My very last rose to bloom this spring was my new rose Pomponella. There it was loaded with buds, and I waited and waited and waited. Don't know if it is normally a slow starter, but it was about driving me crazy waiting for it to do something!

And then it finally did something--isn't it cute!
{{gwi:313600}}

Lovely JFK, sara-ann!

Kate

Kate - Yes, it is very cute! Thanks

Sara-Ann, you JFK is gorgeous! I had it for several years and would have died and gone to heaven to get such a lovely bloom. It hated my humidity and although it gave me those beautiful long buds they rare ever opened!

Kate, I love it! I really do need to put this one on my must have list!

Pretty, Sara Ann. Isn't he a stately rose? If you want to perk him up, plant a Marilyn Monroe next to him.

Gorgeous, both!

Seil - That's a real compliment coming from you. Your roses are gorgeous! Susan, sounds like a good idea! Thanks racin_rose. Would love to see some more pics of everyone's roses. I never tire of seeing others beautiful blooms!

Greetings,
I have a JFK in its second year in my garden and he is trying to bloom. He is a healthy plant. Wow, do I think it hates me. He has dedicated drip line. Good soil. Afternoon sun. But I think I am doing something wrong. Each bloom looks brown around the edges? Like browning?
If you have ideas...would be lovely!!

I'm not sure. I have always hesitated growing white roses or really light pinks, etc. because they do have a tendency to look brown around the edges, but I do love them, thought I would take a chance with JFK. We had a fairly rainy spring before he bloomed, took him forever! It's been dry now for about a month, with the exception of today, we did get some rain. Truthfully, I don't think it's anything I've done or not done, it's the weather. I planted some Belinda's Dream roses and was a little disappointed with them in the beginning, because they balled up, but now the blooms are really pretty. My answer may not be helpful, but it does seem like the weather plays a major role in how a rose looks.

Brown edges can be an insect, thrips, or a fungal disease, botrytis. Typically thrips.

I'm with seil, if my JFK had looked as good as Sara-Ann's, I would have kept it!

Didn't even think of such an ugly thing as a disease or insect, I need to get real, I guess! I appreciate the nice comments on my JFK, just hope they keep blooming like that, time will tell.

My JFK's second flush. Seems to be slow to repeat, to me. The bush does look healthy and it has quite a few blooms . Some of the individual blooms are lovely, like this one, but certainly not all of them. It is an attractive bush though.

Congrats! I have a JFK and he's a real showstopper. In his 5th year, 8 feet tall, gives me huge blooms. I had real problems with aphid infestations on him the first couple of years, but got ladybugs two years in a row, and that seems to have fixed it up. Enjoy yours!

Thanks Holly - Glad to know yours is doing so good. I haven't grown very many white roses, but I think they are lovely. Plan to try Pope John Paul II next year. Would love to see a picture of your JFK if you have one.

Sara-Ann-

JFK is lovely here. I'm glad you got it to grow---I am in the same zone as you and wasn't sure if it would grow well here. Maybe I'll order one next year!

I've been waiting patiently for Love to bloom this summer and finally she opened up this weekend!

Vampygirl - I just LOVE your picture of LOVE! I planted a couple in containers this year, not much happening yet, they're own-root. I had one years ago and absolutely loved it. It would be loaded with blooms about this time of year. It's a good rose.

Photo! These are JFK's I cut two days ago and this morning, with a Harry Wheatcroft or two thrown in. There are about half a dozen buds left on the bush, so I'll get some more goodies early next week.

Couldn't resist one more. This is from mid-August; all the whites are JFKs. The stripeys are (left to right) George Burns, Hypnotize, and Scentimental. This was honestly my favorite bouquet all year.

Nice bouquet Holly, thank you for sharing!

Holly, they're both lovely. The stripes are nice. Thinking about trying a couple myself next spring.