May 9 in the Garden

It has rained so much that there is water standing in my backyard as well as the front.  Many of the roses are just plain soggy.  Some of the varieties I grow have petals that can’t stand up to all that water and  high humidity.  Having said that, I’ll show you some pictures of what it looks like in some good spots!  Early May the roses are peaking, so it’s a shame about all the rainy days we’ve had.  Today it was pretty in between storms and I took these photos.

The Austin bed is mature and wonderful this year.

Pat Austin in the foreground.

Heritage and The Squire (pink and red, respectively – two fine Austin cultivars)

A closer look at Heritage.  This is a great David Austin rose, very disease-resistant and with an attractive, leafy vase-shaped bush, but it is not good as a cut rose….it shatters within a day.  The Squire is the red rose in the background.  Also a David Austin cultivar.  It has gorgeous blooms on the ugliest tall bush ever.  It blooms well in the heat of summer, unlike many of the other roses in that bed.

Tuscan Sun…a modern floribunda. I pruned it hard this spring since it was struggling and it has come back nicely. You can see May Night Salvia planted at its base.  May Night Salvia is sold at Lowes and is very popular – its color and form complements roses nicely!

Eden at the mature stage.  In the early stages she’s white with just a hint of pink at the edges.  Eden is a climbing rose.