Seven sisters is covered in buds and is consuming the barn and fence.

My two Zephirine Drouhin are also set to impress.

Everything looks so wonderful! Can't wait to see updated pictures when everything is in bloom!

that arch is going to look amazing covered in blooms

Beautiful! I'm always impressed when an area looks wonderful even when nothing is blooming.

Thanks for the compliments everybody! I’ll be sure to take photos as the season really gets rolling.

How lovely to see these special older beauties, Christian, especially Kazanlik and Napoleon's Hat - thank you for sharing. How big does your Kazanlik grow? I hear it can get very tall, and even be used as a climber in some climates/conditions.

I love rosewater and would be interested to follow your rosewater making experiments. IIUC, the 'proper' way is with steam distillation which always sounds a bit daunting to me in terms of equipment and possibilities of explosions, etc... But of course some people just simmer petals in water in a saucepan for a while and call that rosewater. I don't know how the two methods compare in terms of flavour, perfume and health and cosmetic benefits.

Sautesmom, I’m in Nampa, Idaho, it’s in Southwest Idaho near Boise.

comtessedelacouche, Kazanlik is about 6-7 feet tall and wide he is right next to Marianne who is just as big. The both of them block access to my Alchymist who is trained to the fence behind them.

As fo the rose water I am going to try the homemade simmering water and petals. I just hope to use it for cooking or drinks. It’s an experiment so if it works that’s great if it doesn’t no harm will be done.

Beautiful I can’t wait to see all those roses blooming. Even your grass looks beautiful, could you please tell me if you know what kind it is. Sephy will be magnificent on that arch.

They look great, and I do love the old once-bloomers; it's good to meet another fan. Enjoy your roses! I love tree peonies, too, but ours are bloomed out by now.

Hi Neighbor, Christian. You live in an excellent rose growing area--I grew up in Caldwell, and lived for several years in Nampa. I love your roses, especially your arbor covered in Zeffy. My roses were popping until this rain started up, and the prediction is for more of it, starting Sunday. Much as I love some rain, this timing is awful. I look forward to more pics from you. I know you'll have a great season. Diane

Hi Carla in Sac. Christian's roses aren't late al all. We live in a much more northerly latitude than you, and our growing season starts in late because of this. But it kicks in fast with long sunny daylight. Normally, it's very dry in this semi arid desert. Our current rain is unusual. Diane

Carla in Sac. Diane is right my roses were about on time, in fact kazanlik Bloomed two days earlier then last year, however our current and unusual rain has slowed down the garden.

Hallo, Diane’s roses are a huge inspiration for me. I can’t say mine are quite ready to compare to hers. Maybe someday they’ll be every bit as impressive.

Dianela, Most lawns here in Idaho most lawns are comprised of a blend of perennial rye, Kentucky blue grass, and a fescue usually. I know for sure my lawn has the rye and blue grass (else where in the lawn the blue is desperately trying to go to seed).

Melissa, old garden roses are so fascinating to me with their form and their history. I hope to add a few more I only have 8 right now. My tree peony is my only one I planted it in 2016 this was the second time it has bloomed for me. I hope it continues to improve with age.

Diane, thanks for the compliments. Your garden and roses are so impressive and have helped influence some of my rose buying (I have bought Auguste Louise, bro cadfael, and Evelyn) because of your photos. I really am appreciative of the rain but hopefully it doesn’t mess up our first blooms too much. I noticed some of my herbaceous peonies were starting to open I might have to pick them so they don’t wind up I the mud. Most of my rose should be fine just a few are showing color I figure the show will really start after Memorial Day at this point.

I am so eagerly awaiting those of you who have the spring rose season beginning shortly. I hope everyone will post lots of photos, rain or shine. I'm craving the novelty of others' gardens, bigger gardens, different roses than I have, different scenery. I'm afraid being more house-bound has turned me into a rose and garden junkie.

