Instant gratification???

Plants aren't consistent. They grow well and rapidly in one place, while the same cultivar may struggle in another garden. Some plants die. They just die, despite your care. They get diseases. They just generally frustrate you, about as often as they delight you.

Gardening is for people with infinite faith, and great patience.

I'm sure many specimens did not make it upon arrival from China or elsewhere to Europe.

Good point -- particularly, considering the length of time expended in travel to and from . . .

Oh but they did. Check out Wardian cases and tales of early plant hunters (these were truly intrepid hunters). Robert Fortune, John Hooker, David Douglas, the Tradescants, Veitch nurseries - astounding acts of derring-do (and some grisly ends).

It was a much slower paced life all around so people learned to be patient. Everything took much longer to accomplish. Getting news, mail, travel were all slow processes so people bided their time and waited.

Now days everything is instantaneous so people have little patience for things to grow and mature. They expect it to be big and healthy and blooming right out of the gate. Oh, and people really don't want to have to DO anything with them. The plants should just take care of themselves without any effort on the part of the purchaser. Hence the Knock Out mania.

It's sort of sad because half the fun is the anticipation. Watching the buds form and grow and oh my, when the sepals drop I can hardly stand the waiting! Makes the bloom SO much better when it finally opens! I think people miss out on a lot of the excitement by rushing through life.

I still like the hunt for that one rose that's really hard to find. It makes that rose special in my garden...I enjoy it more when I see it bloom knowing how hard it was to get. And I have to admit I have been known to take a bloom home from a rose show to try and root because I couldn't find it for sale anywhere. But I also share too with others who are looking for something if I have it.

But when I come here and see all the people on here who really do appreciate this passion I know there's hope. I'm not alone and that's a good feeling.

"I still like the hunt for that one rose that's really hard to find. It makes that rose special in my garden...I enjoy it more when I see it bloom knowing how hard it was to get."

*** Oh, I grok that!

I have little roses out there in 1-G's that I check on EVERY morning.

There are a ton of buds on 'N 92 Nanjing,' which I almost didn't have! Buds, too, on a couple of things whose tags were lost to dogs -- those are exciting, Buds just starting to show color on "Rustler's Gold" -- it's like an every day treasure hunt.

I even get excited about new basal canes on an own-root plant. YIPPEE!

I am 70 years old, and I sure hope I never lose that "Christmas Morning" feeling when a new little rose blooms for the first time.

haha--I hear ya! I have a little pot corral of babies just getting mature enough to let bloom a bit. I look at the flowers several times a day to see each phase from bud to blown bloom.

I'm on my 3rd try with Geranium Red (this one from RVR). They really are geranium like in form & color & have the most luscious scent. I've wanted to have a mature plant of this one for yeeaaarsss, but always lost it. Maybe, maybe, this time.....each bloom is such a thrill.

Coronado had the most gigantic blooms I've ever seen on a rose. Huge, fragrant--I think Gregg described them as confections--perfect.

Orangeade is pumping out those saturated flowers as fast as it can--astonishing depth of color & speed of rebloom.

Nimbus had a glorious spring flush--lovely.

I could go on...but y'all obviously understand:p

I think most here do. :-)

Campanula, you have a valid point.
I read that drinking water was given priority to the plants on board over the ship's crew. No doubt because of the rank, nobility, & wealth of the intended recipient.

What an interesting thread! I have always been fascinated by plants, and when I got old enough to read about plant hunters I was thrilled by their exploits.

I'm new to this forum -- just wandered in the other day looking for a recommendation for an old rose for an area I am reclaiming, but have settled down to read all of the posts and am now thinking of where I can put more roses.

I think you're right that people want instant gratification now and aren't content to just watch their plants grow and develop -- look at the demand for large annuals every year. No more buying the six packs of little petunias and tucking them gently into place with a little pat on the head for luck. I walk my garden every evening, although I fear the neighbours think I am an old eccentric, since they are of the mow-and-blow persuasion and go out into the yard only to exercise the dog.

Anyway, I shall return and drive you all nuts with questions about old roses.

Tons of buds on No. 92 Nanjing? Excuse me while I die of envy, Jeri. Must be just another rose that can't stand the heat of my blasted garden. When yours has some open blooms could you please post a picture? I knew I should have potted this one up, which I almost never do. Of course I've had Annie Laurie McDonnell in a pot for ages and it's growing with all the energy of a drunken snail. Patience, patience.......

Ingrid

Oh, by all means I will. I am most curious to see the color.

This was a very well-developed band plant, so I popped it into a 1-G. We have had some warm, breezy afternoons, so I have kept on top of watering the small containers, and everything is responding very well. Happy plants.

