I’ve been contemplating this a lot. I am also out of space so the decisions all get harder from here. This was a tough rose season with drought and humidity being major concerns. I have a lot of light creamy roses ranging from blush to apricot, and while these have long been favorites, they are so often spoiled by weather, or thrips or just… aging to a dull parchment-y shade of blah. I think it may be time to for some serious editing.

I'm in the same boat with you - running out of space and trying to be selective. I've spent years holding onto some roses that either didn't perform or I didn't love, and this summer I finally pitched some of them to make room for others and it felt great

We had a brutal winter up here in the northeast, followed by a terrible late spring cold snap and a cold spring/early summer. Most of the roses in my yard died down to the snowline (or to the ground) and spent most of the season very slowly playing catch up.

Claudia - I gave Madame Anisette the boot. Similar experience here, she didn't ever bloom much for me. Top Cream is similar and blooms much more reliably

My favorites this year were:

Edouard Manet

I do not like striped roses, but after reading so many recommendations for it I gave it a go. This is probably one of, if not the, best rose I've ever grown. It has it all: great health, vigor, fragrance, and fast repeat.

Autumn Rouge

This is another rose that is pretty incredible. A bloom machine that performs well in heat or rain, fantastic fragrance, healthy, full, deeply cupped flowers in a perfect shade of cranberry.

Versigny

The health isn't great. The repeat is good, not great. But my gosh those flowers are glorious. I have never seen a prettier flower

The disappointments:

Munstead Wood

It's not her fault, but the japanese beetles decided she was the main course this year and absolutely obliterated her all season long. They've never targetted her like this before, but they wouldn't let a single bud open.

Pic from spring, before the japanese beetles came out of their slumber:

Lady Ashe / Dixieland Linda

I really want to like this rose, but she's completely unimpressed me. The flowers are full but reflex backwards in a way I don't care for, and her repeat is pretty slow. Does she get better? I don't know if she will make the cut next year

Black Caviar

This one made it through winter unscathed, but then we had that cold snap and that did her in. She's slowly grown back, but is maybe a foot and a half now. It's like she's been stalled the entire season. I hope she will be fully recovered and back to her normal self next year

Raspberry Cupcake

This is another one I want to like, but she just doesn't do anything. The blooms are small, crisp quickly, and are underwhelming. The repeat is very slow. I only got 2 flushes from her this year. She was a band from High Country 2 years ago so I'm trying to be patient, but it's hard

It is really nice to read others experiences and admire all the photos, even if it is counterproductive to keeping my wishlist short :)

Elestrial, thanks for your comment on Top Cream. It's one of the ARTS winners for my region so I planted one this summer. This summer was brutal and it was at a disadvantage trying to establish, but even so it gave me 2 or 3 blooms, so it is already did more in 6 months than MA has done in 3 years. I am hoping it will really impress me early next spring, and if it does I want several more to put in a moon garden project I hope to start sometime next year.

I don't have Lady Ashe but I do have Aloha, which iirc is the source of the sport Lady Ashe(?) She repeats slow for me too. I'm hoping it's just a young climber thing.

It's really interesting how differently roses behave across the US. I planted a Raspberry Cupcake last fall, another tiny band from HCR and it's getting quite bushy and is constantly in bloom. The blooms are small though, and sometimes subject to crisping, but it repeats so fast I don't mind too much. It's also an ARTS winner here.

Elena, your Thierry Marx is so pretty and they always make me think of dessert. I didn't know they are that healthy!

True Serenity gossiping with Peter Mayle, I adore her ruffles!

True Passion TODAY October 18 at the Biltmore gardens. Exceptional! Only flaw is lack of scent. Color is hard to photograp.

Most of their roses were defoliated and not blooming. North Carolina is 7b and humid.

The other best performing varieties were some Kordes, Meillands and Flamenco rosita which did not surprise me at all.

One unexpected 2 Austin were holding up well which means I will try them next.

Markay,

I agree, late season black spot is inconsequential. As long as a bush makes it to the end of August with about 2/3 of its leaves clean, and just the bottom 1/3 are spotted or defoliated from black spot, AND that bush grew vigorously all summer long, it is OK in my estimation.

Your earlier photo of Sweet Spirit shows a fantastic bush in all regards.

Moses.

It also rather resembles Tamora. https://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.2469.1

We get some very warm days in winter too Markay. I think that's why I've come back to using gallon jugs. They're not quite clear so maybe it's helping them to not overheat. I got over-confident last year and left mine out in the sun with just the lids off. They did just fine when it was windy but then we had a day in the nineties in late winter/early spring with no wind and they cooked. Lesson learned.

