If you are easily bored by photos of roses, this post is probably not for you. Feel free to peace out, I won't judge you.
If, however, you enjoy a good bloom, you have come to the right place because I'm alllll about the rose bushes in my life right now.
I'll start with the wild rose that is currently growing with wild abandon in our backyard; this rose was the result of the hybrid roses that I planted several years ago dying off, and the grafted shoot taking over. This is known as graft union failure, which occurs more frequently than most people expect and can be quite disappointing. I know I was disappointed when the pastel blooms I anticipated were short-lived, and this monster took over.
This year, however, I have learned that I can train the long runners to go in whatever direction I want, so I have managed to create less of a chaotic mess and more of a trailing design that follows the porch without encroaching. I actually love it. In fact, I've been spending more time on the back porch, enjoying the sunshine and a good read while enjoying the fragrance from the blooms.
In the front yard, my hybrid roses have fared far better against graft union failure, with all but one of the bushes surviving. This year, they are all blooming like crazy, with larger blooms than I am accustomed to seeing.
For example, my Miss All-American Beauty is throwing flowers roughly the size of my palm.
My Fragrant Plum roses are large and plentiful...
...and my Marilyn Monroe roses are ginormous. The Marilyn Monroe is a show-stopper, much like its namesake, and my favorite of all of my roses.
A couple of summers ago, I planted a pink rose next to the Marilyn Monroe; I cannot recall the name, but she is also a stunner.
The Copacabana next to her isn't too shabby, either.
I'm not well-versed in the care and feeding of roses, so I struggle with pruning and always worry that I will cut the bushes back too far, so they have all gotten a lot taller than Hugh finds pleasing. I am considering hiring a local professional to prune them back this fall, so they all have a better shape next summer.
I should also look into hiring someone for that purpose at Not So New Job, where the rosebushes are growing even more wild than my home bushes. Several of the bushes there have also fallen to graft union failure, and we will probably rip out the wild roses and replant with new bushes or another plant of some sort. Still, the remaining bushes throw some amazing blooms.
Yesterday, I cut a bouquet for our back patio, and I discovered the blooms were covered in aphids, so I will need to deal with that as well. However, I love the vintage colors of the roses, and since they weren't going inside the house, I didn't worry too much about the bugs.
If you made it this far in this post, I have to assume that you don't hate roses. Also, if you are a rose expert and can share some advice about their care and feeding, I would gladly take it.
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