whoo-hoo, whoo-hoo! I am so excited about your gorgeous lovely and smoldering hot! Abraham Darby roses (hee-hee) to keep consistent with its blazing iron-smelting founder.

That is one blazing array of ADs! I wish I were in your garden. Darby would be attacked and the bees would have to say buzzzz off, girl!

What a joy AD is to behold. Much as I used to obsess over Lady Emma Hamilton when I couldn't get her anywhere (whether it was nursery or online vendor ever since late April 2009 when I began to look for her), I think AD is every bit as showy and dramatic. I wouldn't be able to decide between those 2 roses in your garden. They're like the 2 luscious dishes at the end of the scale symbol. Is it Darby or is it Emma, Emma or Darby. I'd be chasing my tail like a crazed puppy dog if I had to decide between the 2 LOL! But I think I better leave both to the hands of the Master Gardener named Boxofrox and just enjoy them vicariously, LOL!

As much as I've been reveling in the ongoing explosion and the sheer volume of buds yet opened, the short term weather forecast has got me wondering if most of them will bloom and even if they do, if they will melt as they open. It's looking pretty wet and cool and the party may be winding down, but what an awesome summer. No whining from me but I do hope that my ready to bloom Lincoln makes it though so I can share your favorite honest Abe :-) Oklahoma and Braithwaite are both loaded too and I'd love to make a few more giant red bouquets before it's all over.

I almost forgot, I'm finally getting a few more from my stingy America, here's one I shot of her from below the arbor and a few other shots I got while out capturing the Abes......

America

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Sunset Celebration

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Yvonne's Salvia and Dahlias

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This is a 7' specimen Yaku rhododendron I rescued underplanted with asters, hardy fuschias, and salvia. It's in the bed right above the Wall of Easy and has become the heliport for all the birds that come to the garden ;-)

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You really caught the lushness of Abraham Darby's bloom.

LOL! yeah, yeah, yeah we Don't Believe You! Stingy is all relative, LOL! I can't ever imagine your garden having any stingy roses at all. I remember you had gorgeous climbing America from spring photos! You probably forgot her in the midst of your proliferation of Abraham Darbies and she is probably just giving you a reminder that hey! don't forget about me. I don't blame her for being a slower bloomer though, I mean her roses are huge! and it takes time to build up those massive spiral blooms, she is one of my favorites--now if only she could smell as proportionately big as my very tiny Penny Lane. She's supposed to be very fragrant but I find her only moderately nice, my poor ailing Gemini punches tons more fragrance than healthy America.

That I love your Sunset Celebration. It is forever a gorgeous bloomer in your garden. I love it! The asters are so cute and lively as groundcover.

So beautiful!!! Abraham Darby is at the top of my wish list for next year.

Abe was THE rose that convinced me that I HAD to get some roses, and he was the first one. It's hard not to inhale deeply as each of these gorgeous photos are on the screen.
As beautiful as the blooms are, it's the FRAGRANCE that got to ME!!!
Barb

AD is gorgeous in every picture and I truly envy you. I love this rose but it doesn't love me much. I wonder if I need to move to the PNW.

Ingrid

I had Abe when I lived in Edmonton (zone 3). It survived over 3 winters, but gradually got smaller and smaller until it died. But I remember that I absolutely loved it. It was my first non-hardy rose, and totally got me hooked on the tender roses.

Now that all my roses are potted, I'm going to overwinter my roses in the garage. Seeing your pics made me determined to get Abe again. Thanks!!

Talk about gorgeous pics of Abe. Gahhhh... drool....

Carol

Thanks guys :-)

There's not many things, I'd rather do in my garden than stick my nose in the middle of an Abraham Darby. While I like the fragrances of my Mr Lincoln, Oklahoma, The Prince, Gertrude Jekyl, and am quite fond of Outrageous as well, they just aren't AD IMVHO:-)

How ironic. My Abe Darby has none of the faces you showed, which just goes to show how many variations of AD there can be. Mine almost always stay in a globular form with many petals packed together in a spiral format. I happen to like Abe this way, so no complaints here. :)

jeffcat,

Mine often change with the weather. When it's cooler with a bit more moisture like it has been lately here, they are like the above pictures. When it is a little sunnier with less moisture, they're a bit more like these that I posted earlier this year.......

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When mine are at this stage of the bloom, they are the most fragrant as well :-)

I'm on my virtual knees with awe!! Stunning additions to the Abe Darby photos. I have GOT to get Abe again!!!

Carol

Boxofrox, I have adored looking at your photos, Thanks !