Started Julia Child at the wrong time — lessons learned

I planted Julia Child at entirely the wrong point in the growing calendar and spent the first few months wondering what I'd done wrong. powdery mildew in humid summers didn't help matters. Once I understood deep watering at the base rather than overhead things improved substantially.

dense double blooms with a classic silhouette is what makes this plant worth persisting with. In a sunny south-facing garden border it finally looks as good as I'd imagined. first flush of blooms in late spring redeemed the whole effort. If you're starting out: do your timing research before you plant.