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| Hello! I am an infrequent poster here, but love to read in here; I always learn so much every time I visit. My Southern Australian front garden gets very hot and dry every summer, and has almost no shade at present (I have planted a few trees but they're still small). I do (must) water over summer, but only weekly to conserve water. Weeks of temperatures over 40c (104f) are not at all uncommon, and then I try to add in an extra deep watering. We bought this place with a front garden full of white Iceberg roses about five years ago, and every year I've been busily adding in a few other kinds. At first I stuck to David Austins, because I love the look of them, but this winter I branched out and planted a Mutabilis, a Sunny June and a Golden Wings out there. I'm trying to stick to pinks, buffs and yellows, softer colours. So far my Jude the Obscure and Graham Thomas have done really well and Brother Cadfael middling (few blooms, but healthy). Saint Cecelia and Golden Celebration are on their last chance before I move or remove them, and Charles Darwin and Comte de Champagne have already done so badly I've removed them to the backyard (cooler) where they already look much stronger. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of old or DA roses of a smaller stature that don't mind being blasted by strong summer heat? I strongly suspect that the Saint Cecelia at least is going to have to be shifted. |
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| The hybrid musk Omi Oswald performs wonderfully here in full sun with many days over 100. It has really nice deep green foliage that hasn't crisped at all like some of my other roses that aren't as happy in extreme heat. Omi Oswald is a pale yellow that fades to white. Repeat blooms in sprays. Is a low water user too. I don't know if you can get it in Australia. If you don't mind once bloomers, then there is R. canina Laxa. Drought tolerant once established, has a long bloom period, and produces lots of flowers which turn into very tasty hips high in vitamin c. R. minutifolia is the most drought tolerant rose I've ever seen. Once established, it goes dormant in the summer (can look dead!) with zero water (it can live months and months with no water in high summer heat), then when the rains come it rapidly greens up and starts blooming. Yep it repeats! Looks like a small mound of tiny, ferny leaves and very prickly canes. Quite distinctive and primitive. It is available in either pink or white here in California. I don't know if it has been exported to Australia. Melissa |
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