BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: SUMMER EXPLOSION

It was as though when the calendar said “first day of summer,” there was an explosion of color. Summer bloomers joined the spring perennials and early roses held on longer than usual. Peggy Martin still looks fabulous from afar. I love how her blooms dry in place – giving her the look of a painting that just lasts and lasts.

COMPANIONS…

Loving the Etoile Violette clematis surrounding the gate.
Niobi Clematis and Petit Pink Rose
Bright Eyes Phlox
Cerise Pink Yarrow
Coreopsis
Down the path to the herb garden…

ROSES…

‘Imogene’ (David Austin) This is the 3rd year for this rose and it is just stunning. Right now it is just covered with blooms.
‘Quietness’ (Buck Rose) This is such a pretty, easy care rose with a sweet fragrance.
‘Bathsheba’ (David Austin) Poor Bathsheba was left out in her container all winter and I was sure she was dead but here she is in that same container. I do need to find her a place in the garden. She has definitely outgrown her container.
‘Champagne Wishes’ (Easy Elegance Series) This color is so rich and so is the fragrance.
‘Little Mischief’ (Easy Elegance) A tough and pretty ground cover rose.
‘Golden Fairy Tale’ (Kordes) Power bloomer and since she is yellow, the Japanese Beetles find her first. 😩
‘Music Box’ (Easy Elegance) Fragrant and pretty at every stage.

INSTAGRAM…

Many have asked me to do online tours. My answer to that was to start posting longer videos to an Instagram IGTV channel — complete with bird song and neighborhood activities like mowing lawns and motorcycles, etc. 😳 You can find those HERE.

LATEST PODCAST…

Last week on Rose Chat I chatted with Ping Lim the creator of the Easy Elegance Rose Series and a New Series called True Bloom. Ping is a great rose friend and it was great to hear his heart for people and roses and his way of bringing them together. You can listen to the chat here.

GOOD NEWS / BAD NEWS…

The temperatures this week have been perfect. It has been so nice to spend time in the garden. The roses and their companions are going strong but the Japanese Beetles have decided to join the party. Only a few so far but we’ll talk more on that next week.

Until next time…

I’ll leave you with the bokay I made this week entirely from my favorite Easy Elegance Rose, Music Box.

Bloom Thyme Friday: When the temps drop

The temps are dropping quicker that I had hoped for — at least more drastically than I had hoped for October. Seems the number 70 has been forgotten… 80 and 90 were very commonly heard from May until Tuesday. Now today we are hearing 50s, 40s, and 30s. I really should not be complaining about the weather as we watch our southern friends crawl out from under the horror that was Michael. Our thoughts and prayers are with you!

No, fall is not my favorite. I get so much more excited (many might say tooooo excited) about spring and the rebirth. 😂  By the way, as of today, I believe it is 158 days until spring. But, who’s counting!?!?!

Next for me is to don my coat and do a bit of fall cleanup. I confess to being one of those who doesn’t do much in the way of fall clean up. If you want to read more about what I do, read on here.  I do have bulbs to plant and that’s real exciting. More daffodils, crocus, tulips and garlic! It will be fabulous to see them in the spring! 🌷🌱🌷

 

BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK

Some of the roses are ready for a break, but some have been blooming like crazy. While I should be leaving the blooms on the shrub to calmly, quietly make hips and go to sleep … I find it hard to do that and have been cutting enough for a few bokays!

Even some of the perennials are showing off! Here are some going out with a bang…

Stokes Aster . One of the best rose companions.

Champagne Wishes / Easy Elegance Collection

Fun in the potting shed…

Head Over Heels / Easy Elegance Collection

View this week from my Potting Shed porch

While we are on the topic of weather… I have to confess that I do love the snow. More each year. The days that I spend “cooped up” with Mr. G when the snow is falling are some of the very best. Those of you who know him, know that he doesn’t stay cooped up long. He has to go out and blaze trails in the snow and that is fun too.

Whatever the weather, wherever you are … BLOOM!

Rose Buzz: Weekly Rose Walk

Rose Buzz_7_white

The rugosas and the old garden roses with their fireworks bloom displays and incredible fragrance are fading into the background, but there are other bloomers taking center stage.

 

Anna's Promise Grandiflora Hybridizer: Tom Carruth  Easy Care Fragrant

Tom Carruth’s Anna’s Promise Grandiflora
Lovely / Vibrant / Easy Care / Fragrant

Another show of Music Box.
Another show of Music Box.

Ping Lim’s  lovely Music Box is beginning to open.
Look at all those buds!

Dr. Buck's Quietness is out of the world this week. This rose is a part of he Earth Kind series.

Dr. Buck’s Quietness is out of the world this week.

This rose is a part of the Earth Kind series.

Quietness up close ... swoon ... oh how I love this rose!

Quietness up close … swoon … oh how I love this rose!

Gemini ... one of the prettiest Hybrid Teas on the planet

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Keith Zary’s Gemini … One of the prettiest Hybrid Teas on the planet!

 

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Tom Carruth’s Falling in Love … Another one of the prettiest Hybrid Teas on the planet!

 

Proven Winner's Cherry Pie from the OSO Easy Collection

Proven Winner’s Cherry Pie from the OSO Easy Collection

David Austin's The Lady's Blush ... delicate and lovely

David Austin’s The Lady’s Blush … delicate and lovely

Our Lady of Guadalupe and her neighbors

Keith Zary’s floribunda Our Lady of Guadalupe and her neighbors

 

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Thanks for stopping by.

What’s creating buzz in your world this week?

Bloom Thyme Friday: Easy Elegance

All the beauty, none of the work!

That is the way Ping Lim describes his EASY ELEGANCE line of roses. Ping Lim, the renown hybridizer, has a line of beautiful, easy care roses that has been getting a lot of attention. I’ve been thinking about adding some for the last couple of years.

Last weekend while at Lowes, I noticed they had a very large selection of EASY ELEGANCE roses and I never remember their having very many of them before, so I took that as a sign that this was the time to try them. Wouldn’t you think the same thing????? I know what you are thinking, I am very easy to persuade when it comes to roses and you are right. 🙂 My rose society also has some of the Easy Elegance roses for sale at a very reasonable price, so I have stocked up!

Here are the ones I bought: Music Box, All The Rage, High Voltage, Sunrise Sunset & Sweet Fragrance.

ADDED BONUS: This is the first rose collection to offer a 2-year homeowner guarantee to show how confident they are in their roses. You can read more about these roses here… http://www.easyelegancerose.com/

I am very excited to see how these roses do in my garden!

I’ll keep you posted!!

Sweet Fragrance
Sweet Fragrance

sunrise-sunset-rose-david
Sunrise Sunset

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All The Rage

high-voltage-rose-1-bailey
High Voltage

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Music Box

Ping Lim
Ping Lim

Bloom Thyme Friday

Happy Bloom Thyme Friday!