I'm Calling It: Peak Rose 2016

Above, 'The Endeavour'.  Below, 'Fourth of July'.  'Firefighter' is in the foreground.
'Firefighter'
 
'The Ambridge Rose' shot through the gate:
Putting the gate out of focus...
'The Ambridge Rose' with 'William Shakespeare 2000' in the background
I succumbed to the temptation of a new Austin, 'The Poet's Wife':
'Darcey Bussell':
'Lady Emma Hamilton'
'Jubilee Celebration'
'Brass Band'
'Darcey Bussell' again, with Salvias 'Wendy's Wishes' and 'Blue Hill'
'Moon Dance' with Salvia 'Amistad'
Sweetly, deliciously scented 'Windermere'
'Yves Piaget'
Below, this was once mostly a very scruffy lawn for old Hoover to pee on, in his unsteady and frail last years.  He worked magic on that soil!  Miss Hoover a lot, but don't miss the lawn.


'Snowbird' has become a stellar rose.
This is 'Munstead Wood's "leap" year.  The first few years I got flowers with just a few misshapen petals.  Now, this:
'Snowbird', again.  Also a slow starter, but now...
'Hercules', so you know it's California, (even though tree Aloes are from Africa).
I'm calling it:  Peak Rose 2016 is April 2nd. 

Comments

  1. You're putting the Huntington, the Arb, and Descanso to shame right now, you realize. The sheer variety you've amassed--though I do grieve for a few cultivars you've had to put to bed of late--and the health of these suckers; it's just very impressive to this non-enthusiast (I like looking at and smelling them and stealing their hips and such, but I know nothing about them. The species are easy enough, though, but better looking out of bloom.)

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    1. Thanks, Saurs. I grieve for most of the ones I pulled, but crown gall is fatal. Sigh. Roses are really out of fashion here these days, but you can't ignore a classic, and they are nowhere as water-greedy as turf. Here they are easy--else how could I manage?

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  2. Wow, your roses are looking fantastic! They are all so lovely that I can't pick a favorite. The David Austin roses seem to do particularly well for. I have 'Snowbird' as well, but it is still in a container and not being very impressive to be honest. Seeing yours make me want to plant it into the ground and give it a chance to develop its full potential. May I ask how long it took your 'Snowbird' to really get going?
    Thanks for sharing the peak of the rose flush on your blog it brought me a lot of joy!
    By the way, here in my garden in San Diego, I am probably a week away from the peak of the rose flush in my garden.
    Warm regards,
    Christina

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    1. The Austins do well here, though I've discarded quite a few for less than stellar performance and kept the rest.

      I thought I got 'Snowbird' long ago, but apparently it was only 2013, and planted in the ground in 2014, not long at all. So probably four years from cutting to how it is today. It really did nothing until I got it into the ground. It is in sun from sunrise to sunset.

      Happy spring!

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  3. Good call Hoov ! They all look splendid..

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  4. Lovely! They are all beautiful, and as you said, still use less water than a lawn. The smell must be amazing. Your garden makes me want to visit the Huntington...

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    1. Thanks, Renee. The Huntington Rose garden does sound like a good idea...last we were there, every rose was just about to open.

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  5. I'm running out of superlatives.. just marvellous. Surely even David Austin himself would struggle to beat that show.

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    1. Thank you so much, Rusty! I would love to get pruning lessons from the DA crew--they do a fantastic job.

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  6. Oh My, these photos are wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing them.

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  7. Amazingly, absolutely and totally 'scrumptious!

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  8. You could almost make a rose lover of me.

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  9. Your roses always amaze me. Is there much behind-the-scenes effort that you're not posting about, because they look so "perfect", with no signs of rose slugs, black spot, etc. (I won't mention deer chomp).

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    1. Rose slugs, an influx of preying Mantis keeps them under excellent control. Black spot, it's too darn arid. Deer--don't have 'um.

      The drought actually did good--I took out forty some roses, so the rest get fussed over that much more. Helped, I think.

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  10. Oh, and that 'hercules' has grown so fast. How tall is it now?

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    1. 11'-12', maybe? It's branched into 4, still no flowers.

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  11. Like Jessica, I think I'm out of superlatives when it comes to your roses. Gorgeous, fabulous, spectacular - none of these is sufficient. I guess I'll have to channel Mary Poppins and say: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

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    1. Happy you enjoyed the pics, and I'm impressed with your spelling skills!

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  12. Fantasticas fotos y unas rosas espectaculares. Iré conociendo más su blog. Saludos desde Plantukis

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    1. Estoy feliz de que hayan gustado las fotos. ¡Gracias por visitar mi blog!

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  13. Incredibly inspiring…and thanks so much for sharing your love of roses with the rest of us. I too have Firefighter but here in No. Cal. I still have only a plethora of buds on HUGE, long, sturdy stalk…I think I am seeing the benefit of the rain after the long drought --last year he was only half this size with a few sparse flowers. My Cary Grant has put out 4 huge roses--without the deformities he had last year…I do see ALL the flora up here is growing in leaps and bounds due to our luscious rainfall this winter. Finally…my Mr Lincoln has put out his first bloom…deep dark dark dark red. Yeah rain!

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    1. 'Firefighter' is a slow starter, but once he gets going he doesn't quit.

      So happy NorCal got good winter rain--it makes such a difference to the garden. Congrats and enjoy!

      Unfortunately SoCal didn't fare so well, but maybe next year...

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  14. This might be the "spring" of springs!

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  15. Your roses are beautiful and look so happy now! I know mine will droop and have dry edges in a month or so. Maybe sooner with the 80s+ this week. So...are you available for a consult to tell me what roses I've inherited with this house? ;)

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    1. Sure. Post pics to your blog. Darn heat wave. At least its supposed to be a short one.

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  16. Your Brass Band never ceases to fill me with envy and lust. I got mine from Peachykean, who was pulling it out, and this is its first good year. I hope mine looks as good as yours some day.

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    1. Mine was a poor performer for the first several years: a handful of flowers in spring and then--nothing. It was worth the wait! I hope yours becomes as excellent as mine has been.

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  17. I'm so out of sync with roses that I no longer know the latest Austins or get the historical references in the Austin rose names -- tho I do know Emma Hamilton was mistress of Admiral Nelson of Trafalgar fame. But none of that is important, is it, with the kind of rose explosion you've got going. 'The Endeavour' has that nodding tea thing going -- I think that's my fave.

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    1. 'The Poet's Wife'--I'm still trying to figure out the reference for that one. There's a recent book by that title, but Austin doesn't use recent book titles...or does he? Seems like it's more Hardy or Wordsworth...?

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  18. Dear Hoover, I needed to see something beautiful and here I have found your beautiful roses.
    Thank you for your thoughtful words, they were comforting.
    xoxoxo ♡

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    1. The beauty of plants and their flowers has always been a great comfort to me in dark times. I hope they give you some peace and serenity...

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  19. Thank you, they certainly did.
    xoxoxo ♡

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  20. An amazing display - I bet your garden smells fantastic! I like the fried egg look of the new Austin rose. :)

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    1. Thanks! There is a good fragrance, yes. It adds to the delight.

      Hmm, you are right, it does look like a fried egg, but in a good way.

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  21. Absolutely gorgeous. Your hard work is rewarded.

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    1. Yes it is. Gardening will do that, even if the rest of life is not so amenable.

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