We had a long, pleasant fall here in northern Utah, but it finally got cold enough to kill all the flowers. Along with some of the tough southwest natives like guara and agastache, my roses were among the last things blooming in the garden. Old Blush, or Parson’s Pink China, was still producing flowers and buds even with a few freezing November nights. Technically it’s not hardy this far north in Utah, and it does experience some winter dieback, but I mulch it heavily when the night time temperatures get below 20, and so far it has come back strong in the spring–something to look forward to when our winters start to feel like they’re never going to end!
Old Blush Rose blooming in November in northern Utah
Even the once-blooming roses contribute to my fall garden. A few of them–like Marie Bugnet (okay, she’s a rebloomer) and some of the Albas–put on reds or yellows for fall, and the ones that make hips add splashes of red to the show, such as Tuscany Superb.
Tuscany Superb hips, with guara still blooming in the background.
Those hips hang on through the winter and peek out of the snow when it piles up high enough to cover most of the plant (great insulation!), adding some much-needed color to the winter landscape.
Utah Pioneer Gardens 