Lyn, Summer Song was the weak rose. Francis Meilland died most likely because we had a horrible summer last year and I didn't water, and I know better. The first year I have a rose I have to water on a regular basis or it won't make it through the winter. Francis Meilland was still growing when we had a temperature drop from 79 to 29...and it stayed at 29 for a day. Other people in my area did not have the same issue with that rose because they treated it right. Not pampered...just right.
I'm VP and program chair for our Rose Society, and for our program, we discussed what survived the winter and what had to be cut way back. FM was great for others.
Our rose sale is next week. We're selling Austins, Kordes, and Drift roses. Those are the winners in this area. Neal, the climate here is much like there--lots of temperature swings. Here, though, we don't have so much of the humidity, so that's probably why the Austins do so well here.
