The Latest Rose News

Graham Thomas is making a valiant effort to live. Daily I'm observing improvements. The more I see yellow roses online and in catalogs, the more enchanting they become and the more I want to see Graham bloom. I'll be getting other yellow roses for sure next year, including a couple Graham Thomases just to cheer this one up.















Alas, Jude the Obscure is still looking scared and squeamish with arms up in air. I can almost hear its quavering voice go ooooOOOOOoooo.
I'm super sad about the Jude because I was really looking forward to the fragrance. In fact, it was the rose I most wanted to smell. sigh. I'm going to get two more Jude the Obscures next year and give them a proper planting.









Hello down there, you little Blush Noisette! Looking down from the deck, there are more blossoms visible on the Blush Noisette. Which means the deer hasn't been back! Yay! That's soooo encouraging.













The deer haven't messed with the Fair Biancas in the front yard either.













The most surprising Rose News of the day was learning what a "moss rose" was. I can't find any evidence that the Scepter'd Isle is a moss rose but it does have some of the piney-scented, glandular growth on the buds and stems that is characteristic of moss roses. I even commented on that spiky growth in an earlier blog entry, thinking the aphids put it there or it was a disease. And then I tried to figure out how to brush it all off. Duh!!! That spiky stuff is simply a normal part of a moss rose. How many more roses am I going to destroy because of my ignorance?




The most exciting Rose News of the day is seeing hints of two new blooms. Zepherine Drouhin on the side of the house has some deep pink buds. They look like they'll bloom tomorrow or Thursday if it doesn't rain like forecasted. We bought the trellis for the Zeph but haven't put it up yet. So the 3' high main shoots are bending way over, almost touching the ground and there is new growth coming up along the main branches too. I don't know what will happen when we tie up the branches. All the leaves will be facing away from the sun.










And last but not least, James Galway up by the road has the most luscious buds I've ever seen. No doubt all the layers of ruffly petals are just bursting to show and I can't wait to see them! If I was a deer, these plump buds would look irresistible.
... um ...
surely not...
gasp...
please tell me I'm not starting to think like a deer.