Wonderful pictures, especially the striped rose ( Millie).

Oh, I love these pictures Lisa! Millie looks like an excellent helper too!

Very nice, Lisa... It's always nice to have a peek into your garden.

I am thinking of replacing my 'Leveson Gower' that died from root-knot nematodes, and am curious where you got your rather lovely plant? PM isn't usually a problem here...

Thanks,

Virginia

I have Levenson Gower too! I love when the Petals around the outer edge are a little darker than in the center. Mine came from Rose Petals Nursery here in Florida.

Lisa your Evelyn is beautiful, mine has never bloomed like that in 4 years, I don't think she's happy in my yard. I'm going to wait one more spring before I decide if I'm going to keep her. And Millie is totally adorable!

Beautiful pics and very inspirational,

Thank you! That little striped rose can't wait for me to get up in the morning. All three kitties know that that when Mom has her coffee and laptop, they all get to go outside for a little while. It's the big highlight of their day! Millie is growing so fast and gets around so well, you would never know she was missing a hind leg. I'm not sure how helpful she is lavender, but she is a nosey little girl. She is interested in every single thing I'm doing and needs to be right in the middle of it.

I like my Levenson Gower, too! I just wish she didn't get so mildewed. Maybe if I ever get her into the ground, she will be happier. Gotta love those rich pink blooms, though. I adore the color and the way the petals are creased. I don't see much color variation in mine, suncoast. I wonder why not? Virginia, my Leveson Gower came from Burlington. She's nice and close to me.

I keep being interrupted. I have more pictures to post, but since I've been working on this reply for 2 hours, and keep being called away, I think I will just submit it. I'll try to post some more after dinner, or tomorrow morning. Lisa

They all look beautiful Lisa!!! I finally was able to get me some garden kitties. Getting them used to being outside this week. Love them sweet babies.

Oh do show us some pictures, Prettypetals! Nothing is quite as adorable as kittens. Lisa

The roses are all beautiful, but it's little Millie who is the heartbreaker. There's something so poignant about a young animal with challenges to overcome.

Evelyn is a rose I've always admired but never had the courage to grow. Seeing how beautiful yours is, I wish I had. I had Leveson-Gower in the past but in its sunny spot I don't remember it ever having mildew. The flowers on yours are still very beautiful.

Beautiful Lisa !! I also have a new Evelyn and she's doing well too. Growing quite well . Love your sweet kitty !! :)

I do love Evelyn! I purchased her mainly due to fragrancenutter's huge thread on the General Roses forum titled "fragrant roses that produce abundant perfect cut blooms". She is in Australia, zone 10a and gets dry heat, as I do. I figured it was worth a shot, since it does so well for her. I'm very impressed so far. I'll keep you all up to date with how she does in the future. I have a credit with Heirloom Roses, and today select DA roses are on sale. Most seem to be out of stock, Evelyn included:( Where abouts are you located, boncrow66? Maybe Evelyn really likes a hot and dry climate? Mine doesn't even get as much water as I thought she needed, (for a youngster), because she's in a difficult spot for me to place the hose. BTW Ingrid, last night I found a "snip and drip" system at a great price, PLUS 20% off my order. I was all ready to check out when my 20% discount disappeared. This was at exactly 11:00pm last night. I forgot about the time zones and missed the discount by about 5 minutes! I was so disappointed, that I just shut off my laptop and went to bed. I'm very sad about it. It was a really simple system that I could install myself. It had good reviews. I just took too long picking out extra parts to customize it. I'll make a copy of my cart. Maybe it will go back on spectacular discount again.

Thank you, Justin. I see that you also garden in zone 10a. You must be getting some high temperatures as well. I think that does make for some odd blooms sometimes. I deadheaded that bloom this morning, and also saw that a worm or something had been inside. That's why the backside of that bloom was kind of missing. I've had an awful lot of worm ruined blooms lately. Here's what I found when I removed Baronne Prevost's odd little bloom.

My deilema rose has been Poseidon. It was frying instantly last year in full sun, and this year I moved it to afternoon shade. That's still not enough to keep the beautiful blooms from frying. During the last flush, I put up an old screen door to shade the blooms. I got perfectly gorgeous, unfried, lavender blooms. Even though Poseidon is hidden away in the backyard, where I tend to do as I please, I'm not willing to do this all summer. I'm also not big on moving roses. My boys are busy, and it's difficult to get them to plant a rose. For them to recognize a rose they planted before, that is now quadrupled in size, to be relocated? Boy, I hardly dare ask:) I have a few things planned for Poseidon, before I begin negotiations with my sons.

