Such good news about Millie! She's a little miracle in more ways than one.

The only thing that's different about B Enchantress is that it's supposed to re bloom, and it has black - or deep ruby - stems. I also love it when I get two colors on one hydrangea. Or, when they're half way between blue and pink and appear lavender.

Our second great grand baby was born this morning in Indiana. I asked my son for the weight and length, and he obviously didn't know. He said "little and short". Men!

My apologies to the men here. I'm certain you pick up on every detail and every nuance, no matter how subtle. My son is only concerned with the big picture and details are inconsequential.

flowersaremusic, since we don't have any children I can't speak to the notion of knowing the weight and length of a child, but I can tell you when my wife and I were married 22 years ago, I had someone ask me what our colors would be. I said "I think they are blue and purple."Turns out they were actually teal and mauve, so luckily she asked my wife.

I was a newspaper reporter at the time, and so I wrote our wedding story. Anyone who has ever written something for publication knows (or should know) never to write something you wouldn't want to see published. One of the songs played at our wedding was Celine Dion's "When I Fall in Love," which is a duet with Clive Griffin. I couldn't remember what his name was so I put in the story "Clive Something" planning to track his name down later. As you can imagine, that's what ended up in the paper. I have never lived that one down.

Rob, I'm rolling on the floor! What a hilarious story and I'm sure will follow you all your life. I can't help bursting laughing every time I think of reading that in the paper. Yes, I think you've got that man thing going about disregarding details. I know this is not PC, so again, I apologize to those who are more tuned in to this kind of thing.

Great to hear about Millie Lisa! :-)

MOTH getting ready to bloom...

one of our New tomato plants...

A catmint Walkers Low I started from a cutting...

New Lavender plant

Earthsong going to bloom soon...

@Rob - Your potted plants are certainly colourful & cheery! I've admired photos of the Disneyland rose before it looks like a fun one. I highly doubt I could grow that one through a winter. Whereas, the At Last rose looks like it would be a good rose for many zones.

@Flowers - I know exactly what you mean about certain details being unimportant! Congrats on a new addition to the family though, that's always an important thing.

@noseometer - you seriously need to start your own thread with these pictures! Everyone on the forum would enjoy a garden tour. And not everyone on the rose forum reads the seasonal posts. Your plantings are gorgeous. Everything looks very healthy, happy and designed well. As Flowers mentioned, I too really like your use of the blue shades down the path and throughout. Just curious as to the layout of your garden & where the path is? Is this your backyard, sideyard? Would love to see more of it. Oh and the roses are all great too, just blooming their pretty little faces off. Well done!

flowersaremusic - thanks for the comment! Blue and violet are my favorite colors for the garden, so I guess I collect plants in those shades. The ones that do well, stay, and the ones that don’t, go away. It’s almost a shame that roses aren’t that color, but then if they did, I don’t think I would like them. I initially wanted all white roses, but then I discovered that white roses show the wind and thrips damage the most. So then I began researching and went off the deep end into the world of roses. ‘Sonia Rykiel’ has not been one of my favorites so far in terms of vigor, production and wind/thrips resistance, but the color and the fragrance when she is “on” is perfect. I’m trying some new things with her this year, so we shall see. Despite the horrid name, ‘Dee-lish’ has turned out to be quite a good rose. The color is better than I expected, the plant is vigorous, the blooms nod just a bit in an attractive way, and the fragrance is indeed delicious. The petals suntan, but also sunburn though. At $9.50 each I would not have been able to resist.

jim- thanks!

Lisa - aw shucks, thanks! In the background of picture #2, is nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’. When it first starts to open, the flowers seem to be more pale. The color also depends heavily upon the lighting. After a few weeks, and with the sun in a different position, the color can be much darker as the other photo shows. I finally got some decent flowers on my Sonia Rykiel. She is so subject to thrips and wind. I hope that with time she will get better. I took a cutting, but it died in the shadow of Vlad the Impaler (English Hawthorn). (Vlad has been removed, and the dead SR was replaced with Alnwick). Marie Pavie is in afternoon sun. It is in a horrible spot with the intense western sun against a wall, but I wanted it there against the windows of the master bedroom, so that I could leave the windows open and scent the room. It does get a lot of water though. It just keeps getting better and better. It is much larger than I expected. BTW it is from RU.

