That is very exciting Beth. I never realized that people would sell roses like that. I hope you get some rare roses! Please keep us informed.

Nice blooms jjpeace. So many! Great rescue, Beth. I'll look forward to your updates. Jim, your Miracle on the Hudson is settling in nicely.

Well, the antitranspirant I purchased (Cloud Cover) will be put to the test with triple digit heat this weekend and 108 degrees Fahrenheit expected on Monday. Usually those temps severely stress roses that are planted in a brick planter in the southwestern portion of my garden. My Tequila Supreme gets toasted. I hope the "Cloud Cover" will help.

108! yeeeeeeeee Bonnie! Hopefully the antitranspirant works!

Our own root Miracle on the Hudson rose bush that I was given is small but it has a very nice root system so it should grow fairly quickly....:)

Beautiful pictures everyone. Do you realize we are over 1000 posts? Whoopee!

June 20th will be the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere (summer solstice) and the shortest day in the southern hemisphere. Perhaps that would be a good time to start a summer thread. Boy did the time fly.

Jasmine - 108!!!!!! Crap that's hot!!!! I get hot when it's 80.

Carol

June 20th sounds good Bonnie!

Here is a couple of those hanging baskets we got cheap awhile back:

They look great, Jim (wonderful deal you got on those). And everything else growing in the background looks great, too. Do your grandkids (swing noted) like the roses?

Jim, how would you like to be nominated to start the summer thread? You are always so friendly and positive about gardening, love kitties (that's a plus), and best of all, you've got that wonderful weird sense of humor. Can your friends, the scythe guy, the hand, and all the bog people join us...oh, and my favorite, the scary tree. I miss those guys! Diane

Bonnie, I hope you make it through those triple digits this weekend, along with the roses (it's going to be hot here, too, but not quite as bad as your heat). Have you ever tried shading any of your plants, maybe using shade cloth, sheets, or even umbrellas...just anything that can shield the plants from the sun. I have been tempted to do that so many times. Diane

BethC, maybe all those pots of mystery roses you just got are some kind of nice cosmic karma as payback for having to endure the awful rains that wrecked your roses?? Those pots might turn out to hold the best roses you've ever grown--hope they do. Diane

I'll start a summer thread on June 20th Nanadoll but what should I call the summer thread? Bog days of summer? he he

No seriously what's a good title?

Great Jim...pressed into service! I like Bog days, though some people that are strangers to our crazy threads may be puzzled by bog days. But I do like Bog Days...sort of a play on Dog Days. You are now our leader...so you decide. Others can certainly suggest titles, but you're the decider (sorry). We have three days...the pressure is on. Diane

Yes please everyone suggest a title for our new summer thread...We don't need any puzzled looks from newbies....lol

Days of Wine and Roses??

:)

Carol

Good one Carol! How about Rosy Days of Summer 2016??? or just Rosy Days of Summer?

I like Rosy Days of Summer. The thread will get me through the dog days :-)

There is a terrible "Sherpa" fire in Santa Barbara with 5866 acres burning as of 4:30 PM today. It is 20 percent contained. Even though I'm over 70 miles away, the air is filled with smoke. The firefighters will have to work in triple digit heat. My heart and prayers go out to them and everyone affected by the fire.

Sad Bonnie! Sending prayers your way!

So sorry about the fire. That is horrible.

Bonnie, I am so sorry you have to start summer at 108F and smoke filled air. Hope that air clears and cools fast.

I think Rosy Days of Summer sounds great, Jim. Better than Smoky Days of Summer for sure.

We had a unique experience at dinner a little while ago (this is a tad graphic), but while we were eating, a hawk was having his dinner of another bird while sitting on our fence a few feet away. The whole time we were eating, there he was in direct view out our large window, right in front of us, taking his time and enjoying himself. Oh, boy, and the worst of it was he was not invited to join us, either. Impolite bird. Diane

Sounds grotesquely fascinating, Diane.

