Wow that Augusta Louise is so luscious it's incredible.

Oh Diane, how beautiful! It was well worth the wait. I’m going to show this picture to my AL, and tell her that’s what I want her to look like. Mine has the sunrise colors like Erasmus is getting. I’m glad I knew she was so changeable before hand. I’d think I had the wrong rose otherwise.

That ZD is lovely in the tree, and the petals on the ground are so romantic looking.

Prariemoon, I know some people do pinch off buds the first year. Ingrid has always been very good about doing it. OTH, I’ve never done it and everything blooms just fine for me.

Have a great day everyone!

Jim, that's hilarious!!! They live in the lap of luxury! Diane, what can I say! Beyond amazing! I am also waiting for the video tour and tutorial! : )), Pippa, I do dis-bud my small OR roses, but wouldn't bother with a grafted one since it already has a developed root system, but that's just me. Erasmus, Zepphy if a so lovely up in the tree. I get those pics if my phone accidentally goes to "beauty" mode on my Samsung phone.

Thank you so much, Lisa. The moment of glory started ending a couple of days ago when Augusta and a whole lot of other roses started blasting through their blooms due to the heat. She was an early starter for here, but the first show lasted from about May 20 to June 12. How brief is the glory--sigh. Now she begins it all over again on a smaller scale. I agree with you about removing buds on new roses--don't do it; it's a persistent and unscientific myth that bud removal somehow directs the rose's grow to the roots. Show me the studies. The head of perennials and roses at Edwards Greenhouse was horrified a couple of years ago when some customers starting asking about bud removal. This woman is an expert in so many plant areas, not just roses.

Jim, how long did it take for those sleepy guys to learn to love the new bed? Any bed rejection? They certainly look happy--if only I could sleep like that. Thanks for your comment. And I do wish it was cool here--old people don't adjust to too much heat very well, or too much cold--ha.

Thanks so much, Sultry, and I'll post more photos both here and on a separate thread (kind of dreading that). That dark one next to Augusta is one of my favorites, Twilight Zone, an early bloomer currently going into his bloom blast, too.

Prairiemoon, green ice cream is pistachio, probably my all time favorite. As a spoiled little kid, that's what I called it. The pink/apricot rose is Augusta Luise, and the purple one is Twilight Zone.

Thanks, Erasmus. I'm sure beyond doubt that your AL will perform beautifully for you. Your Zeffy is magnificent, and so want to stroll in your garden. It's dreamy.

Thank you, Pippa. I agree about AL. She's sort of otherworldly. Diane

That took three tries and I don't know now much time to get two photos to post. What website--gag. Diane

Vapor, I got your comments, but they don't show here for me--good old, dependable Houzz. Thanks, but with Houzz the way it is, there will be no tutorial--ha. It won't post. Diane

Diane - lol - ‘show me the studies’ - lol. I’m sure glad that is the case, that I don’t have to remove them, I’d hate to have to wait a whole year to see the bloom. [g]

I so love Twilight Zone! It’s one of the best dark purples I’ve seen. And the pairing with Augusta Louise is something I’d be very happy with. Inspired!

I hate to ask you, but I wonder if you do something special with bed prep or fertilization? Your roses are so full of blooms and so healthy looking? I suppose it helps that you are in zone 7. From Idaho - where do you buy your roses? West Coast, East Coast or local?

Of course, pistachio! Lol. I forgot about that one. One of my favorites too. I put pistachios on top of brownies when I bake them now too.

Oh my gosh, I've been pinching all those buds for nothing?????? I believe Kim was one of the people who said it would help a rose grow faster. Of course, Lisa's roses are way better than mine, and she doesn't pinch. I thought it was her superior soil and cooler temps, but maybe it's because she doesn't pinch buds! At any rate, my pinching days are over, and what a relief. Thank you, Diane! Your Augusta Luise is to die for, and then some.

I absolutely love coming back to this thread. So much beauty, and so many wonderful people, it is a pure pleasure.

