From Rain To Heat - Part I

The recent vagaries of our spring weather made me wonder why I grow roses at all. In one week the temperatures went from 57 and rain to 90. Many of my first rose blooms balled and rotted in the rain, and most of those that opened later fried in the heat :(. There won't be many glamour shots of my spring garden this year....

Only a few roses stood their ground, and Dame Edith Helen is one of them. The huge petal-packed blooms take my breath away (but not before I inhale their wonderful fragrance), and I have not seen a badly shaped bloom yet. It is not particularly shy of bloom either. Mine is own root in a big pot.


Souvenir de la Malmaison balled every spring for me, but not this year. Could it be that it outgrew its awkward teenage years? I don't know, we'll see what next year brings.

Regensberg is pretty much perfect all the time, and it is the reason why I have three of them in my small garden.

The blooms on Francis Dubreuil/Barcelona were ruined by both rain and heat. Oh well, a few did manage to open in between, and the fragrance was amazing.

Marechal Niel has perfect foliage year round. The outer petals on the buds do show rain damage, but not really badly. The first blooms are opening well and they seem to last a few days in the heat.

Mrs. Wakefield Christie-Miller is a charming little rose. Mine is in a bit of filtered shade, and looks perfect. The blooms do not last a long time, but they show no rain damage at all, and the foliage is good too.

I can find no fault with Secret Garden Musk Climber. Despite the fragile look of its flowers they hold up well to the weather, are incredibly fragrant, and last a fair time in a vase too.




This one is Nancy Lee, which may also be 'Huntington Pink Tea'. I have been meaning to throw it out for three years now, and somehow it is still here. It mildews badly all the time, and I have yet to see a fully open bloom. The buds have a zillion paper thin petals and feel really heavy. I keep thinking that if they ever open, they might look exquisite, but so far they are all in my imagination.

Sunsprite, in all day filtered shade, looks pretty good. I can't say I love its neon yellow color, but there is a lot to say for clean leaves and a strong fragrance.

Mme Caroline Testout balled and mildewed.... This year, the rains happened right when most of the buds were opening, and that took care of most of its spring flush.

Lyda Rose at least had the sense to wait out the rains. It is only just beginning to bloom. I love its simple beauty.

Here is Crown Princess Margareta looking dreamily over the fence. It is a very good rose for me, with clean foliage and consistently good blooms. I can't detect any fragrance from them.

Zéphirine Drouhin is not known for great disease resistance, but I can say, with gratitude, that most of what the weather throws at it shows up in the foliage, not in the blooms. The blooms don't last long, but they don't ball or fry for me, so I put up with imperfect foliage (it mildews most of the time).

Even though its blooms are delicate and have almost see-through petals, Lady Hilligdon gives a wonderful display of color. However fast the petals fall from old blooms, new ones are always coming.

Most of my perennials were much less bothered by the changing weather. I think I need more of them in my garden :).