Five years into learning about roses, it is finally
here. It's a rose garden! Even though I've neglected
weeding, pruned in a dash, and have not fed them
at all. (I have sprayed every ten days with
Orthenex.)

My Raleigh NC yards are seeing the benefits of
hanging in there with roses, even though most
are the hybrid teas and floribundas folks say
are fussiest.

The Stars:

Own-root Jude the Obscure, a gorgeous upright
rounded shape, has some fifty blooms and buds.

Don Juan has hundreds, the benefit of light
pruning for four years. Sombrueil took off
and overcame DJ, although it is a year younger.
It has hundreds of bloom, is 12 feet up in the holly.

Young own-root Austins Pat Austin (my GOD those
coppery-orange blooms!!) Golden Celebration, Abraham Darby,
Molineux, Radio Times with its raspberry scent, all so
lovely, growing like climbers in their second year.

Major surprise of the season: a Tiffany bag rose planted
two years ago has taken off. This rose has the perfect
petal substance--thick but not too, lots of petals,
that fine high-centered ht shape. If you leave it on
the bush it opens fuller and prettier.