Great photos Nanadoll and ingrid! :-)

Our pets instantly loved the new bed Nanadoll...lol

Oh Diane I'm so happy to see your Twilight Zone as mine is still a baby and it's nice to be reminded of the future possibilities lol :)

So many pretty pictures over the last 3 days! It took me an hour just to read all the comments! Of course I love all the roses posted. That above and beyond is intriguing just for it's zone rating. I grow Morden Sunrise too; it black spots here and I don't find it to be all that hardy or vigorous. Ditto on Winnipeg Parks & Bill Reid. I am growing the newer Canadian roses and they seem much better overall. Tom Thompson aka "campfire" is a nice easy landscape rose. Canadian Shield is very hardy and prolific. Oscar Peterson is super clean & hardy. And I planted this year's new release "Chinook Sunrise", suppose to be a coral to apricot blend. Not a lot of info on it yet. Sounds promising.

There was also discussion on irises back there too. I love them, but have had some issues with the tall bearded ones, which are my favourite. I seem to have iris borers here. I had to dig up a large clump of a reblooming one. The foliage started getting streaky & spotty. Then entire pieces were flopping over. I dug it up to discover these giant grub like things boring holes in all the tubers. So I had to pitch them. Once they get in the tubers, they start to rot. I still have a few varieties that have not yet been discovered, but I know it's only a matter of time. I am going to be lifting two of them up to relocate them. As long as they aren't being attacked!

Thanks, Jim. We should follow your example and get our spoiled cats a human bed. Then we wouldn't have to cover the living room furniture with ugly old towels. I need to show your photo to my daughter.

Ingrid, I didn't mean to be so harsh about disbudding, but I think you might have more fun with your new roses if you let them bloom. My feeling is that all that energy has been expended to form those buds. If they are removed, it's more likely that the rose will just try to form replacements to take the original buds' place. Your SdLM is lovely as always, and Aloha is such a big, luscious rose. I'd love to grow that one. After an evening of one chore followed by another, I'm sitting here enjoying a bouquet of mostly Evelyn, one Tamora, and one Abe Darby. Too much loveliness to bear. I like to make the small bouquets like yours with roses just stuffed into a smallish vase. It's all I need. Thank you for your comments about the diva, AL. They made my evening.

Prairie, I'll get the answers to your questions in my next post. There really aren't any secrets I'm keeping, and frankly, I'm pretty jealous of all the Californians with their long growing seasons. I'm used to no water. What I'm sick of is working 11 months of the year to get one month of glory in spring, plus whatever the roses deign to give me as the season progresses. I love your attitude about the buds. I hope you have some pistachio ice cream around--I do. I'm sure I'll indulge later tonight--heh.

Pippa, your TZ has a great future with you. I liked my first one so well, I got a second. I haven't regretted it.

Blondie, I'm sorry you have problems with Morden Sunrise. I'm lucky to not have to deal with rose fungal diseases in this dry climate. So I do like MS a lot, and mine has had a good spring.

I'll try to post a couple of photos if the Houzz gods will let me. One will be Golden Celebration and Boscobel; another is Augusta Luise and Golden Celebration. I'm one who likes pink with yellow, as long as the colors are soft. I will try to post an Evelyn photo, too. Diane

Prairie, I don't really have a special secret regimen of fertilizers and soil preparation. I use compost or manure on all the roses in late fall to early winter. The stuff breaks down some over winter, though usually we have only small amounts of snow and rain to aid in the breakdown. In February, I put fertilizer for acid loving plants (granular) down around each rose. We have alkaline soil, and this kind of fertilizer combats chlorosis in the roses. Finally, the roses get a dose of Plant Tone or Rose Tone, whichever I have around, and the roses are ready for spring. I have purchased my roses all over the place. I recommend Palatine if they have what you want. Most of my roses have come from my favorite local nursery, Edwards Greenhouse, which has a massive selection to choose from. Augusta Luise came from Hortico in Canada. I've always been happy with their roses. My first Twilight Zone came from Edmund's Roses mail order. I hope this info helps. Diane

Nana, you cracked me up with your pet towel comment! We've all been there. : )) When you apply manure, is it composted or fresh? I may do this in the fall with turkey manure.

