Cosmos bipinnatus

Oh you guys, thank you soo much. It is nice to feel one is doing something right, after I know, that you know, all the dedication. ..........now to answer all questions! REXSOX Belle Story: I have to say it is the most photengenic rose in my garden and I would not be without it for this reason alone. Having said this, Overall bush is not that great. It produces sparse canes, tall and thin but with lovely blooms on the end. Not many amount of petals but such a beautiful form and again that myrr(sp) fragrance. Once again I have it towards a front of the border, but it should be at the back. I have three and are thinking of transplanting them all together. Then I think it will work beautifully. Pauline - Vancouver Island Belle Story BUSTOPHER: St. Swithuns gets "very" large and I am saying this in comparison to the rest of my roses, not zones, of course. It is a five or six footer for sure here. I have four by accident. The first one I purchased many years ago. The second was purchased from a nursery a few hours away from here under the label of Lilac Rose which I had been seeking. It turned out to be St. Swithun, easy to detect as St. Swithun is out on her own. Previously to that a friend donated one to me, so then I had three. Two years ago, in my effort to find a supplyer for Lilac Rose which I still wanted so desperately, Hortico was it. I was quite ecstatic and ordered it, but then I knew right away as it was growing and maturing at a high speed that the shape of the bush, the leaves and now the buds could be no other than St. Swithun. I sent pics to Hortico and said how disappointed I was. But they were very good and honoured it with a replacement. They had received them from another supplyer, so I feel there is some connection somewhere. Two lilac roses I purchased one from two hours away on our Island and one ten years later from Ontario nearly 3000 miles away that turned out to be St. Swithun. Too much of a coincidence to me. I had even got David Austin Roses in England involved and the manager there said they had not been producing Lilac Rose since He/She had been there in five years. Umm. I wonder if I will ever find the true Lilac Rose. Anyhow, sorry to go on, back to St. Swithun. I honestly did not want four of them which I have. I realize now I want to move them around somewhat even though they are so big, reason being is they all seem to be planted in front of short roses, which does not work for me. But, back to the overall on St. Swithun. A very healthy large dense bush. Well foliated. It gets at least two flushes. Clusters of blooms appear more at the end of the taller stems, but some of the clusters are in very large multitude. The blooms themselves are, very true, very romantic. I would not be without this unique Austin. The fragrance is what I would have referred to as sweet almond, though now I assume it is of the Myrr(sorry spelling) essence. PAC OF WASHINGTON: Re Steven's Big Purple. Have to admit the first blooms this year - it is in it's third year year, so relatively young, but the first blooms were really not an attractive colour, sort of a dirty red, but mid season and now, it's third blooming time, the colour is wonderful - a purplish bright magenta which is very striking. It is a wonderful healthy prolific bush and I really am on it's third flush.......also great fragrance. Definitely would recommend Big Purple. BRANDY: You have hit a huge soft spot with me in AMBER QUEEN. It is for sure my favourite floranbunda. I have mentioned that lots of times on this forum. In fact I am moving Golden Celebration to a fence and putting AQ in it's place in my little par-terre garden. I have six of them and could order more. Teehee!! Beautiful very abundant florabunda practiacally never without blooms and in it's peak they are solid. Beautifully shiny leaved and a very pleasant moderate fragrance. Fabulous rose with the most awesome warm yellow colour I have seen. ..........Ooops sorry this is so long, but when it comes to roses!!!!!!! Thanks again guys, I am very honoured by your lovely comments. Pauline - Vancouver Island

All of these photos are stunning! How about Sara-Ann's Peace photo - wow. Absolute perfection! Actually, Sara-Ann, all of your photos are fantastic. Nice job. I really want to compliment everyone here on your photos! I think everybody here is becoming better at photography as a by-product of loving roses! Vapor, the only reason I don't spray Peace is because it's so very dry here. I feel like I get that one break, but heat sure fries Peace's blooms in mid-summer. That was last year's Spring flush. Peace does continue to bloom at least two more big flushes, but it's pretty hot by that time and it doesn't always look so pretty. Carol, I feel so bad for my Peace stuffed in that pot for three years now I think. We're in the planning stages of our house and yard remodel so the poor thing is going to have to stay were it is for another season. It keeps getting bigger and stronger each year there along that fence. I hope it can manage in that pot for a bit longer. Candice is lovely and most all of the roses I managed to get from Ludwigs seem to do really well in our extreme heat - all but Purple Lodge who's blooms fry as soon as the sun comes up. Lady of the Mist is just a baby and puts out giant blooms packed with petals. Amazing! I look forward to how it does this next season.

Sometimes flowers do not open if conditions are not ideal, not warm or sunny enough, or if the plant just doesn't have the reserves or the nutrients it requires to complete the blooming. This is particularly common with small, young plants. Perfectly normal, if annoying. Best suggestion is to make sure it's getting as much warmth and full sun as you can give it, feed it a well balanced fertilizer regularly, and let it grow. As your seedling gets larger and more mature it will tend to produce better, more layered flowers and the colors may shift and improve - even picking up some purple, possibly. Sorry it didn't turn out to have much yellow but I do see some down there inside of the petals. Pink is the most dominant trait in adeniums though and getting good yellows depends a lot on who the hybridizer is and how long they have been line breeding yellows to yellows. I hope you get one yet!