Cynthia, didn't you just have a horrible blizzard?

And my fall flush is magnificent but my spring was dismal!

I think it was the Dakotas that were hit, first by heavy rains, and then by an ahead-of-season blizzard. Nebraska may have been far enough South to miss it.

But it may be that the plants know it's time to retreat.

Jeri

Going through fall flushes right now but I'm an entire zone warmer that you Nippstress...

Not much of a Fall flush in my garden , spring was 3 weeks late. 3rd flush always iffy in z4 but when you chop of 3 weeks in the beginning, I didn't expect much this year.

Ah, well, Michael - if we'd gotten hit with that blizzard that would have certainly been enough explanation right there! Jeri's right that the worst of it was in the Dakotas, but western Nebraska also got socked with 3 feet of snow and is apparently still digging out. In true Nebraska style, on the same day western Nebraska got the snow, we had an 80 degree day. No wonder the nasty tornadoes hit the next day.

Sounds like other folks are getting some fall flushes, so it may just be me - nice photo Susan! Wirosarian makes a good point that the 3rd cycle may come too late in colder climates, but I haven't seen noticeable cycles in most of the roses this year like we would usually get. Instead, they're mostly separated into "blooms steadily most of the time" and "puts out an occasional bloom here and there", with little in between. Ah well, if Jim is seeing his now we may have passed our opportunity and I'll enjoy the fall leaf color instead. Roses definitely have their own quirky sense of timing.

Cynthia

Sorry they all wanted to rest instead. Maybe they were playing it safe as Jeri said.

Our own-root Mister Lincoln has 8 buds unopened yet but he is our slowest bloomer so probably most of the remaining buds will never open because of the colder weather setting in...
Like pouring molasses on a winter day...lol

Right now he only has one bloom on the bush...

{{gwi:333128}}

Nah, even here in Z8, the usual HM show has been....well....scattered. There are a couple, such as Moonlight, which usually has a fantastic autumn show but this year, zip, zero, nothing (well, OK, there are a few single (single!) blooms when I expected clusters of dozens. But then, everything has been out of whack this year after a spring which took a full month to get into its stride. Normally, I rarely get the numerous heaps of green tomatoes since I always stop my trusses after 4/5....but this year, here they come, green (and blight infested)- expecting a giant compost heap.

We had a light frost last night which stunned our remaining
annual flowers (plants) we have. (starting to wilt now)
Roses covered in some frost this morning but it hasn't seemed to hurt them yet...

Temps will dip into the low 30's this week so the beginning of the end... :(

This post was edited by jim1961 on Sun, Oct 20, 13 at 10:16

I can't say that I had a fall "flush" either. There were some blooms here and there but not what I would consider a good flush. And for the most part the plants look like crap and the blooms weren't very big or spectacular. Lots of messy centers and weak colors which is odd because usually fall brings out deeper color for me.

No, this was not a stellar rose year for me. It was very wet and cool for too long in the spring and early summer. Then it got too hot and dry too fast and now we're back to very cool and wet. Lots of spots! Looking forward to a better one next season!

My fall bloomage seems to be starting now? Maybe? The temps went down from the 100s several weeks ago but that did not trigger much of a blooming response from the shrubs. However, late this week, after some rains, I noticed many of them showing some blooms, perhaps not a grand ole flush like in Spring but, much more than the 1 or 2 blooms per shrub that I had last week.

It's been a strange rose year, with a very short spring flush finished off by scorching winds, the usual hot summer and then finally some rain and cooler weather, which promised something of an autumn flush at least. However, the hot and dry Santa Ana winds have begun now, and the roses that were beginning to make a comeback are feeling stressed again. These are confusing times.........

Ingrid

No fall flush here in central Illinois. I just went outside and picked the remains of what I could for a bouquet. After a record flood followed by a summer drought, I only had two flushes. The fall rains came late, and now it is going to be in the 20s next week. The only shrub blooming its head off is 'Camille Pisarro', a reliable show stopper...which also gets protection because its planted against the southern side of the house. I suppose it's time to start the garden clean-up...sigh.

I have some workhorses that are doing a definite flush, but so many of mine are puttering out very pretty blooms in very few numbers. It's disappointing. I have more buds to come, so maybe they won't putter about it the whole fall.

I think mine didn't realize summer was over, here :D It never got above 100 this year! Freaked me out, too ;) No wonder they're confused.