I'm so relieved that we're all rose nuts together! No one can lock us up if we band (pun intended?) together, right? :-) Carol

Ive driven 3.5 hrs to get a rose cutting. Like, Seil says, the more difficult the rose is to find, the more coveted/appreciated she is.

My Break o'Day which is virtually out of commerce gets LOTS of attention/pampering but I also like to offer cuttings, specially of those roses that are hard to find b/c in a way that is insurance in case something happens to your plant (rosette, winter, etc) you can get another cutting.

Well, that's the thing, Mas ... We're in hard times for gardens, and roses. What survives will do so because people are good enough to share. And we can all do that.

Gardening teaches acceptance, and keeping on going anyway, usually in a bearable form. A plant dies? Buy it again, root another cutting, try something else in that spot, remembering to dig the hole better next time. A tree blows down in a storm? Redesign that area of the garden, keeping the possibilities of increased sunlight in mind, and give thanks for the firewood, A drought kills established shrubs? Well, you've learned something about the potential of your climate, and the drought tolerance of certain plants.
In Italy, when things aren't going quite as you'd like, you say, "Pazienza", patience.
You all may be right that it's our age's instantaneous availability of many things that has put gardening out of fashion. A shame, of course. But we gardeners do enjoy much of the best of life, watching and living with process and change. It's a tonic for the soul.
Melissa

Loving the last line..."tonic for the soul"

Let's cut through the chase! I'm sure it was exhilarating during the days of the Empress Josephine and the likes to receive plants that no one else in the continent had at the time.

I had a fun day yesterday. I took a detour from our camping trip (made extra long by my gps looking for the fastest way home) and drove from Yosemite to Columbia. Seeing the dead heads made me wish I had been there a couple of weeks earlier and did not have to reach my destination as quickly.

But I got to meet Rosemary and see Jeri's BIG Secret Garden Climbing Musk. I sure made me want to try and organize a few day trip back up to the area and see where some of those found roses were found. I brought back two roses, not the ones I should have but maybe they will do well or not eat the house :)

She had a wonderful collection of big 5g plants and is going to be closing down her nursery, it sure would be a wonderful thing if we could help her and keep those roses in our gardens so we can pass along the love of something other than knockouts

Rosemary is a delight. I'm sorry the nursery is closing -- but I do understand.

Kippy -- I WANT TO GO ROSE RAMBLING AGAIN. Maybe in the spring. (I should have two good knees, by then.) :-) Want me to give you a yell, if we can put it together?

Hate to see nurseries that carry good rose selections, specially antique roses go out of business. Pretty soon we will all be at the mercy of cuttings to get antique roses.

Jeri, I would love it!

I have been thinking about her all day and was thinking I would see just how many of those big 5g pots would fit in the truck. Maybe I could transport a bunch down south in the fall and meet people some where to pick their rose up (like Santa Clarita? I5/126)

If you do, let me know.

If you haven't been to Columbia, I can tell you, it's worth the trip. Some of the shops are a little cheesy, but you can go have a drink at the old What Cheer? Saloon -- with a back bar more than a century old, in the same location. How cool is that?

It's my favorite place to go for my birthday. :-)

Melissa, your statement: "you all may be right that it's our age's instantaneous availability of many things that has put gardening out of fashion..." really struck an ironic chord for me.

I would say that I'm a late bloomer when it comes to gardening precisely because gardening know-how has been so unavailable to someone who wasn't brought up in a gardening family.

Even though I've always wanted to grow stuff, I had no idea of how to get the hands-on experience I knew I needed. After years of trying to teach myself (with varying degrees of success), I finally lucked out and found a mentor who has been willing to share his knowledge- and plants!- with someone he'd never met before.

But I still don't know how anyone is expected to learn how to garden (or even learn what gardening is) if they aren't born to it. Our culture doesn't support the process of nurturing future gardeners, or even acknowledge that it might be a good thing for folks to learn anything besides how to use lawn-mowers, weed-whackers, leaf-blowers and lots of chemicals to make the lawn green.

Maybe this shouldn't bother me, but I do think it's a problem, and I don't know what the solution might be...

The Master Gardener program is an attempt to remedy this. Those who join get instruction from professors in exchange for a designated amount of time spent as volunteers in public gardens. Someone who has been through the program could give you more information.

Cath

Thanks, Cath- I looked into the local MG program years ago, and it seemed to be designed for gardeners who already knew the basics, and wanted to do educational outreach in their communities. And I thought it was expensive.

I also wondered how much of the class would cover the organic gardening practices that are of interest to me. That also might vary from place to place...

