Vap, I have only seen one teensy bud and it is on Desdamona

Ben, how much do you add to the garbage can ? Do you just toss in the bottle ?

Kristine,

One thing I realized this year is a more shallow vessel if preferable to a garbarge can...a wheelbarrow for instance, so you can more easily get at the liquid. Yes, a whole bottle of fish and seaweed if we’re talking about 30gal or more no need to be precise. Just put it all in there, do a multi-feed, leaves more time for checking on your roses. 😂

Ben, I agree that the trash can is hard to access anything more than half way down .

Suzanne, congrats on your SI bloom! And I am a weirdo too—sometimes I’m holding a bloom and feeling the petals, or sniffing it, and my DH tells me he’s worried about me, lol! But they’re just such miraculous beauties I can’t help it! 😊

That's quite a garden you have there, Noseometer, lots of beautiful plants! We seem to have a lot of plants in common, including lilacs, which I see one of in the background. Mine are just coming into bloom.

I may get around again one day to experimenting with lilies. Our conditions don't suit most kinds; the culmination was an infestation of lily beetle, one of the most disgusting garden pests known to man. But I still have bulbs of L. henryi that have been hanging on for a decade or more, though now choked between a yew, 'Centifolia', and yellow emperor. I should invest in a few more of them.

BenT - beautiful ORA!!! I look as often in the summer as my back will permit...it gets sore bending over. But, I agree...nothing makes me happier!

Lynn - Wowza!!! Candice is my type of rose!! Soooo gorgeous!!

Suzanne - oh I love your SI!!!! I had one last year...and it didn't bloom at all...it was a terrible rose season for me. Just awful. It's so nice to see that if mine survived the garage die off from my daughter...it could look that beautiful!!! Happy sigh!

P & P - I know...we're all cuckoo for our roses!! It's hard to seem sane. My parents think I'm crazy.

Melissa - I know of what you speak. I don't grow lilies even though I love them!!! The lily beetles were too much for me, and I don't want to spray. They are disgusting!!

Fortunately, I have not seen lily beetle (knock on wood), but lilies do have their quirks. I just had to throw out a big pot of lilies because they had contracted a virus. But watching them grow from ground level to over-my-head high with huge fragrant flowers is such a joy. When I was at Villa d'Este many years ago, they had some really lovely lilies, so Melissa, you might be able to grow them too, if the beetles let you. I took this photo. Is it L. regale?

I wonder if you can grow L. candidum? I used to love that one when I lived in California, although the flowers are small.

It's a shame that true 'Black Dragon' does not exist any more. So I grow L. leucanthum. Here it is from last year.

Lilies are a bit of a challenge in my climate though. I have to grow the lilies in pots for them to be happy. Irises are much easier in my climate. The mini's are blooming now.

I don't have any roses blooming yet, just buds. So I'm checking on them all the time!

Every time I see someone's Scepter'd Isle or an Olivia Rose Austin, I walk around the garden wondering where I could put them. Sigh.

I'm checking mine two or three times a day. Lots of new growth and buds.

I have a question for Lynn-in-TX, if she's still checking this thread. I received Hume's Blush from Burling recently, and it's putting out lots of new growth, but no flowers yet. I was happy to see that you'd posted a picture of yours on this thread a few years ago. Do you still have it? Do you have any new pictures or info? I'm wondering how big it ultimately gets. Thanks!

Mine don't even have leaves yet and I'm checking them at least once a day, lol! Love all the beautiful flowers everyone! Thanks for sharing. They brighten my days!

Bellegallica-

Hume's Blush Tea was a rose I grew in my L.V. garden. I was really impressed with HBT in L.V., and have contemplated purchasing it for TX. At this point, I do not know about its disease resistance, so it remains on my list. My plants were purchased from Burling too... I had only grown mine for 2 years, from bands, and they were about 30" by about 24" wide. In terms of blooms, once it gets going, it has a pretty reliable repeat.

I go out two or three times a day— usually before my 2nd cup of coffee in the morning, and in late afternoon. Sometimes more, hardly ever less except for those rare instances of all-day rain (like yesterday).

Two minifloras, Hello Sumshine and Crystal Palace, have bloomed. The flowers are practically HT-sized. Also, the Lavender Veranda I got from Walmart last fall is on its second bloom. Rain hasn’t fazed them.