I'm johnny on the spot with all the answers, vapor. From ugly old towels to fresh or stale manure--let's see--I use only composted manure because I buy the stuff by the bag. Because of little storage space in the garage, bags are the way to go. I also swear by Nu Life compost that has chicken manure in it and lots of other good stuff (myorhyzsomethingsomething). I hate that word, and my brain won't spell it. Turkey manure sounds great, if composted. Wish I had some. I've read that bird manure is greased lightening, but needs to be composted. Here's to ugly old towels that are oh so handy. Diane

No internet all day. It's fixed, and I've been scrolling back and forth, devouring these pics - Diane's dark and mysterious Twilight Zone and companions, Erasmus's unbelievable Zephy in a tree, Ingrid's Aloha and to-die-for-SdlM (I'm just a bit jealous about that one since I tried and failed), Pippa's baby TZ and Jim's pampered pet's plush pad.

I would be really upset if I bought Daisy an actual people bed and she snubbed it like she snubs everything I've bought for her. Nothing beats an Amazon box or a Trader Joe's bag. As for sleeping, she's most comfortable on me so i can't move.

HalloBlondie, I had Oscar Peterson in my hands two days ago and ended up leaving him behind. I've only heard rave reviews about him. Should have brought him home.

There are a couple buds on my freshly planted Augusta Luise. This is so exciting.

Ingrid, we're glad you're here. You're part of us, you know. You bring class to this sometimes silly thread.

Prairiemoon, it's a crabapple tree Zepherine was growing in. It produces petal snow as well...I really love the petal snow in spring from that tree and a Yoshino cherry. Here's the crabapple this spring:

When I had the Zepherine in the tree I pruned what I could reach. It bloomed close to the ground as well as up high.

I don't think it had an adverse effect on the tree. The entire tree looked like a rose tree. It did eventually get RRD, and I had to get rid of it. Now I have a Ballerina growing in the shade of that tree which is climbing! It is up about 15' into the tree.

I disbudded the most recent buds on Augusta Louise but am not sure it was needed. I noticed yesterday that it is putting out some new growth.

Thank you about my garden.. it is a humble little garden.

Has anyone ever seriously thought about how much manure is available out there? Makes me think I should have learned the difference between $#@& and Shinola.

I don’t want to “milk” this rose, but here is how the flowers fade on Above and Beyond

I don’t really have any other rose in bloom (they are barely producing buds) except this one Kordana mini rose we bought for mothers day

Oh, wow, Dan, your Kordana mini rose looks like a mini Augusta. I love it! Want it! What's it's name ("it's" a girl, of course)? Does anyone else grow this mini?

Rob, many times I don't know !@#$% from shinola, either. Join the club. I wish I could store a truckload of the stuff, and not buy bags, but those bags are very cheap at my favorite farm store. It's the compost that costs, and must be rationed. I have no shortage of !@#$% sources--it's the storage that's the problem for me.

Erasmus, what a terrible shame you lost Zeffy to RRD. I am thankful that scourge isn't around here. I would have been heartbroken. Is there a climbing form of Ballerina? I love that rose, but mine shows no indication it would be a climber, though it's a vigorous rose. I'd love to see a photo of your ballerina.

Flowers, honestly, I wondered where you were. No internet--I hope you at least had some ice cream around. I couldn't stand it. I agree about independent cats--they will sleep where they will, and ours would continue with the human furniture, stair steps where a ray of sun strikes, and on it goes. I wonder if Gracie makes a difference, and Jim's cats follow her lead. We are silly??? Never. I'm so glad your Augusta has her first buds.

Prairie, in my tiny front yard (back yard isn't much better), there are no pairings. Things go where I can cram them in, though I started out wanting a purple/yellow theme in the front--hence Julia Child roses, Bernstein-Rose, and Ebb Tide roses--two each across the sidewalk approaching the porch. Those were the first. By the time I got Augusta, I was just shoehorning them in. Diane

I'm sorry to say this, but I don't actually know the name of the mini kordana rose- IDing these types of roses has been hard for me (plant tag only said it was a kordana mini- nothing else). I got it at walmart and it was originally light pink and had a much more cupped form.

Nanadoll, what's cool is I ordered the entire bed ONLINE at Walmart...Yep! Bed frame, box springs, and single mattress cost only $250.00 and was shipped to our door...lol...They can compress this stuff these days to fit in smaller boxes..Open box and let the stuff expand for awhile..lol

Wonderful photos Nanadoll!

