. It's not much of a problem, though, and mainly affects the odd perennial.

Trish, yes, that's the first book in the series. I hope you enjoy it. How nice it would be if, like you, I was sleeping better as I age instead of worse. I hope your good sleep continues. Diane

I pulled the blackspotted leaves off Julia Child Nanadoll...Normally I do not do that but have been doing it for about 3 weeks now on Julia...A few at a time...lol... Nothing major yet as you can see by the pic...

My Julia is new this year. It is doing very well so far. Growing well & blooming continuously. I see no signs of black spot. My only worry will be how it does through winter. But that is the same concern for all my roses. What I really wanted to add in on this discussion is out of all my yellow & yellow blend roses this is the one that the Japanese beetles are ignoring. Have not seen one on it yet. I have a sunny knockout; the JB's love that one. Which is funny because I'm not particularly fond of it & was contemplating replacing it eventually. Instead it has become my sacrificial offering to the JB's. I try and handpick daily, but if they are going to wreck a bloom it may as well be the knockouts.

I'm glad to read your Julia is not JB food (luckily, we don't get them here), but the thrips leave my Julias alone, too, even though one of them is next to thrips magnet, Evelyn. I can't quite figure thrips out, but you could say that I hate 'em. Diane

Here's Julia today. It was planted 4 weeks ago

Blondie, your Julia is really growing and blooming gangbusters. Looks just great. Diane

Very nice halloblondie! :-) Looks real healthy!

My own-root Julia Child lost all its leaves last summer when the temperatures reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit. It is in the front of my house on the south side. I was hoping for new growth this spring, but no basal canes appeared. Her one remaining can is suntanned and has dwarfed looking growth. I don't think it will survive another summer. It's too bad, because I really enjoyed her many blooms when I first received this plant in spring 2016. I will hang onto her and see what happens.

Bonnie, I'm so sorry to read this. Do you have another spot where you could grow a new Julia--or even the one cane JC. I know it's extreme heat that's causing the problem. I find that Julia takes the heat among the best of the roses I grow. It can get pretty hot here, but next to the house makes it that much worse. I hope this summer isn't so hot temp-wise for Julia. Diane

I think I grew attached to your little Julia Child. Darn it sure has given a good try. Now I hope that JC is not in my dreams tonight.

Thank you, Diane. I have no other spot, only a narrow strip of land at the side of my house that is filled with six climbing roses and three miniature roses. I might grow Julia Child in a pot until she gets a larger root system and many more canes before I plant her again. This rose is definitely worth another try. I would love to have a Julia that looks like one of yours someday.

I think it also would be wise for me to replace the soil in my planting bed, because there is too much potting mix and not enough real soil to keep the roots moist during summer. I called a local soil company today.

That's so sweet of you to say Patty. I didn't see your post before. I will try my best to rescue this Julia. Good to know I'm not the only one that dreams about roses :)

Kristine, she's my favorite workhorse, too, and also beautiful, I think. Yours is lovely--all on this thread look great. You just don't often see a shabby looking Julia.

Bonnie, I was going to suggest a pot, too, and keep it on one of those moveable platforms with wheels, so you can move Julia around when she needs more shade. You mentioned refreshing the soil in your rose bed. I like Miracle grow Garden Soil (not potting soil), and a high quality compost that we can get in this area, but probably isn't available in California. It might be like Dr Earth, or something similar. It has compost, chicken manure, and microrhizomes, among other good stuff. This mixture is like rocket full for roses and all plants. Good quality cow manure is great, too. Diane

I got two last season that have been doing well. . I have one near angel face which was a reliable rose for me and i noticed it reblooms faster than angel face as well as maintains its foliage a lot better when the conditions suddenly arise for disease. A good workhorse in the garden. I think I read that Julia child had turned down rose offers in the past before allowing them to use her name for this floribunda shortly before she passed.

one of the things that I like best about Julia Child are the different shades of yellow. Starting with a deep gold all the way to a pale yellow with a pink blush. I just think it's a spectacular Rose.