Rockwall Centennial, on the other hand, balls and rots in rain right away. Good thing this is a dry climate most of the year. That is the only flaw I’ve found in this Pioneer rose from ARE.

I also check on mine multiple times a day - I call it cruising the yard. I’ve been working from home & things have been really busy - in general I don’t mind, but I hate it when it interferes with my yard cruise!

Roseometer, of course conditions vary in this country. Here we have extremely dense heavy clay over sedimentary rock, with summer drought, and it doesn't suit most of those tall, scented, elegantly down-facing oriental types of lilies, the ones I adore. Your photos are beautiful. As I said, L. henryi, which my sister once described as "traffic cone orange", does grow, and is quite handsome, though scentless. L. candidum grows around here: I've seen it; it would just be a matter of trying to find a suitable site for it, getting some hopefully unvirused bulbs, and then praying that lily beetle doesn't make an appearance. We also have a local native lily, L. bulbiferum. But it's scentless, short, and, worst of all, upfacing, so I don't desire it. Well....perhaps for the woods.

All of this did just give me an idea.

BenT and Kristine: May I ask what you find special about Olivia? I bought several pink DAs this spring focusing on fragrance and rebloom. I passed Olivia simply because I did not know much about it. What do you love about this one?

Katya

Kristine can probably answer this better than me, as mine is new. But David Austin called Olivia perhaps his finest rose. It has a reputation for extraordinary disease resistance and flower power and a nice dense habit. I like the color and form. I can also vouch that it lasts longer than most Austins (my pet peeve about them), and is fragrant. So far she’s been great.

Cyndita,

My work-at-home shelter has been super busy too. Making a round in the garden is such a nice break from that, but yes, I have to keep monitoring that pesky company chat and email on my phone.

Noseo

Beautiful mini irises! I collect iris as well as roses, but I just have tall bearded. I started an ‘iris alley’ beyond my fence line, they are such tough and colorful plants. Like roses, so much hybridizing effort has gone into them, and lucky gardeners have get a great variety to collect.

Katya, I think that I love Olivia for a variety of reasons. She has the sweetest pink color, she blooms continuously, I have never had a bit of disease, she smells nice like baby powder and she doesn't get those annoying octopus arms.

She has thorns but not as bad as some. She is my favorite all round rose and if I could only have one rose it would be Olivia.

Can you tell that I really like her?

I'm out checking my roses more than I'd like to admit, I'm not at that step yet to give it a number. 🤣

Kristine your Olivia IS pretty. I kept writing her off for because I thought she was too pale, but this year I finally caved to all the DA hype around it. I planted her next to Desdemona, I'm hoping for a bloomapalooza between the two of them.

This was a great thread, reminding me to stop and see my roses! We’ve got so many outdoor projects going on, trying to make the most of the nice weather and our quarantined time, that I need to take breaks and enjoy what I’ve planted, lol! Love to hear about everyone’s gardens waking up. 😊

Oh, man, Kristine!!! Your Olivia Rose Austin is amazing!! I love the color and the shape of the blooms!!! I love the stuffed look too! Really well done!!!

Kristine, do Olivia's blooms fade in the sun? I plan to move my gorgeous, but BSy Eglantyne to another back of the border spot, and would like something in a similar colour, but with better health in this prominent spot. She's one whose attributes are hard to duplicate.

Vap , Olivia fades slightly but never to white or washed out pink

And summer here gets really hot.

Nick I have Olivia between Desdamona and Munsted and she plays nicely with them both

Thank's for the compliments

Kristine, your Olivia is gorgeous! No wonder she’s a favorite! Sounds wonderful!

One Sceptre was half way open this morning, fully opened bloom this afternoon! The stamens are so golden~

One of the most beautiful roses ever! What gorgeous pictures.

I am training Olivia to climb up one side of a tall arch. No blooms yet just tons of buds or I would send a picture. Climbing is not her preferred growth pattern so she balks a bit. Started last year with an existing bush getting too wide for my space. She is up to the top of arch and is just starting to think about going across. She gives blooms from base up which is great and does not white out in intense heat. She showed great promise last year and always seemed to be in full bloom, heat didn’t stop here. IMy only complaint is that her flowers are a bit smaller than I like.
I get so bored I even go out in rain with my umbrella and if I do not quit talking to the darn things they will lock me up, assuming old age got me at last.

