That's Aunt Margy's rose to the left of Rockwall, btw.

Hello Sunshine, a wonderful miniflora, and Lavender Crush nuzzling Our Lady of Guadalupe. iPhone never gets LC right, alas. OLOG is a perennial workhouse, blooming nonstop April to December. It laughs at triple digits. If this floribunda works for your climate, try it! You wont be disappointed.

I agree - the story, the photos, the whole shebang: amazing.

Your roses look fantastic, Sylvia. I am even here at home and had to run out to water a droopy pot in 87F.

Your roses look gorgeous! Really impressive, especially considering your temps :-D

All your roses are gorgeous and look so healthy and happy. Thank you for the shout out to OLOG. She's been on my undecided wish list for a while and I'm always looking for heat tolerant roses.

Thanks all! Claudia, you wont regret OLOG. She unfortunately has no fragrance, but the sprays last a long time indoors. When it's cloudy (when will that be??), the silvery backs of the blooms stabd out more.

Sylvia and Claudia, totally agree on OLOG. Despite not being fragrant, it's just unique in its pink/silver color... one of my faves :-D

Congratulations, Sylvia! Welcome home and good on you for your new "bionic parts"! I hope they ensure you're good for at least another hundred thousand miles!

Sylvia - I'm glad the worst is over for you, and that you're on the mend. :) Your roses look amazing!! My favorite is the little rose with the big name. lol They all really look great! You must have had someone look after them while you were incapacitated?

roseseek and rosecanadian, thank you for the good wishes! I cant wait until I can travel again and send TSA agents into a tizzy because all my metal will set off alarms...fun! The worst eas pretty bad, all right, but having it behind me equals a new lease on life.

Sorry about the typoes. Zzuoh is cutting off kydraft post

Cutting off my draft posts before they're finished! Grr. As to my roses, they managed almost without any care. They are on timed drip irrigation, which helps. After May 1, I dragooned my son into deadheading. He learned fast, and has been quick to point out issues ie mildew. I tell him the gardening gene will surface in him eventually... it took a looong time for me, but my dad was a dedicated gardener, so I hope this holds true.
The other day I got close enough to Full Sail to inhale its mindnumbing scent. Progress!
so I know ut's there

ignore last disconnected phrase.

• @sylviaww 10a, hot dry inland Socal bump up your water a bit, particularly for those with mildew already. Water stress can literally force them to mildew.

Sylvia - lol :) :)

Roseseek - I'm trying to learn here. :) :) So when my roses that got mildew were having a month of rain (bits and drabs, not a lot at a time) and cool nights, should I have watered them more? There was very little sunshine. I will do that next year if you think that would help. :)

Sylvia - oh, timed drip, that makes sense as to how they managed so well without you. And your delightful son helped with the deadheading. Thank goodness!! Mmmm...Full Sail's fragrance sounds great!!

@rosecanadian no ma'am. If you are experiencing a period of arid heat and your roses express mildew, it's highly likely due to water stress. The same with rust out of season. Your roses mildewed because the weather conditions supported the germination and growth of the fungi spores. I'd read in old British rose books that water stressing roses could literally force them to mildew, even highly resistant types. I didn't believe it until I did it. Then, I had a R. Arkansana in a pot and it had broken into the most beautiful new spring growth, until I missed watering it and the whole plant rusted from top to bottom. I pulled off the rusty foliage, watered it copiously and it exploded into new, gorgeous healthy growth which then rusted from top to bottom when I deliberately didn't water it to test my theory. It makes perfect sense.

Where indigenous, Arkansana is very healthy and completely Arctic hardy. In spring, with the ground flush from winter snows, it breaks into foliage and flowers which then form hips. As summer heats up and the ground water begins to dry out, the plants begin rusting which causes the foliage to finally fall, forcing the plants into dormancy before the winter freezes can harm them. Nature allowed the plants and diseases to evolve together and they trigger one another to do what's required for survival. What mildew does, I haven't worked out yet, but water stress interrupts and inhibits the plants' immune systems, allowing them to contract fungal infections. Your roses contracted mildew because the disease pressure supporting the mildew was too high for their immunity to fight off. But, if they mildew (or rust) when conditions should definitely not support their growth, try increasing the water. I experienced rust on the mini Cal Poly and increased the water. The rust didn't recur.

Roseeek - thanks for explaining that so well. We have the same weather every spring, so I try to get really disease resistant roses. I like that you tested the theory and that the solution worked so well. I always thought that rust was from too much water. I'll remember this. Thank you SO much!

@rosecanadian you're welcome! Glad I could help. Rust can be from too wet, but if it's hot and dry and they rust or mildew, try more water.

Roseseek - today I super watered my pm roses, I hope it really helps them. Thanks so much for the great tip!!