After irrigating 5-6 days out of 7 throughout July and August, all my roses have survived well. All the foliage is green, but the only rose that has bloomed consistently all summer (other than a few that have crispy brown blooms) has been Sally Holmes. She�s been rampant which may be because she has only indirect sun for most of the day. It�s time to cut back each of my 40+ roses a little and fertilize them and get them stimulated and prepped for a good fall show. I listed my roses when I first said hello to you all on August 12, but here they are again if you�re interested:

American Beauty (hybrid perpetual): newly planted in spring � happy and heading for 6ft.

Archduke Charles: looking somewhat dry but both are hanging in there

Belinda's Dream: newly planted in spring and has yet to take off

Betty Prior: had this one for many years, her trunk is bigger than my arm (parent of Else Poulsen)

Cramoisi Superieur: 2nd year and still not growing aggressively

Don Juan: had to SP these but I�ll get more � they do dress up my front yard trellis

Duchesse de Brabant: happy (gets some shade during the day)

Ducher: happy

Else Poulsen: happy but not leaping

Frances Dubreuil (Barcelona): one looks good, one not so good

Lady Banksiae white: alive and green but not putting out any summer growth

Lamarque: still don�t have any height on this one in its third year

Louis Philippe: happy but not leaping

Madame Isaac Perrier: leaping for joy

Maggie: alive but not rejoicing � she�s new this year but I have high hopes for her since she loves Texas

Marie Daly: all these are as happy as they can be after 60+ days between 100 and 110.

Marie Pavie: (same as her sisters)

Mevrow Nathalie Nypels: still a scrawny little thing but I have hopes

Mrs. B.R. Cant: hasn�t made a move all July and August, but I think she�s about to surprise me

Mrs. Dudley Cross: happy (gets some shade during the day)

Mrs. Joseph Schwartz: happy (gets some shade during the day)

Pretty Jessica: green but not glad about it

Radio Times: big and happy

Sally Holmes: happy, huge, and getting huger � so to speak

Sharifa Asma: both somewhat happy (I don�t care for their limp, droopy leaves)

SDLM: happy and biding her time until fall

Stephen F. Austin (BTW not a David Austin rose, but rather named for a Texas hero): new and not much growth yet - mother is Carefree Beauty and father Graham Thomas.

Tiffany: tall and happy (hybrid tea parent of Belinda�s Dream)

Titanic: happy (love these pretty shiny leaves)

Tranquility: still a scrawny little thing � I think she�s still upset over last winter

Zephirine Drouhin: happy � maybe she�ll give me a few fall blooms

My dead plants include an azalea, 3 fatsia japonicas, 8 mandevillas, 3 Burford hollies, and a peony. The alocasias (upright elephant ears) are more green than brown as are the cannas. The clematis, bananas, and holly ferns are more brown than green, and most of the miscanthus are already tan. The liriope that are planted in an area with heavy caliche are dead, but the others are fine. My cosmos look like fuzzy brown sticks � time to pull them up.

The pink/green leafed oxalis are completely dormant (they will reappear soon), but the lavender/purple leafed oxalis are visible and struggling. The daylily and iris are alive but not pretty (some iris have contracted root rot). The hyacinth bean vines (both pink and lavender flowered) have been blooming for a couple of weeks, and the red spider lilies (lycoris radiata) are just starting � no sign of the whites yet. And no sign yet of the Oxblood Lily (Rhodophiala bifida) that I love. It�s usually blooming by the time school starts in the fall.

The only plants that have bloomed constantly this summer (other than Sally Holmes) are my altheas (grown as small trees), my desert willow trees (chilopsis linearis), crape myrtles (trees), tradescantia, and ruellia � I�m growing the dwarf lavender (Katie) and dwarf pink and tall white. The salvia greggii and the salvia microphylla Hot Lips have bloomed well, but over all are looking dry and gangly. Time to cut back for a good fall show. Last week the Pink Lemonade honeysuckle gave up and stopped blooming. The asparagus ferns (Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri')and the pennisetum Bunny Tails that I use for filler in the beds are green and happy. Also happy are my chinese pistache and red bud trees as well as the Texas Mt Laurel (sophora secundiflora). Of course, my Powis Castle artemesia is happy in Texas as is the catmint (nepeta fassinnii) but needs its July cutback � late this year because of the extreme heat.

Other plants that are fair to middlin� are the hibiscus (one big bloom right now), spirea Anthony Waterer, viburnum Spring Bouquet, perovskia, lambs ear, and many different hollies. I�m very happy with the Bordeaux yaupon hollies (ilex vomitoria Condeaux) that border the front yard next to the street. There are about 25 of them and all look great. They�ve been dependable little plants that allow the passers-by to peek over them at the roses and cannas and alocasia.

BTW, the plants that caused the most ringing of my doorbell by the passers-by were the silk flowers (abelmoschus moschatus Mischief) I planted from seed. The flowers looked like small coral-pink hibiscus and the plants grew pods like okra. I�d give anything for more seed (a couple of years ago my saved seed mildewed.) but haven�t come across any � the place where I got my first silk flower plant has closed � so sad � they offered hundreds of roses from the ARE and Chambleys.

I�m sure this post is way too long � I guess it�s either feast or famine with me, but I hope some of my information is of help or interest to you. I do so enjoy hearing your garden reports (Ingrid got me going with her roses summer heat post). And another BTW before I finish: our hundred degree days are finished for this year. YES! Lou