Here is the first bloom on Celestial night. It is actually a bit darker than the picture. The bloom looks gynormous but it is about 3 inches

Suzanne - Lovely, lovely, lovely!!! I love the color and it looks wonderful against the light background! Bees must love it! I can't wait for mine to bloom!!

Austinkisses - funny!! But they'll lock us all up in the same place...so at least you'll have company. :)

Kristine - Mmmmm :)

Between my steadily increasing weakness and the ravages of the hungry furry critters, I don't feel inclined to venture outside nearly as much as I used to. I know I'll want to be outside much more often when more of the roses bloom and there's actually something pretty to look at. After all the rain, today was the first sunny day in quite some time and the temperature has gone from the fifties to the seventies, which means the roses will wake up from their naps and all those buds I've been seeing will burst into bloom. I can't decide which rose I'm most looking forward to, but Baronne Henriette de Snoy, Aloha, International Herald Tribune and Evelyn are top contenders. Some of the roses have had a few open blooms already, which look lovely in bouquets, but don't yet make much of a show on the bushes. All in good time!

Guys, your roses are so lovely. I have now started going out at least twice a day, but they are not blooming yet. However, most are very close to opening up, so I will be out there much more often. I have also been obsessively counting the buds lol! I did discover that many had aphids and these tiny green worms that were eating the leaves. Luckily, I caught everything relatively early and have sprayed them several times with HO and neem.

Alfalfa tea people, I use kitty litter containers that hold about 4 gallons and scale down the recipe to about 1 1/2 cups alfalfa tea/container, fill with water to about 1/2 - 1 inch from top, stir, and put lid on.

Ingrid, I hope you are hanging in there. Hugs. I was thinking the same: I don't know which rose I'm most looking forward to. Each and every one, actually. The new ones I'm eagerly looking forward to see what their blooms look like and eagerly awaiting their fragrance: Aloha, Ispahan, Desdemona, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Nahema, Scentuous. And I'm looking forward to seeing how the new Madame Isaac Pereire is going to do in the spot that I prepared for her by extensively digging and putting in a huge amount of compost. But I'm eagerly awaiting the performance of the older roses, some that I just put in the ground last fall after having them in pots: Radio Times, Dee-lish. Or the ones that I moved to a better exposure, with much more amendment to the soil: William Shakespeare 2000. And I'm eagerly looking forward to the return of the ones that I love also, to smell the fragrances of Abraham Darby, Bolero, Alnwick Castle, Bishop's Castle, Evelyn, Munstead Wood, Sonia Rykiel. The freezing temperatures from the last few days destroyed a lot of the new buds forming, but there should be at least some left to bloom.

Noseometer-

I have added and removed Scentuous from my cart at least three times. I will be looking forward to reading your critique of this rose...

Madame Isaac Pereire really does not like the heat. I thought mine was going to die in L.V., however, when I moved it to an area where it received about 5 hours of sun, shaded by about 2 p.m., it thrived. M.I.P. threw out 8-9' long canes and was a very happy, wonderfully fragrant rose bush. I could definitely see why some people choose to peg it's canes.

Everyone, your blooms are so beautiful!! The only things blooming in my area are the typical early spring daffodils and primroses but it's getting me more eager to see the rest.

Kristine those pictures of your Olivia make me so happy that i ordered her this year, just fantastic. I think I'm going to plant her in the bed with life of the party, Therese Bugnet and Roald dahl. I think their colors will play nice together.

DD, that will be gorgeous! I'm doing similar and planting my LofP between two Quietness. and near Star of the Republic.

Lynn, I think this will be the last time that I try to grow MIP. It will be my fourth time, I believe. There is no way to give her more pampering than what I'm giving her, so if she fails, out she goes. I've a lot of roses on my wish list to replace her. I think I received my Scentuous a month ago, and she still hasn't leafed out. Which turns out to be a good thing with this last freeze. But I'm impatient. I'll let you know how she does.

Life of the party will also be new to me this year with Olivia so i cant wait. I have already picked up LoP but still waiting for Olivia to arrive from DA.

Sounds good, Ingrid...save your energy for when it's most wanted. :)

Laura, just MHO...but I wouldn't spray for sawfly or aphids... there are way more benign ways of dealing with them...mainly squish. LOL

Noseometer - I'm looking forward to hearing your descriptions of the fragrances!

Lynn - wow!!! Now that's a gorgeous bloom!!! Wowza!

