Not as bad as "Moondance"...but, oh well.

[leene_chan]

Griffith Buck Rose "Simon Estes.", a photo by Leenechan on Flickr.

Considering the time of year and the fact that this is "Simon Estes"' first flower, I guess I can't expect perfection. I think that the sun is responsible for at least some of the damage to this bloom. It lacks the tell-tale brown edges that thrips cause, but that could be because the damage is more visible on white or yellow roses.

I was torn between letting this flower open or clipping it from the plant. A lot of sources say that you shouldn't do any pruning on roses after September in the Northeast, because it stimulates new growth when the plant should be going dormant. From my experience, pinching the buds on these roses doesn't necessarily allow the plants to put more energy into the roots. They just start growing more leaves instead!