Diggerdee - "it can't hurt to take just a few minutes to take a look" That's true unless you're on a budget. Sounds dangerous. lol Much of my temptation comes from reading here or reading articles about "best plants for butterflies" or "long blooming perennials for sun" stuff like that. I research and make lists.

claudia - great shots of the hummingbird! And calamint is indeed a great pollinator plant - even after a hard frost last night there were a couple bumblebees and honey bees visiting my calamint this morning (10/18):

Markay - I believe the butterfly in the last pic in your earlier post is an American Lady, even though I don't see the characteristic white spot on the forewing. This Am Lady (as well as two Painted Ladies) was visiting a butterfly bush several days ago:

L Clark - on which side of the continental divide are you? Generally, monarchs east of the CD overwinter in Mexico, while most monarchs from west of the CD overwinter in southern (& Baja) CA. I haven't seen a monarch here since this one on Monday (10/12):

There were a couple unusual insects on Montauk Daisy in the backyard recently - a red-headed bush cricket, and an ichneumonid wasp:

Orange sulphur? Pics taken Oct. 9th

Then with bee

Both were really enjoying S. n-a

There's no pollinator visible, but that bigleaf magnolia flower is certainly a big target for them.

JFWIW:

I've been viewing this red maple of unknown origin for over 2 weeks now and it's just now going brown.

My species tree in the front yard, didn't hardly turn any color and went brown over a week ago.

Nice photos Markay!

Rouge21, the rose is now called OSO Easy Double Red...Used to be called Cherry Bonica its a Alain Meilland rose...

I'm in zone 6b but our last two winters we had temps 10 below and 12 below so we're due for a mild winter. : )

The following all still going through the moderate frosts received here in the far north, Passiflora 'Fata Confetto as of Oct. 17 th ... okay, frost hasn't yet nipped it with being next to the house.

Astrantia 'Sparkling Stars Pink', this just doesn't stop, I think the bit of fertilizer given in August surely did something good!

Sorry, blurry photo ... the Fairy' rose also keeps chugging along, love this disease resistant very hardy carefree rose!

'Lovely Fairy', a sport of the above ... this one is truly 'lovely", photo was taken prior, but showing for comparison.

A rose of my own hybridizing work, this one is very sweet, can't wait for it to prove its worth in '27.

The last of the very hardy blackberries, these produce for two full months, mean thorny as heck, but has laughted off -45 F without winterkill, very flavorable like that of melons when fully ripe, don't eat prior or you lose out on the amazing taste, variety is 'Blasors Hardy Black' ...

Ahhh, now the best most sweetest cabbage!

Making good use of the apples!

Witch Hazel ’Little Prospect’

Best of luck, Still trailing. That's a lot to do with a broken thumb, ouch!

In the last couple days I have planted 7 peonies (2 more to go, still debating where to plant them), snowdrop bulbs that a kind acquaintance sent me, and started on irises. I'm new to peonies and snowdrops, and this is my first year buying new fancy irises instead of using pass along plants or the old tried and true varieties. I've had to prepare and amend a couple beds which is mostly done now, so hopefully the rest of the planting goes faster.

Dee, I am so with you on potting things up. I'm doing some of that too in case the weather turns and I can't get everything in the ground. I hate babying pots over the winter but I think it's going to come to that again! Oh well, my porch would look so sad and lonely if it was clear. Hope your knee recovers soon and the weather stays nice for you.

@diggerdee zone 6 CT I missed the part about your knee! I am so sorry! I hope it will be all ok by Spring planting.

My thumb is coming along better than I have a right to expect. Thank you all for the good thoughts ! They helped .

2 of the shrubs are going back tomorrow to the nursery. I don’t know WHY I don’t check for root bound. I have been dumb like that before and should know better. One won’t come out of the pot and the other did but it is just ridiculously overgrown. They have a 1 yr no questions asked policy so will be more careful. The Proven Winners are beautifully potted in better soil. I am going to remind myself to check check check . c

FrozeBudd those are gorgeous! And thanks rouge. :)

Markey the other day I was out cutting a few blooms for a bouquet and the bees were swarming everything - not sure if these plants are truly pollinator magnets, or it's the fact that there's not much else blooming lol.

I cut some asters, some salvia, zinnias and the few dahlia blooms I had. The bees were following me around lol! I used to sell bouquets and I NEVER had so many bees following me as I did the other day! I finally laid the cut flowers down in the grass and walked away for a few minutes lol, till they moved on.

I love your pink, purple, yellow combination - one of my favorite color combos!

:)

Dee

Mystic Illusion winding down:

Markay, yes Lakeside is the one. I just sent them an email asking when their earliest shipping date is for bare roots in warm zones :-D

Lakeview replied, and said that they'd send roses to me in their first shipments at the end of February. So pretty much exactly the same as Palatine (after they discontinued fall shipping). Given weather variations, sometimes I've gotten Palatine in mid-Feb, and sometimes first week of March. Lakeview was extremely quick in replying and very friendly :-D

Kentucky, I got a Garden Delight in Palatine's last shipment, and it has been pretty great. Unfortunately, it's still in a 5 gallon pot, so hasn't had the opportunity to really strut its stuff. But it's in the line-up to go to its permanent home soon, if we could ever stop having heat waves here in So. Calif :-D

It is now OCTOBER 1st. How about moving to this thread:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6616537/your-october-2026-bloomers

haha! I removed these pots today. I had them here temporarily until the siders get here.

Frost warning tonight and they are going down hill steadily.

Thunbergia still looking good but we'll see after tonight. 35d predicted.

Just on more post for September from me :

At long last I have a Russian Hollyhock blooming (I've lost so many...)