Ooh, Terry Jean - where did you get Camille Pisarro? That's one of the painter series roses from Delbard that I really want. You've probably had it for years, but let me know if it's from a vendor that's still selling it. I'm hoping Linda from Long Ago Roses will add that to her Delbard offerings soon.

It sounds like many of us in the midwest are having a "meh" sort of fall. We didn't have too much of a drought, though August was pretty dry, and we're only down about an inch this year on average. We did get the usual stretch of 90's and long stretches over 100, but the tomatoes still weren't happy, and the roses still aren't convinced it's fall. It's supposed to hit the 20's this week, so maybe they'll either shape up or ship out and start hibernating for the winter.

At least they survived - no drought casualties this year like last year.

Cynthia

Not much of a fall "flush" here either. A couple of the hybrid teas are blooming, but not much else going on other than a stray bloom here or there. The strange part is that several of shrubs are loaded with buds--but they just sit there, doing nothing and have been for some time now.

This past spring was the best spring bloom I've ever had--and then nothing to speak of ever since. I feel like I have been robbed of a couple bloom cycles! Do you suppose the drought we had last summer used up almost all the energy the roses had--just enough left for a spring bloom but no reserve energy left for the rest of the summer and fall? I dunno. Just wondering.

Kate

In early November, we, in this part of Idaho, reach the "cut off" date when all photosynthesis ceases because the sun is shining too weakly to support it. So if you are very far north, the end date approacheth, and all hopes of a fall flush cease. This will depend on your geographical position, of course. My garden has experienced a pretty typical fall--a slow slide toward freezing temps with everything slowly shutting down. Many of my roses end up with literally hundreds of buds that never have a chance to open--my two Julias alone have countless. But still, it's been a nice fall with 70 degrees tomorrow expected. Here's a pic of the setting sun shining on the hills a few weeks back while the moon rises. Diane

Here in Spokane, Washington, I've seen better early spring flushes than this year's was. This autumn's flush was pretty much a "no go", as well. But on the positive side this summer's blooms were pretty awesome! Even DOUBLE DELIGHT grew strong and healthily and flushed it's fool head off over and over again. And so time marches on... May 2014 bring all of us rose lovers our heart's desires! :-)

Wish there was a " like " button !

P.S. Love your picture, Diane. I have a couple of very, very beloved relatives living in Idaho. It's fun to kind of see the moon and earthly view that they might have been seeing around this time of year. Sweet dreams and "peace out" everyone. :-)

Hmmmm. I keep thinking I am hallucinating, so I took this pic to document a small part of my fall flush. Roses are beating the mums!

Lol, Susan, me too! Yes, there aren't any "like" buttons on this fine forum, but there are lots of those of Facebook...sooo off to there to see the "likes" on what friends and family are sharing before I "hit the hay" for this evening dear, rosy, Lady. ((((love and hugs!)))) :-)

Susan, we must have been posting about the same so I missed this one, lol. What is this rose, hon? It's blooms sure have very satisfying, pretty forms. And better yet, lots of them in your "fall flush".

Dove song, it was supposed to be Cherry parfait, but looks more like love.

Beautiful roses, Susan, whichever they are. I don't have anything that gorgeous blooming now.
Thanks for the photo compliment, Dove Song. Where does your family live in Idaho? I'm in the hills outside Boise. Diane

Here in Florida the roses are waking up after a long summer. Just yesterday it was 90 degrees and humid. Finally, a front came through and, fingers crossed, we are done with the heat. I expect beautiful growing conditions until May.

amberroses,

Gee I felt warm just hearing about your 90 degrees in Florida...
It got down to 35 degrees here last night... brrrrr

Ah, Diane - that makes sense to explain why things won't kick back in for the fall once you pass a certain point. Weak sun affecting the plant's photosynthesis must mean it can't generate enough energy to get past the bud stage even if the buds come out. Not that I've been over-blessed with buds either - it's like the roses decided they'd already met their criteria for number of blooms in the spring and they were done for the season.

Speaking of seasons in Idaho and Spokane, I noticed an interesting phenomenon this week. I was in Seattle for work, and driving in from the airport I noticed that their trees in zone 7 (or 8?) were WAY more advanced than ours in zone 5 Nebraska. Clearly that must have something to do with how far north Seattle is from us, even though it's warmer. You'd think their fall would be later, but it's not. I wonder if spring is also delayed there because of the distance north - do the tulips ever bloom past the first week of May in those climates?

Just curious - one of those minor little puzzles that distract me from wanting to kick the roses into higher gear.

Cynthia