Great pics erasmus_gw and Dan!

Thanks everyone for sharing your pics!

Everythings still basically going strong here...Mild temps/rain this month etc.

Potted Tomato plant really taking off now...

Nanadoll, I put a pair of steps at bottom of bed so our cats can easily get up on bed...lol

Our Bourke Parakeet bird is 17 years old...Recently decided to get him a new cage...New bed for other pets so new cage for Rosey...lol

Oh my goodness Diane! Those are some incredible pictures! It’s amazing how many blooms you get. I think you DO know !@$% from Shinola, by the looks of those pictures! I’m the one who doesn’t. I even forget which rose I gave fertilizer to, and have ODed a few in the past. I always intend to write it down in my “garden journal”, but half the time I forget, or can’t remember where I wrote it down. Sometimes I find it written on my wall calendar later. (No wonder Joan Fontaine had proliferated blooms:-)

Erasmus, I didn’t realize you’d lost that Zeffy:-( What a sad thing, but glad you saw it. I’m impressed you noticed with her up in the tree! It could have gone unnoticed for a long time. Good eye, and thank goodness you noticed it. You’re “humble little garden” (as you call it), is quite impressive, and always a thrill to see.

HalloBlondie, I noticed some of my bearded Iris didn’t bloom this spring, but I think I have figured out why. Most of mine are on the slope, and dirt has come down covering the rhizomes. They need to be more exposed. Between me, the gophers, and the rain washing soil down, many were covered too deeply. That’s another chore I need to add to my list.

Ikaye, how funny that you do have the same lilies! The other one you show looks an awful lot like another one I have. It’s solidly dark maroon, almost black. I don’t mind that one so much. Maroon goes well with pinks and many other colors. By now, I have totally forgotten where I bought it. This one is in the backyard, so I need to pick it and give it away quickly. They are SO poisonous to cats. I have them mostly out front, where the cats don’t go, and I no longer even bring them into the house at all. I make an arrangement outside, and give it away without ever bringing the blooms in the house.

It looks much redder in the picture than it really is. The sun is shining right on it, at the moment. It doesn’t look like it from this picture, but I think we are both growing two of the same kinds:-)

Dan, your Above and Beyond is really pretty. It’s blooming up a storm, too! I agree that your mini looks like a miniature Augusta Luise. That’s exactly what my first blooms looked like. Mine is toning down a little lately, but looks nothing like Diane’s AL. I’m beginning to wonder how long she’ll be happy in her pot. It’s a big one, so I hope she can wait until fall. I’m going to need to move her pot to some pm shade, before long.

Ingrid, Kim definitely has said to pinch buds. I did it some with both of my Annie Laurie McDowell’s for a while, because I figured he knows his own rose. I gave up after just a few because frankly, I couldn’t keep up. The canes still keep growing while they are blooming. Ingrid, the ALMD you gave me is long enough to tie to the posts. I just haven’t done it yet. When I do get it done, I’ll take pictures. She really is lovely, and I treasure her all more because you gave her to me. I have another one in a large pot that Kim himself grafted for me. What a treasure that one is, too! I wanted one so much, and I can’t believe I’m blessed enough to have two! I find that rose/garden people tend to be very kind and generous people. I was about to plant out the grafted ALMD, and found that Dr. Huey had returned AGAIN in her spot! I can’t believe the tenacity of that thing. I’m at my wits end with that eternal Dr. Huey. It’s one reason I refuse to by anything grafted on Dr. Huey anymore. He’s so hard to get rid off! It doesn’t help (well, it helps Dr. Huey), that he’s right where the drip system waters him generously. I may have to see if I can rearrange the drip a bit, but that would mean hand watering the other things back there. It’s a hard to reach area, so I hate to do that.

Ingrid, your SDLM and Aloha put my SDLM to shame. Yours are always lovely and I just love seeing them. Mine might have to go if it doesn’t get it together this year. I’ve given it enough years to improve and I have plenty of Roses in the pot ghetto that would love that spot. It’s right out front where every passerby sees it, too. I'm beginning to feel like my wimpy SDLM has embarrassed me enough. She’s always the one people politely skip over, when looking at that row of roses along the edge between my front yard and the park. I must have just gotten a dud.