Ladybugs will get those aphids and much more - most private nurseries have them - I get aphids I add ladybugs and poof aphids gone... So easy

Reading this thread again made me want to see what's new with my roses. Not a whole lot, really, but it made me look with a more appreciative eye at what I do have.

Rhodologue Jules Gravereaux

Souvenir de la Malmaison

Mrs. B.R. Cant

Madame Lambard

Who needs any others with those beauties!!! Seriously!!! ;-))

Gorgeous ingrid !!! You have so many lovely blooms !! I always struggled seeing your photos before I lived in CA. I had never seen rocks / mountains or views like yours so it wasn’t easy for me to piece together how tranquil your garden was . Now that I’ve seen in person similar landscape, I can really “feel “ your garden and love it even more ! Does that make sense lol

I love that scepters isle photo!!! Can’t wait to see mine bloom . I got the tree form and that was a mistake. I’ll need a ladder for sure !

Also I am cringing at the climbing Olivia comments ( of course I adore the rose !! ) but mine is planted in a place where it needs to stay small and adorable . lol yikessssss

Thank you for the lovely comment, Jenna. I've been following your new garden enterprise in California with great interest. Your gorgeous garden back east showed how talented you are in garden design, and I look forward to seeing your garden here as it grows and develops. With two little ones it will be more of a challenge for a while, but Elijah is growing so rapidly it won't be too long before he's "helping" mom too!

Ingrid - your 2nd pic of RJG is sooo wonderful!!! And I love your B.R. Cant...especially the 2nd pic!! My oh my!!

Those are so beautiful, Ingrid! I especially like Mrs. B R Can and Madame Lambard.

Thank you so so much ingrid , that really encouraged my heart!! Here there is hardly design .. I’m on a 9,000 sq ft lot with rv parking (meaning lots of driveway!) and pool . My husband and I are battling over the last 40 ft of grass or so . Lol right now it’s a hoarders garden .. I can’t part with my top 100 favorites so I have so many pots !! I’ll make a thread in a day or so to share progress. In the meantime , take care of yourself! 💕💕

You have me rolling, Jenn!!! I think we can all relate to "I cant' part with my top 100 favorites!" comment. You'll soon join Carol as the Queen of potted roses, or at least be a Princess. ; -) Do you really need all that driveway? Whatever space you have, I know you'll make the most of it. Ingird, what Jenn says is so true. Your garden blends seamlessly with the landscape and really exudes a feeling of a calming oasis. One thing it's hard to capture in pics is relative humidity and heat, though. It's hard to imagine the searing temps looking at your garden as I'm sure it's hard to imagine the sweltering humidity in mine. It makes one's skin nice and plump, but I could do with just a tad less.

This thread really is a thank you to everyone for all the hard work and hopes for beautiful roses. They give so much for really so little care per rose. I'm pinching myself every day watching growth on plants of which I wondered if they would even survive last Fall when planting. It's quite thrilling and I'm happy to have everyone to share that feeling. Everything here is starting to go insane with buds. This is so advanced!!! It's great in one sense as I may get an extra flush if Fall cooperates, but there are a few projects I really wanted to do before the 1st flush to make things presentable. There's no way they'll be finished now... hopefully the roses will cover everything up and distract attention! : -D

I just lost my post with pictures, will try again but no energy to write. Love you all and stay safe.

Rhodologue Jules Gravereaux

Jesse Hildreth

Mrs. B. R. Cant

Not a rose but this youngster is also new this spring

Beautiful roses ingrid! Though I'm not a fan of that last fuzzy one 😂.

Squirrels are my arch nemesis, constantly nipping buds off my plants and always just before they're about to open. Then they just leave the chewed up scraps behind to laugh at me!

I cant bring myself to hurt them so im constantly yelling out the window and banging like a crazy person lol.

Lilyfinch - I hope you win the battle!!! More roses!

Vaporvac - thank you so much....but I don't deserve the title of Queen of potted roses...there are too many potted rose growers here who put my roses to shame. Maybe I'm the Queen of potted roses in zone 3 in my quadrant of the city. LOL

Ingrid....your first picture took my breath away! I'm going to need oxygen from gasping at everyone's pictures! LOL Awww...love the squirrel! He'd beat up any squirrel from here...ours are much smaller. :)

Dirt - I so agree with you about banging and yelling like a crazy person....dogs!!! (my own dogs, of course) stop pooping in my garden (perennial...not roses)....BAD DOG!!! BAD DOG!!! LOL