Going for the Gold

This Golden Celebration bloom is truly delicious.  The color, form, and fragrance of this bloom cannot be topped.  It has some equals, but no betters.  This is why I grow David Austin roses.



Here is another bloom framed inside a square of chainlink fence.  In the heat of summer, they sometimes are more open like this.  Take note of the blackspot on the leaves in the background. 

The above picture shows why I have a love/hate relationship with David Austin roses.  This scraggly bush has few leaves and looks unkempt even though I give it plenty of water and mulch through the year.  I didn't spray fungicide and it shows.  This is what the plant looks like in late summer down here. 

But how can I resist when I look back at pictures like this, taken in April when blackspot was nonexistent and blooms were profuse.  Sometimes you just have to "eat the meat and leave the bones" when it comes to roses!  Maybe next year I'll break down and spray my Austins to keep them looking better.