It was, Bonnie. We couldn't stop watching, nor could we condemn the bird for its bloodthirst, since we were gobbling down sloppy joes made with ground beef. One of the most amazing things was how neatly the hawk plucked out the feathers of its prey, dropping them on the ground. Hawks are in view almost daily around here and they perch on my shepherd's hook, fence, and any handy tree branch in the back yard. Unfortunately, the hawks view the bird feeders as a lunch counter at times. We also watch osprey out above the draw just behind us, hovering in the air watching for prey, and then plummeting head first down to the ground and grabbing dinner. Most of the time, they don't get anything and it seems like a tremendous effort, hovering in the air for so long--like endlessly treading water. They are amazing. Diane

I'm amazed at how the birds in my garden manage to open the shells of sunflower seeds. They drop a few seeds now and then and more flowers grow, but they open the seeds successfully most of the time. How do they do that so well?

I'm amazed at how the robins haved chased away the magpies that have been our constant companions for 4 years. Last year I saw two robins harrassing the magpies (5 or 6), and now the robins rule the roost! Those little birds have spunk!

Carol

Bonnie, I've wondered the same thing. You should see the ground around my bird feeders--a mass of sunflower seed shells, all the way down the hill to the gully. I'm kind of ashamed of the mess, in fact, but I, too, have never figured out how those birds, including tiny finches and goldfinches, can crack those shells so precisely, or even get the large unhulled sunflower seeds into their mouths. I rarely get a sprouted sunflower from a stray seed.

I'm not surprised the robins drove the magpies off, Carol. Robins are really assertive and territorial around here, and I love their brassy personalities. They have our yard divided up into sectors, which each robin rules with an iron beak. If another robin ventures into the first robin's sector, a big ruckus ensues and the trespasser gets promptly chased off. I see this repeated over and over. I love how robins hunt for insects and worms, too. If one catches a worm, it is stabbed multiple times with a beak, and then often pounded on the ground if it's a particularly large, uncooperative worm. Birds are my TV around here. Love them! Diane

WOW! A hawk eating its prey! We do not get to see that here at our house...Mostly only small birds around here...

Hummm our robins must be mellow cause I never see that stuff happen here...lol... We sent our robins to charm school...he he...

Ok Rosy Days of Summer it is........................................

Our Miracle on the Hudson bloom is opening...single nice bright red!

What a nice singlel rose, Jim!! Love, love the color!!

Diane - That's really neat about the robins!! I didn't know before how assertive they are!

Carol

Here's a new one...labeled Pink Peace but probably eyes on me/ rasberry kiss

Wow, that's really a mislabelled rose!

Carol

Nice bloom Kelly! The stamen color really stands out :)

Here is our "Miracle on the Hudson" rose bloom open... A bleeding red for sure...lol...Going to stand out like a sore thumb...lol... And that's just what I like! he he

I love your photos, Kelly and Jim, of such unique roses. The delicate pink of Eyes on Me, and, as Jim puts it, the bleeding red of Miracle--ha. I think your rose fits the bright colors you do so successfully in your garden, Jim, and will look good with some yellow marigolds. Diane

I planted a small own root Carefree Celebration rose bush in mid May... Checked it today and its still growing good...Its loading up with some buds right now...Near 90 degrees today so heating up a bit now....

Our young tomato plants are liking this hotter weather... I can't wait to eat some homegrown tomatoes...

Talking about Robins, we have two nests in two of our trellis. Both nest are at shoulder level or lower and boy to they get bent out of shape if you walk by. Having a Robin fly past your head at mach-2 is UN-nerving..... lol I had to put a sign up to stop people from entering via the front pathway. I enjoy them but they take forever before the young fly off. The Turtle Doves are much better, nothing phases them. I added some wire mesh under one nest and she never moved.

I guess dead heading the roses is out of the question.....

Yikes!!! Or you could hand out hard hats. :)

Jim - your young plants are doing well!

Carol

Carefree Celebration bloom is opening...