Christian, thank you so much for your lovely comments. I had no idea you were a neighbor until now. I hope your Augusta Luise likes Idaho as well as mine does. She's about 6.5 feet tall, and the heavy rain started making her bend forward down the slight slope she grows on. So, she was tied up earlier today (not too noticeable), and looks a lot better. I whacked Bro Cadfael waay back last August because all he wanted to do was grow after spring and not bloom much. He looks good, so I hope that does the trick. My four Evelyn roses are also huge, and I can't wait for them to bloom. Christian, I'll bet all this rain makes your garden go nuts with growth and blooms, too. Diane

Diane, sorry for the late reply. How did your garden fair in the storm on Sunday? My poor Peach Swirl Who is currently acting like a one cane wonder was lying on the ground fortunately the cane was young and flexible so I tied it up. My Augusta and Bro cadfael both are struggling right now a family of rabbits moved in (first time rabbits have ever be seen around my parents place in the 20 years we have lived here) and have nibbled a little on some new growth both are currently protected by chicken wire. Augusta also has been set back by the late frosts they damaged her new growth.

Paul Ricault decide he was to be second to bloom and produced this small little bloom.

Seven sister should also also have a few flowers open tomorrow and Soupert et Notting may also produce a flower in the next day or two.

Christian, that's a beautiful bloom of a rose I'm not familiar with. Gorgeous color, and doesn't look damaged by our lousy weather. I wonder what else you could do to ward off rabbits--when it's dry, you might try sprinkling garlic powder on the roses being munched on. I've done that quite a while back when I had a small rabbit problem. Our rabbits were little pygmy cross rabbits for the most part, and didn't do much harm. Then the foxes came several years ago, and wiped them out. I miss the cute little guys. We have plenty of pests--hundreds of quail that act like rampant, destructive chickens, and worst of all, deer, which strike randomly. I spend $ on deer repellent, nasty stuff, but as sure as I don't spray on the repellent, the deer will strike.....I'm glad you could tie up your Peach Swirl; as you know, cane breakage is pretty common in this kind of weather. My roses have had some, mostly because of wind and stiff breeze. I have a giant Ascot with a huge cane that keeps getting blown almost to the ground. I have to go out on a regular basis, and wearing two pairs of gloves, force the darn thing up. Augusta has lost her perfect shape, but isn't flopping downward at least. Her worst problem is lots of thrips damage which is so disappointing. Golden Celebration and Twilight Zone are really trying to bloom, as well as The Prince. I've got to get some pics taken. Weather was just awful last night and today. I hope we get a break soon. I've lost my cucumber plants, of all things, to this blasted weather. Keep us posted--it looks like your garden is doing well. Diane

Diane, the rabbits appear to be your typical cottontails. I did buy a repellent that uses garlic powder and powdered rotten egg. Hopefully it and the chicken wire is enough to fend off the rabbits. We also have quail in fact a young one tried to make its nest under my Kazanlik, she laid even laid an egg unfortunately my presents scared her off. I think she now has a nest somewhere in my chicken run.

Here are some more photos. I’m glad I grabbed these photos earlier. As I type we just got hit my a thunderstorm and some pretty heavy rain.

More kazanlik blossoms opened thanks to the last day and a half of sun.

Another blossom from Paul.

Seven sisters has also started to open.

Marianne did have on bloom but it appears to have been damaged by our weather.

My very chlorotic carding mill has also snuck in a bloom. I treated the soil with fast acting sulfur and put some fertilizer on it and it is starting to green up, I’m also thinking of spraying the leaves with liquid iron to help green them up but unfortunately the weather hasn’t cooperated with me for that.

Beautiful roses Christian. Looking forward to seeing them in full bloom.

Diane I clicked “like” on your post to acknowledge it. I don’t like any of the broken canes, you losing your cucumbers or all the other things that have affected your garden:(. That is some crazy weather you have been facing this year and I hope it settles down very soon. I am sure I am not the only one here eagerly waiting to see your awesome garden this year.

Your Kazanlik is just gorgeous! I didn't realize that it had such pretty foliage.

About season of bloom, the once flowering cold hardy roses seem to go by length of day rather than by temperatures or weather. The bulk of mine get going in mid-May and keep going for approximately a month, so most of them are in bloom now or getting ready to flower. We're just under the 45th Parallel, zone 8. They're pretty consistent in their flowering time, while the warm climate repeat blooming roses go by whether it's warm enough. We had a long dry, relatively warm spell in February and March, and many of the Teas and Chinas opened in March (in a more "normal" year they begin around the end of April) and flowered gloriously. Then it finally began to rain in April and hasn't stopped yet, and that was the the end of any good Tea or China blooms. The once flowering roses seem to be generally more rainproof.