The Hawkeye Belle plants I saw in bloom were knee-high but very wide and covered in blooms. Each was small, maybe 2.5 inches wide, but perfectly formed. And they were a very pale pink, not quite white. Looks like Heirloom Roses and Roses Unlimited list it this year. Also, Angel Gardens. Anyone with experience there?
I have trouble with roses simply not growing, too.
I think part of it is that I tend not to water adequately (I've recently decided to double watering rations). And I've not been mulching adequately either (though I have now put down a yard of cedar mulch). I recently did some rudimentary soil testing and found that I'm not fertilizing adequately (Hoping 160 lb of Mills Magic will help a bit). Finally, I observe that hybrid tea roses on their own roots simply do not grow for me here; but floribundas on their own roots frequently do well. So I imagine the rooting qualities of a rose matters quite a bit. I'm not sure how good Hawkeye Bell is at rooting. One of the new tricks (for me) in planting roses has been to dig holes as close to 2 ft deep as possible, and mix in at least 50% Miracle Grow potting soil to loosen up and fertilize the zone near the bottom of the hole. Finally, having all the foliage nibbled off can set a rose back quite a bit, so this year I'm declaring war on furry nibbling critters that strip leaves from my rose bushes. A gallon of Liquid Fence is on its way. I've already used almost a half gallon of the stuff this season, noticed that it works for a couple of days after application. And a pair of squirrel traps is on the way, too. Maybe, just maybe I'll get some good roses this year.
