Adrian, your garden is looking great. It is such a reward to see that all the hard work pays off, isn't it?

I just love Moonstone! Mine didn't do too well last year. I planted it in spring last year and in comparison to the other roses planted at the same time, doesn't seem to be doing that great yet. The hard frost we had this last week hasn't helped matters at all but I am still hopeful that by the end of the season it will put out some blooms like yours.

Sharlene

Thank you for the kind words Sharlene. The hard work has been paying off in spades, lol, but the larger the collection gets the more I have to work smarter and not harder.

Moonstone is a sleeping beauty of roses. It does nothing for most of the year and is prone to getting sickly, but when it wakes up it is a force to be reckoned with. This is why I have like five of Moonstones.

Thanks again,

Adrian.

Love them, especially secret and gemini

Love the garden scenes, the statues, the roses, especially the yellows but they are all nice. Thanks for the tour!

Everything looks great.

Beautiful garden, and gorgeous roses... but my favorite is the lizard! What is it? An anole?

Very nice! Thank you for sharing them with us. It looks like most of them are planted. Do you still have lots in pots too?

Your foliage is nice and clean too. I still can't get mine to stay clean even though I am spraying. One day.... maybe

I was thinking of getting Moonstone, but if you are having problems then it might be the best choice for me.

Would you list your most fragrant and which stays the healthiest for you? One that has stayed really really healthy for me is Regatta. I am thinking of adding a 2nd bush because she smells great - has lots and lots of blooms at one time so I can get nice bouquets- and she stays "plague" free which says a lot when it comes from me.

Beth - You threw me for a loop on that one, lol. I've always identified the lizards in my yard as "the brown Cuban lizards" or the "native little green lizards" or, in this case "the big dino lizards." Now I've been schooled courtesy of Google. This is a Western Knight Anole. These critters are extremely aggressive and, unlike the small brown and green lizards, they don't scurry out of your way when you come upon them. My wife is terrified of them. One climbed down the roof of the car while she was driving in town once and forced her to stop on the side of road. She ended up begging a homeless man to take the dino off of her windshield, lol. The one pictured here kept trying to hide behind the the garden arch. I managed to snap this picture when the cat started to towards the arch on the other side. Glad you enjoyed it.

Sharon, I can't think about you or Denise without thinking about this garden walk. We seriously have to put one together.

BTW - I spoke to Debbie Cooledge (sp?) and she said to get ready for their annual sale coming in June (one month away!!!).

On your question, I can't recommend Belinda's Dream anymore than I already do. It's the best rose for SF. I swear that rose sulks in the cool weather that brings all other roses back to life and springs back to life when things heat up. Veteran's Honor is another great rose that can't be beat in our climate. Regatta has been growing like a weed in my garden lately. I love the classic florist's rose form that she carries. Other suggestions: Moonstone is great once established, don't shy away from this award winner; Cinco de Mayo is one of the few semi-doubled roses that I fascinate over; two new ones that are making a splash in my garden are Miss Congeniality and Neil Diamond (both from Nelson's); and lastly Elina (no smell) but what a grower. I'd like to share a list of high maintenance roses that I would NOT recommend, but the truth is that roses are like children, some thrive where other's do not, so I'll keep my two cents on that to myself...or until one of my "special children" drives me crazy enough to complain here about it, lol.

I hope to see you at the sale. Maybe you can tell me then what not to get. I have had a couple that I would never recommend because it always looks like a stick. It refuses to put on leaves. Yet, even with my black thumb it refuses to die, and I don't have the heart to put it out of its misery.

YEs, I would love to have a garden walk through. Though I don't really have anything spectacular to look at. I am still just getting started. But hopefully someday I will have a great garden..... especially with your and Denise's input and help. You two are my inspiration that I can grow roses here.