My sister has one and every time I went to her house It Was Always In Bloom. So when I was Landscaping my front yard she said do a whole big row of them it'll look spectacular and it does.

I'm so glad I saw your comment here @Kristine LeGault 8a pnw I was about to chuck mine, but I think I just need to give it more time to get established. I wasn't impressed with it last year. Bloomed a lot, but the blooms looked like knockout roses--not horrible or anything, just bland. I'll see how it does this year!

Give her a chance she is a great rose.

Oh definitely @Kristine LeGault 8a pnw I learned my lesson last year on my post about being fed up with JC. I was told off by a few folks there hahaha. She's going to stay around. I love seeing these mature plants--the blooms are gorgeous!

Did I tell you off, Robert? I'm sorry, but you know how I love Julia. Diane

@Diane Brakefield oh no! hahaha It was partly because of you that I was convinced to keep JC! Mine is just a baby and I need to let it mature. I LOVE all of your images and advice! 😊

Thank you so much! Diane

@Kristine LeGault 8a pnw, I absolutely agree with you about Julia’s colir range. I love when she picks up a bit of pink in the fall. My Julia Child gets done blackspot, but maintains vigor.

Here she was around Halloween.

Another favorite yellow floribunda for me is Yellow Submarine. I fell in love eith it at the National Botanic Garden and looked everywhere for it. Pim Ling roses are excellent, but not always easy to come by. I ordered mine from White Flower Farms. It is my favorite yellow.

here it was at the botanical garden. The bees love it.

Here it was as a first year rose in my garden.

My 3rd yellow is Solero. The bush itself has never had a speck of black spot and the roses are lovely, but it has a crazy growth pattern with octopus canes. I plan to move it to s sunnier spot this spring.

@Markay MD-Zone 7A (8A on new map) Solero is lovely! I've not seen nor heard of this rose before! I couldn't manage the octopus canes, but those blooms are a delight!

It is a grafted rose so some if thise octopus canes have been suckers from the rootstock, but it definitely disrupted Solero settling into a nice shape.

Kristine - what a FABULOUS Julia Child!!! Awash with striking bold yellow flowers and soooo many buds!! WOWZA!!

Markay - no kidding about bees loving your Yellow Submarine...look at the bees so busy!! I'm in love with your Solero!!! I've never heard of it before...the blooms are so ruffly and I want one!! LOL How is the fragrance?

Unfortunately Solero is not fragrant. The blooms are small, but in large numbers and, very importantly, it doesn’t seem to draw the Japanese Beetles (unlike my other yellows!) and was unaffected by the thripmagedon of last summer. They are consistently the same shade of baby duck yellow in all weather.

Markay, beautiful yellows. I

almost ordered Solero last fall but I held off in order to get a Roberto Alagna. But after seeing yours I may have to make a spot.

I too love the pink that fall Julia gets.

I have an own root JC which has been doing well but still young. How have people found it grows on its own roots?

I second @Markay MD-Zone 7A (8A on new map) 's recommendation for Solero Vigoroso. Mine is ownroot and remains a neat and tidy 3'x3' shrub. Foliage is always spotless and actually has a nice citrusy scent, and blooms all the time. One of my favorites.

-Chris

Chris, my two big Julias, which I've grown since 2006, are grafted on Dr Huey. My third Julia is own root, and is 7-8 years old. The OR Julia is OK, but inferior in the number of blooms and size of blooms to the grafted Julias, who are still cranking those blooms out en masse, I recommend a grafted Julia. Diane

Random photos all from 2022, our hottest summer on record. Julia didn't care.

Help! She's gone crazy!

Markay - baby duck yellow!!! OH, that's the BEST description of yellow!! :) :) I can see why this rose is so special...it's a trouper!

Oh, Diane!! Your Julia's are the best ever!! Your neighbors must go yellow blind with the beauty and abundance of those roses!!!

@chris209 (LI, NY Z7a) now I’m going to out there sniffing this rose at different times of day trying to smell that! 🤣

Diane, that Julia is incredible!