I’m seriously lagging behind in the backyard. There’s so much to do, and I only have so much energy. Making a list doesn’t seem to help me. I start with one thing, and end up somewhere else, lately getting rid of the forests of Orlaya and Sweet Peas. It’s been an invasion this year, with all the spring rain. I finally removed most of the ‘Lauren’s Dark Grape’ poppies, saving a few for seed. Last year I let them stand WAY too long, and they literally filled up my veggie bed. The early Orlaya are starting to go to seed, so I’m removing some each day. I’m saving a few with the biggest heads for seed saving:-). I really need to deadhead every Rose in the backyard, so I’ll get more blooms. I never thought deadheading would be such a large job. That’s what happens when you have lots of roses and lots of blooms. Lol I can’t really complain about them blooming so abundantly.

I’m loving seeing the huge bed for your fur babies, Jim! The things we do for our beloved pets. Somehow I end up with all three cats hogging my bed most of the time. I try to give Sebastian one or two nights alone with me in my bed. He’s getting older, and appreciates our one on one time. Dexter can be bossy, and he jumps on Sabby, just to make him move or get off the bed. Sabby is so easy going that he just gets on the floor and goes to sleep. Dexter is just showing that he’s the dominant one around here. He can’t help himself. Dexter can open our interior doors, so he opens them for everyone each night. He’s more than happy to open mine, so he can sleep with me. Millie likes her own little pet bed, but once my bedroom door gets opened, she comes to join the other two. She wakes me up asking for “up”, so of course I get up and put her on the bed. It is a little frustrating when she’s faking it, and gallops away hoping I’ll chase her and play. It’s not quite as cute at 2:00 am, as it normally would be.

Well, I’ve been typing for a long time, and need to get going. I imagine more posts have come in since I started writing over an hour ago. I’ll throw out some pictures before I say goodbye.

I’m not sure what pictures I’ve shown before, so sorry if these are repeats.

Excuse the wonky trellis. It’s hard to get up there, and becomes part of the scenery until I take a picture of it. The rose is Marchesa Boccela/ Jacques Cartier from Heirloom Roses. It’s at least 5 years old and always only gives me small spring flush, nothing else until next year.

That reminds me. I think it was Flowers that asked about Baronne Prevost’s rebloom. I get surprisingly good rebloom on my Baronne Prevost. I cut her down a bit after her VERY long spring flush, and get intermittent blooms in the summer. In the fall I get another flush, that’s not as big as the spring flush. It did take several years for her to really start impressing me. Last year was great, and this spring she blooms loads for many months. Now, she’s deadheaded and trimmed back a bit. I’m anxious to see how she does. I’ll keep you updated about her rebloom. I removed every single leaf from her when I pruned her in January or February. It’s the first time I’ve done that to any rose. The spring flush was by far the best and longest ever, but it’s hard to say if defoliating her had anything to do with it. It certainly didn’t hurt her! I think it was you that asked a while back.

Have a wonderful Saturday everyone! Lisa

This thread is a feast for the eyes. Diane, your pics just get better with each one. The ladies who toured your garden must have been speechless. Rosemoor is sited perfectly between yellow and pink. What is that pink/white single rose? It's not Ballerina, is it? I appreciate all this beauty and inspiration. I will pull weeds with much more enthusiasm and vigor today. I'm starting my 32 gal. of alfalfa tea with the hope that I don't end up with a Big Stinking Mess. Those of you who have been around here for awhile know what I'm talking about. For those who are new, see https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1557858/did-anyone-save-pappu-s-big-stinking-mess-thread#n=31. Scroll down a ways. msjam saved and reposted it there.

Trish, I'm using your recipe. Did you have any problems with it solidifying? Or, the odor knocking you off your feet? I've only used the purchased Haven brand alfalfa tea bags in the past, so I'm approaching this with trepidation.

Erasmus, I've never seen Zephy so completely covered in blooms. Such a good rose! I wouldn't call your garden humble. I think you're the humble one.

Dan, you've got a winner there with Above and Beyond. And, the mini AL is darling. I wish the growers would identify those little minis. Some of us like to know these things.

