Jim, I don't think American Pillar would die from too little water. My garden has been in drought for the past two years. I have two large American Pillars. One is along a fence line and only gets rainwater. The other is in a potentially worse situation; it grows at the base of a mature walnut and up into that walnut about 35'. That walnut takes up available moisture. Last summer my place was in the exceptional drought catagory from July through October. Both American Pillars came through last summer with no cane loss. Verticillium wilt can kill roses quickly. If the rose appears not to have rotted in place (and that would bring in a whole lot of different saprophytic fungi), if I were you, I'd contact Cornell and ask if they could check for fungal or bacterial problems on both roots and stems.

I had a Rugelda that became a large shurb with all those wonderful flowers. Then it up and died for unknown reasons. I planted another one that is slowly growing. The early buds were eaten by deer. It is in a different spot but the same bed where several other roses are doing well. I'm wonderng if R is less than vigorous. And as with many roses was selected for the beauty of the flower and less attention to the toughness of the plant. Now as a fan of Kordes roses how can I say that!

Beautiful pics, gals! You sure have to appreciate those blooms in September, because you never know just long they'll last.....but let's hope for another month, at least, of this great weather.

Hansa has a few blooms now. I'll have to check on Blanc Double de Coubert, but she's in too much shade and probably isn't blooming yet. There are lots of buds on Therese Bugnet, but that's about it so far.