HalloBlondie - thanks! Maybe when I have time, I’ll post a garden tour. Hard to get everything together and work full time, and all of life’s business. Yes, the path is in my backyard. It was once all lawn, but a few years ago, I took out the lawn. I know I have a photo of it somewhere…

Noseometer I just can't stop looking at your Marie Pavie...I hope mine looks like that some day it's just a baby.

Rob, that is truly hilarious! As long as your wife wasn’t upset, it’s all good. Since you’ve been married for 22 years, I think she must have gotten over it, or didn’t mind in the first place.

Flowers, congratulations on your great grandson! You can’t be old enough to be a great grandmother. I guess gardening keeps you young. I looked up your ‘Blue Enchantress’ hydrangea yesterday, and it’s gorgeous! I like those black stems and the fact that it reblooms. Too bad it gets too big for me to grow. I’m SO out of space, but I’ve always wanted a rebloomer. I grow ‘Little Lime’ in a container. It’s not really rated for my 10a garden. I think it’s only supposed to go up to zone 8, but I wanted to try. It doesn’t make a lot of blooms, but it has some every year. They are so pretty, and perfect for arrangements. A container gives it a little more winter chill, than planted in the ground. I guess I really like flowering plants of all kinds, especially the ones I can bring indoors to enjoy. I do love roses best, but I have many other plant loves.

There’s a chance Lilyfinch is coming over today. I tried to decide if I should clean house, or deadhead all the spent roses, yesterday. As usual, I got all sidetracked and deadheaded one rose, just ONE! I started pulling and cutting down Orlaya, spent Sweet Peas, and pulling weeds. Suddenly the day was about over and I was exhausted. Now I have piles and bags of plant material all over the backyard. I was too tired to bag up and haul away everything. At this point, it looks worse than before I began. Oh well, that’s the story of my life. I’m “in the middle of everything and finished with nothing”. It’s not likely to change at my age, so I just need to accept that that’s how I am. I feel like I’m always busy(unless I really must rest), but don’t really accomplish anything big, in one shot. I started cutting back and deadheading Princess Charlene de Monaco yesterday. Poor things were being swamped by Sweet Peas. I’m going to cut them WAY down. When I spoke with Grace(of Grace Rose Farms), she said she cuts all hers down to about 2F after every flush. I’m going to do the same, and see how it goes. Mine are already higher than my 6F fence, and was WAY late in pruning them to the ground this year. It was mid-March by the time I got around to it. Since they are now about 6-7F tall, they shoot up fast! I felt bad when I saw how many blooms I never saw because the Sweet Peas were hiding them. They both should get going again soon, as she’s ultra vigorous. Despite some rain spotting, the remaining blooms are so pretty! I had almost forgotten how wonderful her scent is. Boy, I love that rose! She’s not ready for photos yet, and I didn’t arrange the blooms I saved, so no picture of her today. Truthfully, I didn’t even finish deadheading and cutting them back. I went inside to grab a vase, and started working on something else in the garden. I’m hopeless!

So Noseo, all the catmint is ‘Walker’s Low’? It’s amazing how different it looks in different pictures. I sure love that look, though.

Jim, yours looks great as well. That cutting really did well for you. I’m marveling over how green your grass is again, amazing. I’m so glad your roses are starting up for you. What a long wait, but I imagine that it makes those blooms all the sweeter. I see ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ at garden centers here, from time to time. I always think of you when I see one, and think, “There’s a MOTH, like Jim’s.” I could have gotten one for a few dollars at Lowe’s once, but it doesn’t “go” with anything in my garden. It’s been a stellar performer for you, and I often wonder how MOTH performs in this climate.

Let’s see. What can I take a picture of today?

How about Baronne Prevost? She’s been blooming nonstop for months!

Her neighbor, Violet’s Pride has a few blooms left, after I plundered her for an arrangement on Monday. Lisa

Lisa, she usually forgets until I mention she's buying too much fabric. Then watch out.

Oh, yes, Lisa, I'm old enough. Should have a bunch more by now, but most of my grands are more into their educations than getting married and raising a family. I don't even get to love on these two because they're so far away.

The 're-blooming' part of the B Enchantress description might be a misnomer with my short season. I'm hoping they will, but not letting myself count on it. Don't be hard on yourself for getting side tracked. I'm the worst, even when I'm trying to stick to a list. We'll just call ourselves free spirits. Your pics have me gasping. Pure eye candy and so much of it. BP and VP are perfect neighbors and the Orlaya is wonderful with everything. I HAVE to find some seeds. I've been waiting for you to post the name of it again because I can't find my notes. To be able to cut roses to bring inside and give away and still have bushes laden with roses is a dream.