Lisa, you are so right about lilies being poisonous to cats. Just a little the pollen on their feet or fur is enough to do serious kidney damage when they lick it off. i wish this was more widely known. Yes, I asked about re-bloom on Baronne Prevost. Thanks for remembering. With the difference in climates, I bet she wouldn't give much of a second showing here, but, who knows because my Marchesas are very good re-bloomers. Is that lovely bouquet to give away, or do you get to keep this one? I bet it perfumes the room. I'm not going to try to guess what the first pic is because I was so wrong the last time you posted a rose the looked like Jude. It's my kind of yellow, though. Your Marchesa looks just like mine which I think is interesting since our climates are so different. I pat myself on the back when my roses look like California roses, though they're never as big.

Why, thank you, flowers. But I did warn all of you that you'd be begging me to stop posting photos somewhere down the line. I haven't scratched the surface, folks--gah. I can imagine 32 gallons of stinking mess alfalfa tea, and I'm so glad to have my usual excuse--I don't have the room (but I wouldn't make that stuff, anyway). Rose Tone is smelly enough. You have a great memory, flowers. That is Ballerina, and you remembered the clematis' name, too. That clem is having a great year. The deer arrived last night, but were blocked from the back. The entered from the front and headed for the bird feeder. There they knocked all the seed on the ground (the quail later thought they had died and gone to heaven). Then the deer turned left and ate a bunch off my small tomato plants. They did little noshing on the roses, though, which had been throughly sprayed. Deer are the lowest most wasteful animals.

Lisa, could I fly you up here to make bouquets for Flowers and me? That is a splendiferous bouquet. Your friends and family are so lucky to be the recipients of these gifts. And is the rose you show Jude the Obscure? That's what I thought at first.....I got a laughh out of all those kitties sleeping with you. How do you do it? Don't you crush them? I decided years ago with all my tossing and turning, plus those big bolster pillows for my back, that no kitties would be sleeping with me, even my beloved Peanutbutter. She learned quickly. My secret to keeping out the two pests we have now is a kitty proof Victorian style screen door, plus my regular bedroom door, which I can have open a little as long as the screen door is closed. My wonderful son in law bought and installed the screen door for me, and then found a rose covered china knob for it, too. My allergies, and a million breakable things just don't allow for free range kitties, though I love them. Dexter must be brilliant to be able to open indoor doors. Our Finn has come close, but he's not quite tall enough....I love your gorgeous lily--what a color.

Jim, you are now the Royal Footman, who helps Queen Cagney and Queen Lacey up the royal stairs to their brand new bed. Do they know how good they have it? You are the best kitty daddy I know of. Oh, that goes for parakeet daddy, too.

Below (I hope) is Love Song, a little bit of Dainty Bess, and Jude the Obscure. I have so many Love Song pics I could do a book on that one, and Evelyn, too. Diane

Lisa, your arrangements are always so pretty, and I envy you your flowers reseeding so well. I've had some good reseeders.

Nanodoll, your pics would make gorgeous paintings.

My garden has become a lot for me to take care of. I do think it helps keep me younger than I would be otherwise. I'd be embarrassed for people to see my garden at times.

Seems like I saw the rrd on Zepherine lower down. It was sad to lose it and a pain to bag it up. I think the bigger the rose, the more surface area , the more likely it is to get rrd. RRD has taken about 6% of my roses in about 14 years since I first saw it on my old Gertrude Jekyll plant. I thought it was 16 yrs but it's 14. I know some people's gardens have been decimated by it but it has not been that bad here. For one thing, I get rid of infected plants pretty quickly. I don't cut out the sick part and hope the rest is ok. I have not seen any RRD so far this year and it's nice.

Old Gertrude Jekyll plant:

The RRD:

That was 2005.

Oh, here's Ballerina starting to climb..lit's just regular Ballerina .

Gruss an Aachen... my first bloom from this baby rose.

Linaria/Toadflax that I have in a pot...it's a favorite annual of mine that grows easily from seed.

Lisa, I saw your latest photo of your flower arrangement with roses and what looks like sweet pea but there’s a white flower in there that I don’t recognize and some I’ve forgotten the name of. Is the deep pink, Malva? You do a fabulous job with flower arranging. I find myself wondering if you do it for a living. Do you have a cutting garden too?

