Ready for its close-up.

85 percent perfect. Floribunda Rose Moondance., a photo by Leenechan on Flickr.

Floribunda Rose "Moondance" still has thrips, but it's not as badly infested as it used to be. I think that the torrential rains we got from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee probably drowned a lot of them.

This is the first flower Moondance has given me all year that doesn't have significant thrip damage. The rosebush has been a real trooper, producing blooms like mad for the past two months and I've hated to have to cut them all off to keep the thrips from spreading. I think I might be making some headway. This flower is a brilliant glimpse into a world where Moondance doesn't have thrips. XD

I read somewhere that Actinovate, the organic anti-fungal product I bought for the peonies, works great on eliminating thrips on roses. Oh, could it be true? I'll have to wait until the weather cools off on Thursday, and give it a try.

A lot of fuss over one flower.

Moondance, before the bath., a photo by Leenechan on Flickr.

Floribunda roses are supposed to have many flowers. This one would have at least four at once if I didn't have to cut them off in an attempt to stop the thrip infestation. I only planted Moondance in May...

Photos cannot capture how beautiful this flower looked to me today. I kept running out to see it when I was supposed to be making dinner. I'm sure that most rose gardeners probably see much nicer flowers every year, but for someone who's been battling an insect infestation for months...success really is sweeter to someone who seldom succeeds.

Quietness has only been in the ground for four weeks, and it has four flower buds. It's almost as big as Moondance. Prairie Sunrise is starting to put out new growth, too. Roses in our yard have no problem with vigor. It's just those damn bugs!

I don't think either of the new plants has them...