Are they thin little caterpillar-like things? If so, probably rose slugs (sawfly larvae). My Mayflower and and few other roses have this problem too. When you see them, just pluck them off and toss in the grass. Don't worry--predators will come along and get them in a couple weeks. Just keep plucking until then.

Yes, I have problems with the buds browning on Mayflower also. Sometimes I think it is thrips (although I never see them) and spray each bud/bloom directly with the Bayer insecticide. Other times I think it is some kind of fungus or whatever it is that makes blooms "ball" and I give the bush a quick once-over when I am spraying Bayer Garden Disease Control on my other plants. It always seems to perk up after either treatment, so I'm still not sure what the problem is. (No blackspot problems, however, at all.)

What I've taken to doing is manually (and carefully) pulling back the outer petals until I don't see any more brownish color. Then the bud usually opens on its own the rest of the way. This is my Mayflower's third year (but transplanted once during that time)--I'm hoping it gets better with a bit more maturity? Maybe?

I really like this bush, so hope I can figure out exactly what the problem is. I should probably add that this has been an excessively wet spring this year--hasn't helped the situation with Mayflower at all.

Kate

Thanks for the suggestions, Kate. I may try using Bayer. You said it was the Garden Disease Control that you use?

Thanks again, Jeanie

I think if the blooms opened more consistently, The Mayflower would be a perfect shrub. The cause is a mystery, but humidity could be it.

OH my God, I have the same problem with mine. Exactly. Mine is second year here. It has LOADS of blooms, but the blooms look somewhat brownish and stunted--like they're drying up and won't open. The leaves seem to be very healthy here too.

I don't think it's bugs here in my garden (don't see any)but, I'm not entirely certain. I've been wrong before but, I think it might be the Mayflower as I don't have this problem with any of my other Roses. Half of the first flush looks as described but, I'm hopeing the second half of all the buds still not open will come through. I'll be watching closely the next couple days. Any other thoughts out there?

hoovorff,
I was referring to two different Bayer products.

When I think the problem is thrips, I spray each bud/bloom with the Bayer insecticide (in a spray bottle). It is just insecticide--nothing else. (Thrips are miniscule--very hard to see. Usually you see the damage instead--brown edges on the blooms.)

When I think the problem is some kind of disease, I use Bayer Advanced Garden Disease Control for Roses, Flowers, and Shrubs--it is just a fungicide, but has to be mixed with water in a hand-pump sprayer. It is what I use elsewhere in the garden for blackspot control, but it supposedly also works against other kinds of disease problems also. I have never sprayed it thoroughly on Mayflower--just kind of a quick once-over.

Careful with the Bayer names--they have a number of combo types also. I am not talking about any of the combo types.

But what really makes the difference is gently pulling back the outer petals. I don't like to spray, so I spend more time pulling back petals than I do anything else. My Mayflower was gorgeous a few days ago, covered in blooms--most of which I hand-manipulated. But we have had non-stop rain--everything is drooping now. Wish I had taken a picture three days ago.

Harry, I'm glad to hear you have those problems also. I know you like this rose. I've wondered once or twice how come you didn't have this problem. But now I know you do--so it isn't just my rose.

Sorry--don't mean "I'm glad" you have the problem. Just that I'm glad to find out it isn't just my rose having problems.

Hmmmm--I better sign off. Got a foot-in-mouth problem. LOL

Kate

Thanks for the responses. I'm going to try gently pulling back the outer petals and see what happens. I put these two Mayflowers right by my front porch, thinking they would be some lovely, healthy shrubs as a nice greeting to the house. Now I wish I'd put one of the other Austins there instead. Oh well, live and learn.

Anyone have some pictures of some Mayflowers that did open, to give us all some hope?

Thanks, Jeanie

And from a Mayflower I saw today, not in my garden but in yet another area that had the hard Easter freeze, I'd really appreciate seeing what Mayflower buds with sepals down look like on a healthy bush.
The one I saw is one of the sicker puppies I've seen this spring.

I e-mailed David Austin Roses in Texas about my Mayflower problem. They claim not to have heard of it in the US. They say the rose usually does very well here. The representative said the brown blooms were probably the result of "too much much and extreme temperatures." She advised that I cut off the brown blooms so the bushes can work on their second flowering. I guess I'll give it a try.

I'd still like to see a picture of a healthy Mayflower from this year in the US.

Thanks, Jeanie

If you can wait until its second flush, maybe I can get you a pic of Mayflower in bloom. It was just completing its first flush last week (quite showy) when we had days and days of rain. Not much to look at for the moment.

Kate

My Mayflower has buds on it, should bloom soon. I'll be watching it to see if it blooms normally....

Here are a few pix of my Mayflower. Lots of blooms now and I'm not really seeing any bud problems though I had some of that last year..

{{gwi:278705}}

{{gwi:278706}}

Those are beatiful roses! Thanks much for posting them. It gives me hope, especially since you said your Mayflower had a similar problem last year. Maybe it just takes time (and better weather than this year!).

Thanks again, Jeanie