After I saw that post, I remembered there was another arrangement I liked and probably didn’t comment on…the one with the Lovely Fairy roses with lilies, so I went back to look and sure enough it was your post. I would not have thought of putting those together…they look so good, and exotic.

Diane, thanks for posting photos of your roses in your front yard. Just wonderful. The color combos are really nice. I also like the clematis with them. And what is that light lavender rose? LoL. That is a beauty too. It looks familiar like I should know it. I especially think it looks really nice with that pink single rose. Really nice combo.

Jim, So sorry about the RRD - I hope they find a way to prevent that in the future. You do the right thing to get rid of the whole plant as soon as you see a problem.

I like that red rose and Nepeta combo. They look nice together. I have Nepeta and I was noticing today there was a hummingbird moth and some big bees that hover all over it. Your tomato looks really healthy too.

My garden is always getting away from me. I really drag my feet about inviting anyone into my back to look around, because I never catch up. I manage to keep the front in good shape with help from my DH, so I am satisfied with that. And hope springs eternal that I will ‘catch up’ one of these days. [g]

Well, my weekend has gotten busy and I seem to have fallen behind and I won’t be able to catch up. And I was reviewing the thread and realized there were 143 more comments that you had to click on to view...wow. lol These would be really fun to read over the winter when there is snow on the ground. I wish I could comment on everyone’s photos, because I am enjoying all of them so much. June is very exciting for rose gardeners. And you can tell that everyone is really enjoying their roses this year.

LOL Nanadoll! And nice pics!

Sorry about the RRD erasmus_gw....Glad you have not seen any RRD this year... Nice photo!

Great pics pippacovalent!

Well I guess that I am with a lot of you guys, totally overwhelmed with backyard work .

I deadheaded the front yard

I cut Julia way back, she gets so thick in the center.

Who ever said that deadheading was a huge job wasn't kidding. Poor Beverly and Olivia they are really needing some work

My sister is going to come help me out . Just getting those two deadheaded will make feel better.

All of my dark purples have crisped in the heat.

I think my 3 hardiest roses right now are Memorial day, Pretty Lady rose Earth Angel.

I won't even start in on Love Song. Suffice it to say I've tried and failed. One of the most beautiful roses ever. Diane, it is obviously happy in your rose garden wonderland. And, Dainty Bess! She's been a favorite since I grew her in CA. Mine is alive, and that's about it. She's 5 or 6 years old and not much bigger than a band.

Erasmus, I don't think Ballerina comes in a climbing version, but yours definitely could make a case for it. That's just so beautiful. I love roses climbing trees.

Pippa, don't you love how Gruss can change her look from bloom to bloom. I am not familiar with Linaria/Toadflax. Love the colors. The wispy, lacy form looks similar to gaura.

If Jim is now the Royal Footman, we really ought to start calling him James.

I just came in for a quick rest and going back out to get 2 more roses in the ground before quitting for the day.

Oh the things we do for our pets! I'm totally guilty of loving my dogs too much. They get the best care, food, toys, attention and love. They definitely rule the roost. They have fancy beds, but much prefer our beds, sofa or our laps. Wherever I am that's where they are. However, Hank is really starting to irk me outside. He is ruining plants, he marks everything, tries to rip stems off plants or digs in the garden. There is a lot of me yelling no at him out there; but it is not working. Good thing he is cute!

I'm glad to see you posted some of your rose pics, Diane. As usual they look big & beautiful. Just fantastic colours too! You would laugh at how small some of my roses are. I did take a pic of Morden to show you. It's pathetic - 3 years old and dies back to the ground every year. Currently it's about 1 x 1 foot, ha. It is budding up though!

@Lisa - I always enjoy seeing your bouquets! I can tell you have a lot of plants, because every bouquet you show is different. I think it takes a real special touch to do flower arranging, and yours are always so pretty. I'm terrible at it.

@Flowers - you should have bought Oscar, hehe! He is not the fanciest rose out there, but he is dependable so far. The blooms have a nice charm, very simple with the white & yellow. Nicely shaped plant too, grows really vase shaped in my garden. I'm liking the pictures you have been sharing, hope to see more as everything blooms!