I purchased a shade cloth for my patio lattice. I had a huge Texas Privet hedge removed, and while I love my new rose bed, my patio is much hotter. It just so happens that shading where I sit will also shade Poseidon.(I think)

I have some Pro-tekt, but I'm not a sprayer. I can try to see if it would keep Poseidons blooms from frying, but in this heat I'm afraid I won't keep up with it.

This option I think I am going to go with regardless. Plant a passion Vine near Poseidon to shade the blooms somewhat. I know they can grow like a house on fire here, but I checked, and it can also be cut back and kept smaller. I bought two passion vines. Here is one that just bloomed in its pot. It's a bit more mauve than the photo shows.

Here is a Poseidon bloom

Poseidon is loaded with buds, but unless I put the ugly screen back up, all will fry.

Love Song however, takes the heat like a champ.

This self seeding annual has been amazing! It goes from seed to bloom in about 8 weeks maybe? Cynoglossum Amabile 'Blue Showers'

A giant Dahlia with Shasta daisy. The dahlia is actually more purple/burgundy than the photo appears.

Mrs. William G. Koning is always healthy here and blooms well in mostly shade.

A rare moment, this morning. Sebastian and Millie playing together on the patio. Not the best picture, but I dared not disturb them.

Ok, that's it for now. Time to round up my kitties. Lisa

Gorgeous pictures and beautiful roses, companion plants and sweet kitties. Sebastian is so handsomne. I know what you mean about it being warmer when you removed the privet hedge. Our yard is so much hotter after having bushes removed and trees limbed up for fire safety, I couldn't believe the difference. I've had so much insect damage of various types this year, probably the most ever. Sometimes one kind of bug disappears, perhaps eaten by birds, and then another takes its place. I've pretty well decided just to ignore the damage and appreciate what looks good. Your Love Song is wonderful. I finally took mine out in a fit of frustration since it's sat there doing absolutely nothing, less than a foot tall, forever.

Ingrid, thank you. Mine is grafted, and I think that makes all the difference. I have a second one, a standard. It is still in its nursery pot, waiting for cooler weather. That one looks horrendous. I also have every bug imaginable. I don't know if it's the extra rain, or my removing the hedge. Maybe it's both? When I switch to my iPhone, I'll take a picture of my 2nd Love Song to make you feel better:) Lisa

While I'm at it, I may as well show my superstar, Louise Odier. She has not stopped blooming! Its amazing.

Beautiful roses and companion plants Lisa... I just thought to mention, and hope it offers some transatlantic comfort, that I too have a similar problem as yours on that 'Baronne Prevost' rose, although mine are on so many other roses, but the result is the same.... I know what's causing the problem here - leaf rolling sawfly larvae - they are like tiny caterpillars and I know they are there as the leaf nearby is rolled up and they hide inside it... the buds near the leaf are all but ruined... holes eaten into them... it's so frustrating and actually a worse problem this year than I've ever known... We had a very mild winter followed by, for us, an almost hot late Spring/early Summer, and they seem to have thrived...

I can't say if this is what's causing yours but just to put it out there...

'Louise Odier' is one I haven't grown in a long time, really ought to revisit it after seeing your pictures...

Thank you, Marlorena. It may very well have been exactly that leaf rolling sawfly larvae. I have a huge sawfly problem this year, along with every other pestilence known to roses this summer. The bud on Baronne Prevost looked quite different from the usual worm damage that I've been seeing. My new Lady Ashe produced her very first bud, and it looked like this.

Lisa, I've been trying to be vigilant and picking off the larvae as I find them, but of course it's almost too late as the damage has been done, but I think I'm trying to save the other buds by doing so... this year has been the worst I've known it.. virtually every rose bar a few, have been affected with this.. just as I think I'm going to get a great flush, I find this happening and so many buds destroyed...

I don't spray so I'll have to let it pass and carry on doing what I'm doing.. but sometimes I think I can't blame people for spraying..

You captured a good image in the photo above of whatever that is, looks a bit different to mine, but of a similar nature... but, we must fight on !...

Yes, I don't spray my roses either. I do usually spray my tomatoes with BT every year, or the tomato horn worms will eat all the tomatoes before we do! I don't have time to look up the actual spelling of the two words for BT, as I have an appointment. but it's a bacteria that only affects caterpillars. I must admit, I'm slightly tempted to hit a few rose buds while I'm at it. Knowing myself, I probably won't though. Picking them off is just not possible for me. It's too hot for me in the day. Yes, we must fight on. This too shall pass.... Lisa