I have blooms. The season did not pass me by. Most of you are on your second flush, but I'm excited to see color out there. I wasn't able to prune about 3/4 of the garden, but they don't seem to mind.

I wonder if Gracie's method of cutting her roses down that far only works in warmer zones. I'm afraid if I prune that hard after the first flush, I wouldn't have a second. Do any of you cold zoners prune heavily after the first flush? I have very few hybrid teas, which might take to that more readily.

Yes, I would worry about cutting them back that far in a cold zone. Maybe you could experiment with one HT that you’re not as fond off. I just realized I’m calling your new great grand baby a “he”. I’m not sure why I assumed that. Sorry about that:-)

Pippa, I love the pink blush on your Marie Pavie. I don’t think I see that on mine. The neighbors tree is hanging WAY out over mine. Some of those roses are in too much shade now. I might have to trim back a few branches. It’s full of spiders, and I hate cutting those branches down overhead.

Rob, that’s funny. She knows just when to bring up your old “mistake”. Lol. That’s what we women do, remember stuff like that for future use!

I’m going to go look at my Marie Pavie. I haven’t been up that side of the slope, lately. Lisa

I have to say that I'm jealous of Rob's containers. Containers like that in my climate would have to be watered twice a day (or more), and still would fry in the sun.

Pippa, your Marie Pavie will grow. If you live in a wetter climate than mine, it will grow fast. I gave a cutting to my mother in California and in 2-3 years hers was as big as mine after 5 years. Yours looks great, now! Where did you get it?

Here's what mine looked like in 2013

2014, I thought it was a loser and couldn't handle the heat. I was going to take it out.

2015 got better, but the Salvia Caradonna got too big.

2016, I think it got too dry, and the other plants in the area got too big. I removed the other plants and mulched better and irrigated better.

2017 suddenly jumped up a notch.

2018

Ha! I love how Marie attacked that salvia lol. Mine only seems to have the pink when they first open. I bought mine either from ARE or HCR I have to find records to know which. I love the billowy look it has when it gets bigger.

Noseometer, that is a great photo sequence to encourage us along who have baby roses.

Awesome photos everyone! :-)

I have to say that I'm jealous of Rob's containers. Containers like that in my climate would have to be watered twice a day (or more), and still would fry in the sun.

When summer really opens up here, we will be watering a great deal more than we are now. I'm hoping that our water bill doesn't double in the ensuing months. I did mulch them all, so I hope that helps.

I also like seeing the progression photos! I try and take photos of the yard from end of winter to fall, each month so I can see the overall growth and areas. In the dead of winter I go through them for the nostalgia as well as ideas for improvements.

@Lisa - your roses look fabulous as per usual. I find to finish the chores in the yard, I have to be very vigilante on finishing one task at a time. It is so easy to get side tracked out there. I'll go to get a tool from the back for the front yard & 30 minutes later I'm still in the backyard, weeding a bed or checking things out.

It was a busy day here again. The husband spent 8 hours building decking. I went to a plant sale at the church down the street. It was my first one. I spent $15 for 5 plants. They are not fancy, but just what I needed for a few bare spots. I picked up a shasta daisy, Stella d'oro lily, sundrops, white phlox & a bigger leaf hosta. I also ended up getting a freebie, when I discovered a lupine in one of the pots. They are actually the size of a nursery plant. I would have paid $15 each at the garden centre. Anyways, after that I worked outside for most of the day, because it was beautiful until 5:00. Then we proceeded to have some heavy downpours. Aiden had a friend over for hours playing and then they went to a birthday party. It's amazing what I can accomplish when he has a friend over! I weeded, fertilized the roses, limbed up a tree, divided some perennials, planted a rose, mowed the lawn & weed whacked. Oh and my friend came over for a chat too. After dinner we went for a family dip & stayed in until we had prunes for fingers! I hope tomorrow is a repeat of today, because it was a good one!

Here's a few pics from today too. Early iris blooming away. And the lilac starting to invade my porch!

Hallo, you had one of the good days. Not a vacation day or a lottery day but a truly good day.

Those are the days that make my heart sing and I’m happy your day was simply good.

noseometer, you have created a beautiful space, and the roses are the icing on the cake. I agree with HB, your photos deserve a thread of their own.

rob, what wonderfully colourful containers and plants. Ditto the stories!

