I planted Secret just last summer, and it was a wonderful bloomer and they look just like the pics on hmf .... I live in the middle of Kansas, where the heat in August reaches 100 for several weeks at a time, but Secret~so far~managed to just keep blooming. Gorgeous scent, and I think the blooms remained on the stems for 4 or five days, before dropping. Well worth planting!!!

I have a couple of questions about Secret rose:

     1)  I recently read that Secret rose loses its blooms quickly.  This has been my experience with mine so far -- the blooms didn’t even last 24 hours on the bush before they shrivelled.  However, mine is still in its first year, and there was an unusual heat wave not long after we planted it -- so maybe the quick shrivelling of blooms was due to stress, or to not being thoroughly established yet.  Can anyone tell me how long Secret’s blooms normally last on the bush, in your experience?

     2)  I read that Secret prefers cooler climates, or partial shade in hot climates.  I live in an area with hot summers – zone 9, I think.  My Secret is currently in a spot that gets morning sun to midafternoon sun, with shade in the late afternoon.  I’m thinking of moving it to a spot that gets about 3-4 hours of afternoon sun per day, with shade the rest of the time.  Can anyone tell me in which of these two spots Secret is likely to do better in my hot area?

     Thank you.