We moved house in September where we had a third of an acre garden, and downsized to a very much smaller garden. Almost all of my rose collection of 80 had to remain behind, although I did choose a very small number to come with us - 'Surpassing Beauty" (perhaps the strongest perfume of any rose), 'Graham Thomas', 'Edward's Rose', 'Polly', 'Penelope', Rose rugosa rubra, 'Austrian Copper'. Plus we've inherited Climbing Iceberg plus a couple of unknowns. 'Miss Alice' and 'Heather Austen' hated the move and have just about died on me. As we have nowhere near the original space we had before, I must reduce my habit of falling in love with roses but have decided to buy a 'Canary Bird' after seeing so many examples in flower this last week. 'Austrian Copper' has an interesting history. I came across it in 2006 when riding my motorcycle across the US, and in Ouray in the Rocky Mountains, found this unusual rose - the petals are orange with yellow on the reverse side (or possibly the opposite). I brought back a rose hip and grew some on when I returned to the UK, but here's the strange thing, they've never, ever flowered, not once, although the two plants I have look healthy enough. Some of our roses were chosen as they are names of family members, not I'd agree a sensible method of choosing a rose. I'm always interesting in reading other people's ideas of why they love roses.
@Paul N … well you still have a good selection, even if downsized.. I have a couple of those above including ''Surpassing Beauty''.. I love the colour as well as the scent, but it's not a rose for everybody.. ..glad you had a nice time in the rockies… I've been there too... perhaps you went through Sturgis in S.Dakota I think.. they have motorcycle meet ups.. huge numbers of people gather..we passed through there just north of the Black Hills.. we also drove across the rockies in Montana and Wyoming.. if I didn't hate flying I'd go back tomorrow..
I saw some prairie roses on the plains too... although I wasn't there for that especially... they took me by surprise.. rosa arkansana types..
...I hope your seedlings bloom for you.. but I would have given up by now... so I admire your patience... best of luck, and thanks for your post..
..the scent on Blue For You is wonderful, at times, and at others, like so many roses, seems evasive... I think the scent is mostly in the outer petals, I felt it was strongest just before the bloom fully opened.. once opened I didn't get the scent quite so much.. ..it has a cinnamon apple scent to my nose, and others too from what I gather...
Cistus 'Thrive' is the best cistus I think, always in flower into autumn.. gets a bit old after a few years as this one is now.. but easy from cuttings..
'Desdemona' roses with penstemon 'Westminster Belle'
..not a clear picture, but this bud has been eaten.. inside a leaf next to it is a small caterpillar like creature... rose sawfly larvae ..
..this one about to open is 'The Ancient Mariner'..
A lovely rose, Marlorena. Does it repeat? Trevor White lists it as summer flowering but Beales as repeat flowering.
Which gets me to another question, do you think that non repeating old roses are worth it? I've been thinking that we grow many non reapeating (or short time flowering) flowers and shrubs but in roses, we require repeating. Maybe because there is enough repeaters to choose from?
This is the third year of my 'Blue for You' which is in front of a south facing wall so gets pretty hot. The flowers don't seem to last very long, a day or two at most and the colour fades quickly. It does repeat very well though. On reflection I am wondering whether I should have planted it in a more shadier spot?
@Lizzie27 I've heard that said, that the blooms don't last long.. mine is in full sun... so I'll keep an eye on that, but it seems to produce so many flowers that I feel I may not notice this short bloom time too much..
@edhelka … thanks.. yes it's a bone of contention really as to whether once flowering roses are worth it in the modern garden... people want flowering all season nowadays... I make room for a few, and I don't have a large garden... I find it's something to look forward to each year.. you can have too much of a good thing with bloom after bloom for 6 months.. so many of them have such history and charm that isn't found in modern roses so much.. but it is an acquired taste..
'Mme. Lauriol de Barny' has always been a once flowerer for me... it blooms like clockwork from May 15 for about 5 weeks.. sometimes 6 to end of June...but is at its best the first 3 weeks... I have never had a later bloom on it, and I've been growing this rose in various gardens since 1990.. ...it's a highlight of my May rose garden and I enjoy pruning and training it each year, ready for the next...
Posts
..glad you had a nice time in the rockies… I've been there too... perhaps you went through Sturgis in S.Dakota I think.. they have motorcycle meet ups.. huge numbers of people gather..we passed through there just north of the Black Hills.. we also drove across the rockies in Montana and Wyoming.. if I didn't hate flying I'd go back tomorrow..
I saw some prairie roses on the plains too... although I wasn't there for that especially... they took me by surprise.. rosa arkansana types..
...I hope your seedlings bloom for you.. but I would have given up by now... so I admire your patience... best of luck, and thanks for your post..
..it has a cinnamon apple scent to my nose, and others too from what I gather...
..very similar to this.. 'Wild Rover'..
'Vanessa Bell' again..
..I like slim conifers with roses.. this one is Thuja 'Brobecks Tower'..
Hesperis always nice with foxgloves and roses..
'Desdemona' roses with penstemon 'Westminster Belle'
..not a clear picture, but this bud has been eaten.. inside a leaf next to it is a small caterpillar like creature... rose sawfly larvae ..
..this one about to open is 'The Ancient Mariner'..
'Mme. Lauriol de Barny' [Bourbon 1868]
@edhelka … thanks.. yes it's a bone of contention really as to whether once flowering roses are worth it in the modern garden... people want flowering all season nowadays... I make room for a few, and I don't have a large garden... I find it's something to look forward to each year.. you can have too much of a good thing with bloom after bloom for 6 months.. so many of them have such history and charm that isn't found in modern roses so much.. but it is an acquired taste..
'Mme. Lauriol de Barny' has always been a once flowerer for me... it blooms like clockwork from May 15 for about 5 weeks.. sometimes 6 to end of June...but is at its best the first 3 weeks... I have never had a later bloom on it, and I've been growing this rose in various gardens since 1990..
...it's a highlight of my May rose garden and I enjoy pruning and training it each year, ready for the next...