This year I committed to really taking care of my roses. I weeded, watered well, added compost, added organic fertilizer regularly and monitored pests. It’s been a good year for roses. The first flush of blooms was in June and it was glorious. I felt like my friends who had been away all winter had returned for a summer party. I enjoyed their colors the whole month. After this first bloom I dead-headed and cut back a bit and there was sporadic bloom here and there during July. Now it’s August and almost everyone is back in bloom again and looking spectacular. Pest pressure is low and the roses seem to be responding to the good conditions. Zephirine Drouhin is the most fragrant, but always troubled with Black Spot. Pope John Paul II has a beautiful sweet fragrance as well, but it has a thrips problem, I have to work on. I love the way Julia come out deep yellow and turns a light buttery yellow with age. I’m dazzled at all the sunset colors in Chicago Peace, each blossom is just a bit different. The down-side is there are rarely many flowers, I’m hoping with age that will improve. Lady of Shallot is new for me and it’s a stunner! Those perfectly formed flowers and apricot-orange are a great combo. Easy Does It….do you see all those blooms? It’s covered in flowers, like a cake with a soft ruffled orange icing, overflowing in petals. There are more flowers than the sands of the sea, it’s gorgeous! I’m so happy to have all these friends in my garden, they make the world a better place.
Rainyleaf 