Roses in the subtropics

After months of rain last year and a prosperous season this year so far our younger cuttings grow roses have rocketed ahead.
Some modern floribundas have also shown promise.
Whats so special about that? Well we have a very crowded perennial garden and live at 1500 fet altitude in South east Queensland. It is often both wet and dark so conditions are not classically suited to growing roses.
We have no irrigation system.
As overplanters of large shrubs such as a collection of Camllias, michelias, Weigelas and zealous tree planters our roses often subsist with reduced hours of sunlight per day
Tolerant Tea roses include Safrano, Marie Van Houtte, Mutabilis, Isabella Sprunt, Rozette Delizy, Comptese de Labarthe, Dr Grill, MMe Lambard, Mme Berkeley, Mrs BR Cant, Souvenir de Mme Leonie Viennot, Professeur graniviat and Perl de Jardins among quite a few others.
Many of our roses are laden with bud just now (early to late January), taller than us and waist deep in perennial salvias, wormwood, Heliotrope, Golden Rod and Cleome.
Who says coastal Queensland is no good for Roses?

All the 'knowledgeable' rose people LOL Just somebody forgot to tell the roses

Kyleigh and Michael
Don't you know you are supposed to be growing palm trees around your Bali hut!

Please visit any nursery on the Sunshine Coast and they will tell you that growing roses is just not possible in our climate even if you are prepared to spend your entire life spraying the roses with all sorts of chemicals.

I mean our Teas etc are really not as good as they look. It is simply our imagination. They are really covered in blackspot and despite them looking like they are a fine spreading shrub they are are really a spindly looking plant that should be replaced by a Golden Cane.

I agree Gary, it is all in our imagination that our roses look good, when I saw yours the other day I was dreaming.
My roses are doing just fine, nice and healthy without spraying anything on them. I know I am only new to the art of growing roses but I am not disapointed so far, if I had heard that we couldn't grow roses here then I would definately be missing out on some great flowers.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Welcome Kyleigh and Michael good to have another SE Qlder on the forum.

Most Queensland 'gardens' I have seen consist of a palm tree or two (usually dropping old spiky fronds everywhere) a couple of sad looking hibiscus and a bouganvillea... sad... I am not sure why, maybe because somebody told them cottage gardens 'aren't suited'?

I have lilac cuttings growing, as well as a lot of cottage garden plants, and the hibiscus and warm climate plants are flourishing too, because they all get loads of manure (the wonders of farm life) and adequate water. However I do find that even plants that supposedly MUST be grown in full sun, much prefer some shade, especially in the middle of the day and afternoon. That's where the deciduous trees come in handy- shade when we need it, sun in winter, and loads of lovely leaf mulch!

I have always wondred what lilac looks and smells like, I may have already seen it but not know....still a bit of a novice at this flower gardening thing