Happy Father's day to all the dads. Here are some blooms today.

Butter Cream mini

Toolbelt, I loved your robin story--it's so like them. I think hummingbirds are the next most assertive and territorial, as most of us have observed. I swear they recognize my face and occasionally try to send me messages. Yesterday, while I sat observing the garden in a back secluded corner of the deck, a hummingbird made a special trip over to me, hovering in front of my face as if trying to tell me something. It's pretty funny. Usually they signal that the feeder is empty, but I guess this guy was just checking me out.

Love all your flower and rose photos. I, too, am ready for some of those great home grown tomatoes, Jim. We've already had a garden cuke, and a green tomato has been hanging on one plant for weeks, it seems. When the daylight hours are the right length, I guess it will ripen.....Bonnie, those are cute mini roses, and look adorable in spite of the heat and drought. What a challenge. I've been disappointed with the yarrow I started last year and don't think I'll grow it after this year.

Happy Rosedads' day all you guys out there. Diane

Thanks for the Happy Fathers Day wishes!

Very nice blooms Bonnie!

The previous photo of the Marriota blooms was taken this morning before the heat hit. This is what they look like this afternoon. I have "Cloud Cover" on the leaves and so far they are holding up well.

As Jim said above, 'Thanks for the Happy Fathers Day wishes!'

Here is a picture of The Robin..... To enlarge just click on the picture...but you knew that, right? lol

Cool pic toolbelt! The robins made a home for sure...

How hot is it Bonnie? Wow never seen blooms fry that fast! Hope the cloud cover continues to work on the leaves...

Near 90 degrees here today again which is a heat wave for us... We have seen 104 degrees in the past but very very rare to see...The nights get down into the high 50's-60's so that cools things off for the next day...

Yes, Bonnie, how hot is it? I have some roses that fry that fast, starting with the Prince (anyone want a prince among roses?) and Blue Bayou (a useless rose--free to a good home). We're supposed to hit 101 on Wednesday. Right now it's very pleasant.

I like that robin pic, toolbelt. Nobody's getting by her. I've only had finches nest in roses and maybe a hummingbird. Diane

Interesting about the Robin. How long before the babies leave the nest?

It's 105 degrees Fahrenheit today. 110 degrees Fahrenheit is expected tomorrow. At that temperature, I'm not worried about blooms. It's the plants themselves.

From what I can find out, it takes 45 days from start to finish.

110 degrees... I just fainted Bonnie...yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Cool toolbelt! I get to see robins but no nests directly here...Awesome experience of nature...

Remember tomorrow I will be starting a new Summer thread called "Rosy Days of Summer".... :)

I do know some others would like to join in this thread but can not beause the thread is too long... If the summer thread is successful maybe we can break it up into 2 parts... say once the first thread hits 500 comments?????? Just a suggestion...

Jim, on my computer Houzz does break the thread up into two parts--the first 552 comments, and then the remainder. It says at the top in light green lettering "See 552 additional comments". You click on that to load the first group, and then the second 500 comments loads separately, and you read from that group if you want to. So, I guess I'm not understanding the problem. I just whiz down to the bottom where the second group ends and begin there if I want to read the latest comments, or add to them.

Bonnie, can you shade that rose with an umbrella or cloth hanging on bamboo stakes? It can't hurt and might help. I can see little tents all over your front flower beds.

See you on Rosy Days--not sure there will be any roses after Wednesday's heat.

Diane

My cellphone only shows the last 50 comments, works very comfortable this way. Jim, I wish you a 'record-high' number of comments.

for me the number of comments isn't an issue. I just open it up, hit command and the down arrow and it takes me right to the bottom. I do have an Apple though so I don't know if it works of other computers.

If you use a windows's keyboard just hit ctrl+end, therefore it will take you to the bottom of the site:) you welcome.

Thanks Paul Szewski I actually never knew that myself...lol...You just made life much easier for me...he he :)

Like motel 6 I'll just leave the light on Hans...lol