@Erasmus- I wanted to say your pictures are nice to see too. Sorry to hear about your rrd troubles. That Gertrude is huge, too bad it had to go, as well as Zephy.

The first pic is to show how small Morden Sunrise is for Diane. It's the wee one in front of my solar light egg. Second one is my first glimpse of a rose bloom in my garden. It's on a second year Darcy Bussell. Which means it's beating my cheater blooms (potted new ones). And the third picture is of my Baptisia "Sparkling Sapphires". I bought it last year after it had bloomed. So I'm excited to see it this year. The colour is so rich. I have it planted by Mary Rose. So I hope she starts blooming soon.

Flowers, yes I was so pleased with even just the one bloom in Gruss, because yesterday when just half opened it looked so different from now when fully opened that you wouldn't think it was the same bloom. In the evening when I was out working in the yard the bloom just glowed!

Oh, what a long day, and I still haven't had a decent dinner. I deadheaded til the sweat ran down my face, hand watered a bunch of stuff, and sprayed every rose in my garden with deer repellent. To top it off, Jemma and I found over 200 more pics on a second file in my memory card, so we now have organized, filed, cropped, etc, over 700 photos! Jemma will be taking my camera away from me. I plead temporary insanity. All those days I didn't post, I was taking photos--ha. And you thought I was working in my garden.

Pippa, I've always wanted to grow Gruss, and your photo reminds me why. She's such a lovely rose. I love the linaria. I've become interested in wispy delicate plants to weave amongst the roses. I've been trying out anchusa for the past year or two.

Thank you, Flowers. Love Song is a favorite of mine, so I guess that's why I have two of them. Yes, from now on Jim is Sir James, OBE. Sorry, Jim.

Kristine, I'm glad you're getting some help because your day sounds like mine--only I don't have a baby to care for. I can't imagine how exhausting it must be, but you still grow lots of lovely roses and other plants. Did you grow delphinium this year? Deadheading is my biggest job right now, too, so I can sympathize. It gets me that we work so hard all year so the roses can bloom a while, only to have all those luscious blooms dry up and die. What a waste of beauty, it seems like.

Thanks, Blondie. What a shame that some Canadian roses don't take the cold well. Your Morden Sunrise may be small, but it's quite cute, plus nice and thick. It will be lovely all covered in blooms, so be sure to post a photo. I guess MS does better in zone 7 and above--ha. I'm interested in baptisia, so would love to see more photos of Sparkling Sapphires. It should be a stunning plant in full bloom. Love the solar egg. Now I will show you our Finn on a Bike whirligig.

Diane

I'm having a lot of trouble posting photos. I wonder if it's time again to start a new thread. Are others having increasing photo posting problems? Diane

I'll start a NEW Spring thread today..Then in 5 days I'll start the new Summer thread...

NEW SPRING THREAD:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5722931/spring-is-here-seasonal-thread-part-8

Lisa, I'm so happy that your ALMD is prospering. It's obviously much happier at your house! I wonder if SdlM likes my hotter temps and poor soil. I can't imagine any rose not loving clay soil over decomposed granite, but you have to wonder. I love reading about the kitty antics at your house.

Diane, judging by your wonderful photos it's difficult to believe that after the spring flush it's a bit of a struggle for you. Your pictures are always an inspiration. The kitty on the bicycle is the cutest thing ever!

erasmus, your Ballerina is a vision of loveliness. I've honestly never been tempted to grow her until now!

Jim, I always love seeing your sweet fur babies. What would we be without them?

I wish I could comment extensively on all your posts but this stupid fatigue always takes over. Please know that I treasure each and every comment and wonderful photo.

I really appreciate the photos, Ingrid, Diane and Lisa among many talented gardeners. It is such a pleasure that you share your beauty with others.

Well we'll have to accept the fact it's going to be a crappy summer. The roses here too are just barely starting to peak.

The mini is full of flowers ready to open.

Gold Medal, JFK, Proud land. Planted a knock out in ground outside as well as Golden showers in the GH.

Nice pics Matt...Come join us at the new Spring thread...Thanks

Started a NEW SPRING THREAD: Click below:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5722931/spring-is-here-seasonal-thread-part-8