The Revenge of Griff's Red!

Actually, Griff's Red isn't the only rose in our garden that has drastically increased its petal count this year. Charlotte, Paul Ricault and Gallicandy look very different. Even though they don't take as long to mature as peonies, I guess you really have to have faith and wait for your roses to become fabulous! Griff's Red took three whole years to become beautiful, and we got him as a good-sized gallon in 2012.

I think that Felicite Parmentier is going to bloom soon. I am fascinated. She was so inert last year that I never thought she'd grow up to be a good girl.

Charles de Mills.

Some people call him the king of the antique roses. I got this rose as a small plant last summer, and expected to not see a bloom for several years.

Well, I guess that CdM likes it here, because he put out four fat buds this season. The first one opened today in the pouring rain...=_= I don't think it's unfurled all the way, but isn't it beautiful? Not much of a fragrance, though...

The first CdM plant I got as an undersized band in 2012 died after a month. I'm glad I decided to give him another chance. I hear he can be invasive, but I wouldn't mind him taking over the yard!

Oh, Madame...

Madame Hardy got hit bad by the bugs this year. She had all but 8 of her buds destroyed by rose slugs. Or aphids. Or both. I'm so pissed! Madame Hardy is one of my favorite OGRs. Look at that flower! She's like a diamond...

I'm seriously thinking of planting another one in the new bed far away from this one. It seems that all the roses we plant in our backyard bottom-of-the-hill bed are subject to horrible caterpillar damage. I still don't think I can bring myself to use systemic pesticides. We have too much wildlife in our yard. Also, cancer.

James Mason got totally ruined this year. Crap! I think we're going to have to wait a few years and dig up one of his suckers to replant in a better location.

Still, we have a few roses in that bed that the bugs won't touch. Like Chloris, Madame Plantier, Charles de Mills, Duc de Guiche and Duchesse de Montebello. What is the deal?