'Abraham Darby' David Austin Rose

source David Austin website

It's starting to feel like Fall here in Arizona. The mornings are cooler and the evenings feel cooler when the sun goes down.

About a month ago, I caught the Rose bug, and want to get back to growing roses again.

About three years ago, we rented a house with three well established rose bushes in the back.

Oh how they flourished! They easily grew to six feet tall, and I had to prune them back. 

The more I watered them in the Summer, the more they bloomed. It amazed me.

So when we moved into our house I bought a rose and kept it in a container. I don't know if it was because it was the wrong type of rose, or what, but I watered that bush, day and night, sometimes three times a day, and it barely survived the Summer.

'Lucious' rose

In the Fall I planted that rose bush, and it did okay it gave me some very nice blooms.

Then when winter came, it did suffer the cold a little, but again it barely survived.

Spring came, and it gave me some very nice blooms.

Again, Summer was around the corner and I began to water it more, but this time

no matter how much I watered it, it just wasn't enough, and I succumbed to the heat.

I just didn't feel like trying my hand at growing another rose, that is until a month ago, and I 

saw a floral arrangement at my neighborhood grocery store, that left me in awe,

blush roses and Stargazer lilies.

My absolute two favorites of blooms.

I went back the next day and the bouquet was gone,

but there were some lilies and I scooped those right up!

For the last month, I researched roses and growing them in containers.

And I decided to try again.

This time, I'm buying a bigger container, and making sure my soil is amended to what the

rose bush needs.

Pink, blush, and peach roses have always been my favorites, and not knowing the names

of the roses I had at my rental house, they did look very similar to David Austin Roses, with their large cupped and very fragrant blooms, I decided on buying 'Abraham Darby'.

Before I bought it, I read the reviews and I'm hoping that living in our dry desert and mild winters, will keep both black spot and rust at bay since it is prone to these diseases.

Online, I ordered it from the Antique Rose Emporium, and it should be shipped next week.

from HelpMeFindIt, 'Abraham Darby is described as follows.

• Apricot and light pink, lighter edges.  Strong, fruity fragrance.  70 petals.  Average diameter 5".  Large, very full (41+ petals), cluster-flowered, in small clusters, cupped, old-fashioned, quartered bloom form.  Prolific, continuous (perpetual) bloom throughout the season.  Large buds.  
• Tall, arching, armed with thorns / prickles.  Medium, glossy, medium green, dense foliage.  
  Height of 4' to 10' (120 to 305 cm).  Width of 3' to 5' (90 to 150 cm).
• USDA zone 5b through 10b.  Can be used for cut flower or garden.  Hardy.  can be trained as a climber.  Disease susceptibility: susceptible to rust 

I am off to plan our Fall vegetable garden!

Happy Tuesday :)