You deserve this abundance of bloom after all the trials in the spring! I am so happy for you but I wouldn't recommend pruning in May next year :-). I posted comments on the photo's you put on the gallery about the number of blooms in your garden. It looks amazing!

Carolina

What a lovely lesson! I'm fascinated that roses have such a strong reputation for being difficult, and some are, but they are also highly adaptable. My neighbor stopped in to see my plants for ideas to garden her land, and it was so helpful to see mine through her virgin eyes. I focus on what I'm pruning and smelling, but with her, I saw how well roses respond to my absesive/compulsive care. I heard my self telling her several times, "that's not the correct way, but a good example how strong and forgiving roses truely can be".
I don't get how you managed to continue in that heat, I was starting early am but defeated by noon. My favorite is working late at night, quiet, the bugs are sleeping, Hubby is sleeping, and I can really enjoy peace.
You are on my mind constantly, the fires all around you and the wildlife, water and air must be so painful to witness.
Your Reward is Far Beyond Well Deserved!
Best wishes to you Pam

They are merely showing you how much they love you. They love you a lot!

Your reward is also your punishment--now get out there and start deadheading! ;^)

I rejoice that midge isn't the problem. I worry that cane borers are and I hope you'll continue to share your battle with them.
And blooms are always good, especially when not expected.

You deserve your reward-----I remember one year when you had to drag water over hill and dale for your roses.

such devotion sure deserves the reward----

I'm a fair weather gardener----when it is hot and humid and the bugs are biting me I just stay in the house---LOL

Hope your air quality is better.

Florence

Thanks for all the kind commnets and encouragement everyone. I had to laugh at Hoovb though. Now I have to dead-head. It never ends does it?

How lovely to come home to a big burst of bloom, no matter what the cause. Welcome home, traveler. Your garden missed you!

Rosefolly

I am so glad to hear that your garden has rewarded you with well deserved blooms and that Midge was truely not your problem. My garden finally popped as well and I am out there every day--watering now..can you believe after such a spring? I certainly want to hear about how it goes with the borer because if you have it now can we be far behind?

patricia

I think the borer has been around for years but was not a real problem until this spring. My thought is that the odd weather created perfect conditions for it. Another thought though is that I read it has a two year cycle. I am hoping that careful pruning will help.

Pamela, the creature I found in David's roses was Raspberry Stem Sawfly. If that's what you have, it has at least one generation per year, and possibly two. The crucial thing is to cut low enough that you remove it.

I've had way too much practice with this guy. The larva starts by circling the stem just below the epidermis and as it matures moves to the center of the cane, heading straight down. Each adult seems to lay about 8 eggs - about six on the host plant and another couple nearby. It eventually turns into an infestation if not stopped.

If this is your creature, keep cutting til you know you've got him. Manual control does work, but it takes perseverance.

Regina

I think you are right about that Regina. I have been very careful and I think I'm ahead of them.
What did you do with your prunings? I thought perhaps I could make a pile that we would burn when burn season came back.

Hi Pam, hope you are coping in the nightmare of all these fires. Heard a fighter was lost in your area......
What has been done in your area for protection? Are there fire brakes around you? We do still have fog down here but the news is reporting a high beginning to build and 100+ tempratures returning next week.
Do you have pictures of this cane borer? I have found darkened sides in canes as I'm pruning, is that what you can see? I'll return to cut the canes down further until it is all healthy. Is that what you did? Does the cane appear normal from the outside?

I would be interested to know if these will die by freezing the cut canes for a day or two...since you cannot burn.

I know it works for cupboard moths and grain weevils.

Bodica, I don't have any photos of the cane borer(or is it saw fly?)Try googling but there's not alot of info. You are supposed to see 2 tiny vampire like punctures in the cane where the adult laid eggs. The the stem turns black as the borer burrows down. On some canes it appeared to attack emerging leaf buds and then a dark spot appeared at that site. The first thing you see is a wilted stem tip. If you can catch it at that point you're ahead of the game. You need to cut down until you can't see a hole in the cane. I read they burrow in the first year and winter over then go all the way down the cane to destroy it and then emerge the next spring. If it is saw fly rather than cane borer I think this is different as Regina said. I'm actually rather unclear about this. I'm just cutting off everything that is black or wilted. If I get a chance soon I'll take a picture of the damage. It's mostly cut off now.
I think the fires are getting better here. The smoke certainly is. We are lucky to be pretty far from the danger zone. I can't believe how hard the fire fighters have been working. I'm sorry to hear that we lost one.
Thonotorose, I don't know about the freezing. If they overwinter it seems they could stand some freezing and survive. Also for me it is impractical. My garden is quite huge with many roses.