My thornless climber, Zephirine Drouhin, didn't bloom last year, and I was really concerned. But this year, it has not only reached the porch railings, but it is COVERED in buds.
As you can see, one of the buds has opened -- my first Zephirine Drouhin rose! It has a lovely scent, and the thornless aspect makes it safer to have on the porch with kids around. It's also supposed to bloom in part-shade, although I have my doubts on that. This is a fairly sunny spot, at least 6-8 hours daily, I think.
Close-up of Zephirine Drouhin.
This is a wild pink rose of some kind; I might have notes on its name somewhere. This one also didn't bloom at all last year, and I had given up hope. But hey, this year, bloom city!
I tucked the composter behind it, so the roses disguise both its appearance and its stench. (It's not actually that smelly, except when you open it, but still.)
Oh hey, look -- my garage roses are blooming! Hope the neighbors on that side are enjoying them. I suspect I should get a trellis behind them pretty quick, yes?
This is climbing rose Blaze, a tough cookie.
And Blaze again. The garage is going to be painted to match the house, so eventually, this will be against a fairly bright blue. It will be dramatic. But it's pretty against the blue-grey too.
