I received lots of emails about my English garden roses and the deer repellent I use so I thought I'd answer all of your questions here.
Where did I purchase the roses? I purchase bare root roses from David Austen Roses. It helps to plan ahead when ordering these as popular varieties sell out quickly. I place my orders in the fall and the roses are delivered at the ideal time to plant in your particular climate zone.
What kind are they? Abraham Darby (apricot/pink), Winchester Cathedral (creamy white) & Elegantyne (pink) Of these varieties, my favorite is the Abraham Darby. It seems to be the most disease resistant of the three and its range of color is so beautiful. I always plant several bushes of each variety in a grouping.
What deer repellent do I use? I use Liquid Fence an all natural spray product that won't harm plants or animals. I'm not going to lie though, it smells absolutely horrible when you are spraying it on. (Worse than horrible!) Must be why it works so well! As an added precaution, I also use deer repellent stakes by Sweeney's. I know these products work for us because everything that I haven't used the repellent on are devoured by the deer, but my roses finally go untouched.
How long do the roses bloom for? In my area, (Northern VA - Planting Zone 7) the first blooms arrive at the beginning of May and I'm still cutting roses into the fall. After a major bloom, it helps to cut the bushes back a bit for the next bloom. With the hot humid summers here I don't get as many blooms as in the spring or fall, but with diligent watering I always have enough for lots of bouquets around the house.
