I'm Isabel from Spain. As you all may have suffered, this summer has been incredibly hot: we have been between 35-40ºC here, for plenty of days. Terrible! My roses have all stand pretty well, as been well watered and feeded during all season, but my Gruss an Aachen has strangely changed colour: In June the blooms were perfect, beginning pinkish but quickly fading to perfect white, in a superb flower.

Latests flowers are in a pink shocking shade, I would say vulgar, rude. The flower is not nice at all, no't as perfectly shaped as used to be in the beginning of summer.

I've been watering her almost daily, like the rest of flowers and roses of my garden. I've given feed once a month, and gave her iron powder (only once) because my water is too calcarous.

I've seen other colour changes, for example, my Dusky Maiden, perfectly red at her first blooms changed into pinkish subtle fades, but Gruss has changed so much.

Could somebody help me to understand what I did wrong?

Isabel Cavedo Demangeot
Barcelona
Spain

Many roses are subject to color variations ; the China R.Chinensis semperflorens, from wich all reblooming reds descent -Dusky Maiden too- often gives some pink flowers.
Here in fresh Belgium, "GruB an Aachen" open in light yellow,then fades into white.We had 35° every day during three weeks, and its flowers are less beautiful now, here too so this could have played a role.
I'd certainly give up on the iron powder, tough.Chalky water or not. I think it's better to feed roses with organic stuff only (compost, manure). If your soil has extreme charachteristics, the best way is to know wich rootstock(s) do well in this area. Ask old gardeners/rosarians in the neighbourhood.
Doing so, I discovered R.Laxa and Multiflora, often used by big roses producers in Europe, did not work in my area.
I stick now to R.Canina or Rubiginosa.
For you I of course don't know, but R.Indica Major was largely used in southern France in dry, chalky soils. That's only an example.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Pete.

Thank you for suggestions :) mine where bought in the UK so may be are sticked for wet areas, anyway I think they are getting used to dry and hot climate pretty well, taking also into account that this is their first year at home :)for sure next year I won't add them iron powder and will feed them with organic thing only, as the soil is not extreme: they are in pots and I used a very good soil when I planted them. The matter is the water, and as I'm a bit concerned as I have Cameliasd two in another part of ther house which really need special water needs, then I thought that may be also roses may be affected by.

Thank you very much, also for advices from Antypods ;)

Isabel

If they are from UK, there is 90% chances they are on R.Laxa.
This rootstock is better in colder climates than yours,but can handle reasonably chalky soils so your hard water should not be a problem.
Best wishes,
Pete.

Thanks to all who helped me :)

Isabel

just a quick note to tell you that now my Gruss has bloomed fantastic !!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to all for your suggestions :)

Isabel