August roses

'Princess Alexandra of Kent'

With no rain since early June and none on the horizon, you begin to note which plants can handle the stress of drought. Although we water regularly, sometimes even that does not seem enough. I am astounded at how plants in the wild survive with no additional water.

Roses have a good reputation for drought tolerance but look their best with a regular watering schedule. The roses in our garden have started blooming again after a brief hiatus in July.

For the most part, I am pleased with the ones we have, especially the David Austin English roses. The newest addition, 'Princess Alexandra of Kent' (pictured above), is off to a good start. This is one I have wanted since seeing it at the Portland Rose Garden.

Other David Austin roses in the garden -

'The Lady of Shalott' - the first rose I planted in this garden. It is a big one at almost 6 ft. high and wide and that is with pruning.

'Golden Celebration' is doing much better since I moved it to a spot where it would have more room to spread. I have been a little disappointed with it as the color is not as deep and spectacular as I expected. I have hopes that it will improve. 

Some non-Austin roses -

'Phyllis Bide', a rambler growing on the moon arch, was one that I debated about for months. So far, I have no complaints and it seems to be getting better and better. 

'Cornelia', a hybrid musk rose that I am growing on an archway. 

'Coral Cove' is a shrub rose from the Easy Elegance series. We sell these at the nursery where I work and I loved the color of this one. I have been really impressed with the second flush of bloom and the leaves also look healthy.

'Double Delight', still one of our favorite hybrid tea roses. It has looked a bit rough on many occasions and looks best if old growth is constantly removed.

'Radway Sunrise' was a rose I had never heard of when we moved here. Several gardeners recommended it and after it sulked in the garden the first year, it has had a spectacular rebound in the second season. The color of this rose is simply incredible and it glows on a cloudy day. Even on a sunny day, it is pretty impressive!

'Marjorie Fair' (or 'Red Ballerina'), a rose from our Alabama garden that we loved and felt we had to have it here. The first flush of blooms were disappointing as they quickly faded. The second flush has been more rewarding. It is located in a hellish sunny spot but gets some relief from an overhead Japanese maple. 

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy