Alright!  It’s November, which means that (at least theoretically) all of the roses that were going to bloom in my garden have done so, and now I get to show them off.  If it sounds like I’m a kid showing off their Christmas presents, that’s because I do quite love my roses (definitely more than my gardening skills warrant).  These aren’t exactly prize-winning flowers, but I’m going to show them to you anyway!

Before I begin, though, I have to say R.I.P. to my poor Viking Queen, which did not survive the combination of last winter, my gardening negligence, and the Danged Squirrel! who won’t stop digging (ask me why my kitchen-deck planters are filled with rocks!).  I quite missed my Viking Queen this year, but you might end up seeing her again next year if I follow through on what I want to do and go ahead and order a new one.  Viking Queen is such a sweet, pink rose, and my garden doesn’t feel the same without her.

But, onward!  I’ve given in to the inevitable and listed my roses in alphabetical order again this year.  With the departure of Viking Queen but the impulse-purchase of *one new rose, the count is 23 this year, with pictures of blooms for 20 of them (even though the weather this spring was weird and thwartish).

Apple Jack: My poor Apple Jacks did not like how hot this spring was.  The one in the back garden produced lots of buds, but probably half of them never opened because of the heat.  Still, there were some pretty flowers to be had.

April Moon: I’ve now got two of April Moon in my (very shady) middle bed.  The older one, that usually does great, struggled a bit this year, but still did show off a pretty pair of blooms in June.  The newer one isn’t feeling its strength yet, but still managed to bloom in both August and October!  Go new April Moon!

Austen Copper: Austen Copper is one of my first roses to bloom (in May!) and gave a pretty showing this year, despite the weird, warm spring that kind of hurried up and/or shortened the bloomings this year.  The irises were blooming at the same time, and the combination was delicious.

Austen Copper Red root-stock: Last year, the Austen Copper root-stock red rose didn’t bloom due to a cold snap the winter before.  This year she (whoever she really is) was back.  Always blooming decidedly after Austen Copper is finished, she had to battle the heat this time around and got a bit wilty by the end.  But the profusion of deep red was still a lovely treat while she lasted.

Awakening: Well, Awakening is supposed to be a climber, but she is not climbing yet (this is my second year with her).  She did bloom, though.  And she is definitely quite pretty when she does.

Blueberry Hill: My poor Blueberry Hill continues her saga of hardship.  I replanted her again this year (terrified the heat would then finish her off right quick when I did).  But she made it! (so far at least).  No blooms at all this year, but I am cautiously optimistic for next year.

Crown Princess Margareta: This is my second year with Crown Princess Margareta and this year I did actually get to see her bloom! (though the early heat made that a pretty near thing).  She actually tried to go for an October rebloom as well, but I haven’t worked out the watering in her area quite sufficiently yet, and the rebloom didn’t quite make it (got a brief kind of a ghost of a rose-bud instead).  She seems to be an interestingly determined rose.

Darlow’s Enigma: I shoved poor Darlow’s Enigma into a shady corner next to a tree, some plum bushes, and an equally mistreated grape vine.  Never-the-less she soldiers on, and I managed to catch some of her pretty white flowers this year.  (And managed to escape being caught by her—Darlow’s Enigma is very clingy-grabby with her viney stems and thorns.)

Dublin Bay: This is my second year with Dublin Bay and I got a single red rose from her.  It was a very, very red rose, and it lasted a good two weeks, looking gorgeous and eye catching the whole time.  Fingers crossed I can figure out how to make Dublin Bay happier and get more blooms from her next year.

Ebb Tide: I think my Ebb Tide might be a bit of a drama queen, or at least a drama magnet.  I was sure she was done for this spring when the rabbits decided to dig their warren right through the middle of her planting.  But! I moved her over a little, and she dusted herself right off to produce several blooms, once, and then twice, producing strong competition for El Catala for who could make the prettiest blooms.  (And Ebb Tide also smells very lovely.)  And then she worked up to bloom again in October.  I clipped that rosebud to bring it in away from our (finally) first frost, which meant I got to have a gorgeous, purple rose blooming on my kitchen table for Halloween.

El Catala: As with last year, El Catala’s (two) blooms were truly gorgeous.  If only her blooms would last a little longer, she would be the garden queen.

Hi: Okay, with everything fast and hot this spring, I missed Hi’s bloomtime.  But, as you can see, she did bloom.  And she’s a very tiny little rose.  So, then I almost killed her by moving her somewhere else she might get a little bit better water.  But she’s not dead (yet), so we’ll see how things go next year!

Knock Out: Ah, my poor two Knock Outs, surrounded by mint and thistles and oregano.  I moved one of them this year, to which she did not seem terribly thrilled.  Next year their sagas will continue.

Louise Odier: My Louise Odier struggled somewhat in this, her second year with me.  Probably mostly because it was so danged hot.  But I think next year I might need to take another look at making her watering situation a little nicer, too.  She’s a bit nearer a big spruce tree than she’d probably prefer.  I want to make her comfy.  She smells so nice when she blooms.

Original Garden New Red: I got to witness a pretty new rose in my garden this year! one that’s been there this whole time since before I moved here, but just hadn’t been blooming.  Just the one bloom this year, just double, beautifully red, with a pale center.  So sweet!  I hope I get this treat again next year.

Original Garden Orange: The unknown orange rose in my front garden that’s original to the house when I moved here is always a champ for producing lots of pretty flowers at the very beginning of the season.  They don’t last super long (especially if the spring is really hot!), but they’re a profuse delight while they’re here.

Original Garden Pink: The small pink rose original to the house when I moved here is definitely still alive, but was not particularly pleased with this season.  Hopefully better luck next year.

Original Garden Red Climber: The two red climbers original to this house when I moved here have been somewhat less than pleased with me as their caretaker for a while now.  Never-the-less, they do bloom, and I’m so happy when they do.  They make my garden feel like summer.

Peace: My poor Peace has had bad luck with timing and temperature this year.  The first rose-buds were zapped by the heat before they could open, and in October she tried again, but so very late that I clipped one of the buds to bring in with Ebb Tide, but it wasn’t far enough along and a revealed bloom was not to be.

Queen of Sweden: I did get to see my Queen of Sweden bloom this year (her second in my garden), but with the spring heat the window was very brief.  Always so pretty though.  Fingers crossed for next year.

Scabrosa: Scabrosa continues to be enigmatic, blooming just a little, smelling so sweet when she does, and then tucking her blooms away again for next year.

* Sweet Spirit: Sweet Spirit was the rose I bought on impulse this year (she smells really lovely, which I always have a hard time resisting).  She was, of course, covered in blooms when I bought her, but here is a picture of her rebloom a month or two later.  As you can see, she’s a rose who goes where she wants to go.

Teasing Georgia: This was my third year with Teasing Georgia, and once again she gave a pretty solid showing, all things considered.  She seems so delicate, but then acts quite robust.  I quite hope she keeps it up!