Luscious is the only word I could think of when I saw these pictures. The colors are so beautiful. Abraham Darby has to be one of the most sumptuous roses around; why oh why won't it do well for me?

Thank you Ingrid, that is so kind. I do agree that AD is sumptuous and if it were left up to me, he would thrive in your garden as he does in mine. I do not spray and do no special teas or tones. I have three of the gentlemen on a short cyclone fence and they get two or three helpings of timed release fertilizer just like all my other perennials and those three give me probably 4-500 blooms in a season. I confess that I was luckier than I was good when I stumbled upon them for my FIL's namesake. Right now, there are probably 100 or more buds/blooms and it's heaven to stroll through right about now :-) If I could change one thing about him it would be that he was as good in the vase as he was on the bush. But alas, perfection is hard to come by in any rose.

Beautiful pics--especially of Abe. Never seen him in real life, but I take it from your pics as well as those of other forumers that Abe is very, very photogenic!

Kate

Thanks Kate :-)

I'm thinking I have like 50-60 total roses mixed into my overall garden. I was perusing my Photobucket today and I have 38 pics of those other 47-57 roses and 108 pics in my subcategory of AD of which I have 3 total plants.......that pretty much says it all. I have no control over the clicker when I walk through my Memory Garden and Abe is in bloom :-) What can I say ?????

Sorry, that should have been 384 not 38

Very colorful Boxo! Very Nice!

Perfection Hard To Come By??????#*!$....Yaaaargh, yowls the Stumpy, Lump-Legged KG Pirate! Gimme that GORGEOUS Treasure! that makes me all Knock-Knee'd with Greed!!!! Gorgeous AD and Roses Gorgeously Arranged....AD makes every Rose Pirate ecstatic! I'd be looting, copying and pasting your AD everywhere had I the chance, Yo-ho-ho!

Splendiferous! Abraham D'Arby is JUST ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDING! He makes his own separate Shakespearean Essay!

Now that is one of my most favorite of all Hansa Blooms; last time I asked all about Lyda, and now I get to enjoy to the max. I always remember her as being one of the earliest to bloom in your garden, but looks like Hansa went to the head of the line as well as some of your other roses seasonwise. I just love Lyda's delicacy, Boxo. Even a pirate has to tiptoe around her delicate princessy presence. Livin' Easy is really showing his stuff, and we'll be waiting for his Cousin Easy Goin', lol! Jonathan Shaw does not ring my memory banks though. You've always got such lovely varieties of Rhodies, Peonies, but Jonathan Shaw does not seem as familiar- maybe I'm losing my mind, but I don't recognize the inner Leopard markings. Next time for sure I'll take note if this rusty keg of a brain don't work....Maybe it's from being too Pirate-Drunk over AD, haha!

L.D. Braithwaite, as lovely and gracious as ever.

Your Momma is so blessed having so many beautiful bouquets!

Simply wonderful photos of simply wonderful roses! I love spring.

Beautiful, boxo!

Mouth-wateringly delicious roses :)

Really beautiful. Hansa is especially fetching today.

I want to have OGR as my bouquet when I get married :)