Lisa, I would be thrilled if one of my roses looked like your Baronne Provost for a day! I get side-tracked all the time too, though not at the moment as I can't even be bothered going into the garden. It's too depressing.

HalloBlondie, wow, you are a worker! Love your iris and lilac. I wish I could smell that lilac. As a child, I had one growing under my bedroom window, back in England. Unfortunately, they can't take the heat where I am now.

Not much to show here. An azalea in a pot by the front door....

Wow! I'm really enjoying everyones photos! Keep em coming!

HERE: rain,rain, rain....lol...

First blooms of season on MOTH and EARTHSONG are getting pelted by non stop rains...lol...But that's nothing new...lol

Jim, I noticed the little earth mover. Doing some garden renovation? :)

Yep robw1963 ...Always construction going on...lol

It stopped raining...

Yesterday was an absolutely perfect day for working in the garden - cool, overcast with a gentle breeze AND NO RAIN! I worked for 4 1/2 hours straight and hauled four heaping wheelbarrow loads of weeds out of half of the big garden. Wish I could have gotten the second half done today but heavy downpours at 5:30am. When the sun peaked out it was already hot and humid and the mosquitos were viscious. Now it's growling and rumbling thunder and getting more humid by the minute. Garden continues to flower heavily although most of the blooms are so water damaged they aren't worth taking a picture.

Jasmina finally bloomed but nodding

Cloud 10 another disappointing year. Last year it finally shot up two 5' canes so I had hope. But this year it's back at 18" tall. Not worth having on the large fixture.

Bonica has been a bloom machine but most petals are water soaked and dropped in short order. Have to get rid of all those volunteer sunflowers from the birdseed.

Waiting for the first blooms of Quicksilver and Golden Celebration

Abraham Darby has gone very pale in the bad weather

Awesome lkayetwvz5!

MOTH bloom

D.KO

Newest to bloom. This is called Purple Tiger and the picture really doesn't capture the color. It really isn't as red as it looks here, but rather a darker shade of purple. Looks like I need to get the neem oil out and spray as well.

I've just had the most enjoyable and thrilling marathon session of reading this post from beginning to end, and looking at all the beautiful and awesome and sweet photos, with so many gorgeous rose and flower pictures, and Lisa's stunning bouquets, and adorable pets and frogs, and great news about Millie, although also some of the pitfalls of gardening, bad weather and deer and other animal ravages, because every yin must have its yang, inevitably. So many gorgeous gardens full of treasures; you are all amazing. You've all helped to make life more beautiful.

@titian - I like seeing your plants too. Bouganvillia is such a tropical for me, that I really like it. I have 2 azaleas in my garden. But I did not cage them and apparently the rabbits found a new entrance to my backyard and ate every single bud over winter. Mine are not very vigorous here & if they were to perish I would not really mind. In 3 years, the one has barely grown a foot. As for me working, I'm always really busy for spring. Pruning, planting and weeding. It's the annual projects that add to my list. And when the weather changes from winter to summer so quickly, stuff just bursts out with growth quickly. I also don't like working when it's too hot out, so I try and get it all done in April & May. I also keep saying I'm not going to purchase anymore plants, but we all know how that goes!

@ikaye - Sorry the rain will not let up! I was curious how big golden celebration gets for you? I'm about to plant one and I'm trying to consider spacing. As for Abraham; that's too bad about how washed out he is.

@Jim - well sorry for your non stop rain too. At least you have some blooms going for you.

@Rob - I've seen photos of purple tiger rose before and it looks to be really interesting. But I also saw that it can be a high maintenance one. I guess that's why the blooms have to be so special!

Yesterday was another nice day, a bit cool but the sun was out. It did get very windy at points. But it was a nice day to putter, but I also just enjoyed relaxing with the family too!

Took this pic of Carefree Celebration early this morn...I like how the color is reflecting off the leaves...looks like flames from a fire...

The anemone is in full bloom...

Tree Peony with my cat

Close up.... There is a bee

And a newly planted cherry frost rose

Happy June!!

Such great pictures everyone. I can't believe all the rain that some of us are still having some of my lighter color blooms are terribly water spotted soon it will be so hot then I will be complaining about that too lol

I try to get out in the yard for an hour each day when my husband gets home from work it's not much but it seems to be helping

Rock and roll is finally rocking and rolling I was giving it 3 years to prove itself or it was gonna be pulled out for a Neil Diamond but apparently it heard what I said and now is doing much better

Ebbtide my beauty I need to find a permanent home for this rose because it is really thriving

Great photos everyone!

