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I have been planting roses here since 1997.  We have been through several years of severe drought, followed by a few more years of terrible grasshopper invasions.  Most of the roses you see below are antiques that have persevered!  I mark my calendar every year for February 21.  That is the day I start fertilizing and pruning to enhance that first spring flush of blooms.  I also do this in the fall for the fall flush and to prepare the roses for winter.  My fertilizers are all organic, comprised mainly of organic home-grown mulches (llama, sheep and goat manures) along with purchased cotton boll mulches.  I do not prune heavily, only cutting out dead branches and cleaning up the plant for air circulation.  Some of the antiques have never been pruned!
NOTE:  (10/05/07)  One of the hardest thing I had to do, was to leave my beloved antique roses when we made the move to the new farm.  Not that the antiques required any special babying, but the spring and fall flush displays have always been eagerly awaited with anticipation.  I have already planted a few at the new place!  Oh, there is nothing like the smell of the antiques in the early morning as it travels on the breath of morning dew!

Ballerina

I love this rose. It has a fountain growth habit, with its branches literally covered in these delicate single petal candy pink roses with a white eye.

Bayse's Purple

This is a really royal rose. Very thorny, and reproduces itself quite well. A single rose with a gorgeous rich purple color with gold stamens.

Betty Boop

A newer floribunda, but one that is absolutely beautiful and prolific.

Chrysler Imperial

An older hybrid tea. Very healthy double rose with a very strong scent of roses with an overtone of citrus.

Double Delight

A beautiful hybrid tea with a strong rose scent. This one is bad to black spot on me, but it never gives up!

Diamond Jubilee

Newer hybrid tea that starts out as pale apricot and ends up a buttery yellow.

Dortmund

An antique climber that is my favorite. It just pours on the color in the early spring. A show-stopper.

Dortmund

Here you see the beautiful single red flowers with the white eye. They are born in clusters.

Evelyn

An English rose, that is beautifully shaded with apricot and pink. Very quartered and full.

Altissimo

An antique single climber. Does great as a pillar rose as well. The blooms are larger than Dortmund, and a solid red.

Fourth of July

A modern climber, but everyone should have it. It is extremely hardy, and can't be beat for explosions of color and flower production. AND if that is not enough the scent is incredible. Strong rose scent with overtones of fresh cut apple!

Fourth of July

First Light

A floribunda, that looks a lot like the antique "Dainty Bess". It is a single rose, and has been very resistant to black spot. Nice shaped bush and covered with flowers.

Hansa

An antique rugosa. I love the leathery look of the rugosas, and the hips are just rich with vitamen C. Great intense rose smell with an overtone of cloves.

Hot Tamale

A miniature rose, that is quite a colorful spot in the garden. Hardy and very floriferous.

Joseph's Coat

A beautiful climber with very double roses of all colors ranging from pale yellow to intense orange, and everything inbetween. No two just alike, ever.

Lavaglow

A really neat rose, that looks like each double rose is lit with fire from within. Medium to smallish blooms, very double and intense in color.

Little Pinkie

A gorgeous climber that has people slowing down to see it when they pass by. It is literally covered with candy pink blooms. The canes are practically thornless and easy to work with.

Marjorie Fair

Some call this antique "Red Ballerina". I have it planted in a whiskey barrel and it is gorgeous all season long. I love the fountainous growth and the tiny clusters of single petals.

Morden Blush

A rugosa with gorgeous shaded pink double blooms.

New Beginning

A beautiful miniature that is orange with a yellow reverse. Double blooms and very floriferous.

Old Blush

A very old antique and one that is as hardy as the dickens. One of the first roses to bloom in the spring, and continues all season. Blooms are candy pink and quite blousy.

Penelope

A favorite antique rose. Spreading growth habit. Blooms are almost white in the early (cooler) spring, then change to creamy pink during the hotter months. Always gorgeous.

Playgirl

A powerhouse of blooms on this floribunda. Hot dark pink with bright gold stamens on a single platforms.

Queen Elizabeth

A beautiful pink floribunda.

Rainbow's End

This is the miniature climber version. I love this little rose, and it reminds me of "Joseph's Coat". No two blooms are the same, shaded from yellow to orange and dark pink.

Robin Hood

A once blooming antique, but one that is well worth the spring show it displays. Very much like "Red Ballerina". Darker pink with white eye and gold stamens. Fountainous growth habit.

Sombreuil

One of my favorit white antique climbers. Not much can beat this rose for traditional heavy rose scent. I love the delicate shading to pale pink on this double rose.

Sunsprite

A floribunda that will brighten any area of the garden. Very floriferous and the foliage is nice and green.

Zephirine Drouhin

Gorgeous antique climber. The blooms are fully double and a cerise pink. I have this rose in a pillar stand, and it is filling it up.