Really lovely Ingrid -- and I hope you get a decent rainfall. Here, Nada.

Jeri

I had no idea Sophy's Rose was so gorgeous. I love your bouquet, Ingrid. The colors do remind me a bit of Young Lycidas, one of my favorites. Thanks for posting your lovely photos. Diane

Ingrid, she's absolutely luscious. I've always wanted Sophy's Rose, and you've made me want her even more. I'm pretty sure she's good in Florida. It would be great if she were a small bush, but I guess that's asking too much.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Pretty, pretty, Ingrid. I hope you got a lot more rain than hail!

Thank you everyone; she's been a very good rose for me so far, although still young. This rose began blooming while still tiny and has never stopped. I'm not sure what's going to happen now since it's 35 degrees. Jeri, I was sad to see that L.A. and northwards had no rain at all. Fortunately we only had hail for a short time in the morning.

Sherry, this is one of the smaller Austin roses with quite thin canes which at this point are bending over with the weight of the large flowers, but no octopus arms and my two bushes are still quite short. I hope the thin canes will improve with greater age and/or judicious pruning.

Ingrid

I've had Sophy for a few years. She isn't a monster DA. She gets tall, but not wide. And very disease free (can get PM, but resistant to BS much more than other DAs). Now, if only she had a strong fragrance, she'd be perfect. I know the frustration of trying to get the right color on the roses.

Very pretty Ingrid!

What a wonderful job you did with these photos Ingrid. I love Sophy's Rose. Mine must be ten years old now. I would lable it sort of lax and spreading. I'm happy that it doesn't get as big as some of the Austin Roses.

It's interesting that for buford this rose gets tall but not wide and for mendocino_rose she's lax and spreading. Mine is actually a bit of both with the middle canes upright and the outer ones spreading. I guess she hasn't made her mind up yet!

Ingrid

I miss my 'Sophy'--it got Crown Gall. Your flowers will get better and better yet as the plant matures. I should get another. It was always a bit on the floppy side, lax, as medocino_rose says. Beautiful photos, and the one of your wild California slope too. That is home.

We got a little rain and hail, but it's never enough rain. :(

Hmm--I'd describe the habit of mine as very bushy and twiggy, compact but somewhat spreading, about as wide as high. It makes me wonder if the tall narrow plant is really Sophy's Rose.

Ingrid, it's a bit off topic, but I wanted to say that I really love the view of the hillside in your back garden. Just lovely! Do I see a ceanothus off to the right?

hoovb, I'm glad to hear the flowers on SR get even better; they're rather awesome already. We also didn't get nearly enough rain; I have a feeling we're heading into a drought year.

michaelg, I like your description of SR's habit, it sounds very attractive.

Thank you for the compliments about the landscape view, hoovb and rosefolly. The purple bush and six or seven others I have further along that same stone wall are blooming rosemary bushes, which the bees are having a field day with. I do have two wild ceanothus but one grows out of a crack in a rock formation and the other is near a pepper tree so neither puts on much of a show.

Ingrid

Here is another view, this time from the other side of the house, looking toward the valley.

{{gwi:230592}}

Wondeful pics, Ingrid. Sophy's Rose looks spectacular in a vase.