Earthsong:

Hi guys!

Is it just me, or is anyone else having trouble seeing the latest pictures on this thread? I’m seeing about 1 in every 3 or four. The rest are just blank spaces.

I did get to see Jim’s wonderful Carefree Celebration and Ikaye’s gorgeous anemones in full bloom. Wow! I wish I could grow them like that!

I can’t really comment on what I didn’t get to see, but I’m going to see what happens if I try to post a picture here.

Poseidon is blooming well, but needs to be tied to the trellis again. Oh well, at least I got it deadheaded yesterday. Lisa

It worked!

Here’s that same ‘Spike’ hydrangea today. It’s looking more pink than peach.

I can see everyones pics Lisa...

My pictures Didn't. All post.

Well, the garden claimed its first victims today.....me and my Autumn Twist azalea. I was in the process of putting some fertilizer on the two azaleas we have (both reblooming) and I was sitting on a stool that I've sat on several times. Somehow the bottom legs started to bend under (couldn't be because I need to lose some weight...just getting ready for what my doctor will tell me Wednesday) and I went flying. In the process, while trying to grab the pot I ended up grabbing the azalea and pulling it out. I put it back in, replaced the potting mix and watered it in, so I hope it should be OK. It won't bloom again until likely toward the end of July, so I'm going to baby it for a while. The really bad thing is that I fell on a concrete pad. Nothing really hurt, although I can already feel it in my right side, which is where I hit the ground. Luckily, my wife was outside staining our front porch so she was able to help me to my feet.

Who would have ever guessed that at 55 I wouldn't feel like I was 20 again? I really knew I was old when one day I was talking to a girl who was in her early 20s about how vinyl records were making a comeback. "What's next, eight tracks?" I said. She looked at me and said, "what's an eight track?" Call the home, I'm ready to move in.

Here are the azaleas in better days. The one on the left is Autumn Twist.

Pictures don't want to post for me

Cherry frost rose

More Peonys

What is the trick?

Photos always post for me using my laptop with pictures downloaded from my camera, but it seems that posting from a phone is hit or miss for some. It's such a pity.

Just a few pics from my garden where not much is blooming after the spring flush.

Ingrid, I've got a bad case of The Grass is Always Greeneritis. My gardening life would be complete if I could grow tea roses. Rhodologue Jules Gravereaux is the kind of rose that could make me not miss my peonies and lilacs. You grow them so well.

Trish, I thought your azalea was an old fashioned rose. Azaleas here are compact, rounded shrubs. And, i didn't know there were dwarf bougainvilleas. It would be easy to find a place for that size.

Some time ago you suggested an exercise for my back. I wasn't able to to it then, but I kept at it and I can do everything except pull back on my foot, now. Even though I'm not doing the whole thing, it relieves the pressure, and the pain. Thank you soooo much, Dr. Trish! Do you make house calls?

I think we need to repeat the instructions on that back exercise!

Kelly, what is the peony in pic following Ingrid's post? I've never seen one like it. And, what is the red rose in the last pic? I'm sorry you're having trouble posting photos. I do it in such a round about way, I don't think it would be any help to you. Houzz should make it easier since pictures are a driving force on these forums.

The peony is a tree variety that I ordered years ago from one of those less than reputable mail order companies...took two or three years to bloom but it is I really like. Too bad it blooms before anything else...

The Rose is a new cold hardy climber called cherry frost...supposed to be good repeat bloom, very disease resistant, and cold hardy to zone three!! Small blooms but if it gets taller than three feet and blooms in my zone four, I will be thrilled.!!

Cherry frost rose

Kelly, the peony company may become more reputable if they keep selling gorgeous peonies like that one. I am crazy about tree peonies, but most of mine reverted back to species large, single white petals. I think I had them planted too shallow like herbaceous peonies. I've never seen one quite the color of yours. The yellow stamens really set it off. I don't have Cherry Frost, but have heard good things about it. I know how it is, hoping for a climber to at least get a few feet tall.

I'm in the house instead of outside because we're having another wind storm. Every time it looks calm and I change shoes and pull my gloves on, it starts up again. Those pine cones are murder when they fall on your head from up so high. I need a gardening helmet.

Wonderful photos everyone!

ES

Ok crazy things happening ...lol...So starting a NEW Spring thread...

NEW THREAD HERE BELOW:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5712982/spring-is-here-seasonal-thread-part-7