The only 2 times I attempted to contact MG's in my area I got no response... The concept of public outreach is good, but the execution underwhelmed me.

I can definitely relate to some of what has been communicated, especially watching roses grow and getting a peek at the first blooms. I just cannot resist letting at least one or two buds on a band or 1 gallon plant open. It reminds me of Christmas Eve and being allowed to open one gift.

Ingrid I can definitely relate to what you are experiencing with ALM.
I have roses bands that I waited and waited to receive. I have been nurturing these babies, and even though some of them have grown by leaps and bounds, others, like Astrid Grafin Von Hardenberg, is growing at a glacial pace, but that is okay. It is among the roses I deem as particularly special. I have been captivated by their beauty, it has some historical significance, or there is just something about it that has elevated it's value in my eyes. Within a realistic realm, I will go to great lengths for, and have a great deal of patience relative to these roses or even plants.

Despite the demands placed upon many of us by professional careers, family, home, and other interests, we still may find the time to walk our gardens and inspect practically every plant almost daily; I know that it happens here. Gardeners are "in tune" with their growing environment and plants. Gardening is a labor of love, passion....and sometimes it is even an obsession.

My DH knows that should we re-locate, there are roses that I will meticulously dig up, pot, and take with us. I think in watching me, he has acquired an appreciation for the value not only of that which has manifested due to nurturing, but the sheer joy derived by me in the process of changing our little space in this world.

Lynn

This post was edited by desertgarden561 on Thu, Jun 19, 14 at 11:52

A woman I work with in our local Therapy Dog group has a great interest in history. Particularly local history.

Now, she says that she's learned a whole additional aspect to that history -- the living history of heritage plants.

She and her very bright son are adding a couple of destinations to their summer plans, to learn the horticultural histories. The living tie plants provide to our past.

So, our heritage roses aren't JUST beautiful additions to the garden. They're a pathway into our history, and just as valuable for that, as for their beauty.

I think it is sad to visit a historic building just to find non historic plantings (aka Home Depot landscape) Nothing like the house on a historic nursery with the grounds full of "Schnee Wittchen" (making it sound better...lol)

Jerijen,

Horticultural history, what an interesting adventure your friend and her son must be embarking upon!!

Do you know of any books that showcase and provide information regarding historical roses? I know that so much is available on the www, but I still enjoy books.

Lynn

Virginia,

I was saddened to hear that your local master gardener program was not working well for you. However, the gardeners here have demonstrated expertise superior to any I have seen elsewhere. You have fallen into the lap of expert mentors. Welcome.

Cath

Not directly, Lynn -- but for a historic overview of gardening on the West Coast, I love SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GARDENS, by Padilla (look for it under Used Books).

You shouldn't miss OLD ROSES by Ethelyn Emory Keays.

Read Keays, before you read Thomas Christopher's
IN SEARCH OF OLD ROSES.

Mrs. Keays INVENTED Rose Rustling -- the preservation of Old Roses.

THE CHARM OF OLD ROSES, Nancy Steen, is centered on the historic roses of New Zealand.

I think you can't do better than TEA ROSES: Old Roses For Warm Gardens (Chapman, Drage, Durston, Jones, Merrifield, and West)

And how about THE QUEST FOR THE ROSE (Phillips & Rix)

I have a soft spot in my heart for MY FRIEND THE ROSE (Lester)

I need REALLY need to revisit Judith M. Taylor's
TANGIBLE MEMORIES,
written with Harry M. Butterfield. That's
TANGIBLE MEMORIES: Californians and Their Gardens, 1800-1850.

And find yourself a copy of A BOOK ABOUT ROSES by Dean Reynolds Hole.

That's a start -- but I bet I've skipped a lot.
===================

And, Kippy -- Dare I hope you could hear, all the way up in S.B., the minor temper tantrum I had a couple of weeks back, out at Rancho Camulos? I even got Scott Klittich to join in . . . :-)

Cath, I have to agree that this is a fantastic resource. I've already learned a lot, and feel that as I get my first roses planted, I should be able to get good guidance with any of those inevitable bumps along the road.

I really like most roses, but am especially drawn to those with some history behind them. I love to read discussions about the different temperaments that roses have, and the histories behind the names. Gardening expertise and stories of roses and their growers? What a great combination!

I imagine that the local MG program must do a lot of good in the community- I just haven't had much luck with it in the past, and stopped trying.

I would love to see some sort of hands-on mentoring programs, though. There are so many older gardeners with the know-how, but who don't have the strength or stamina they once had; teaming them up with kids who want to learn by doing seems like it ought to be a win/win situation...

Thanks for your welcome,
Virginia

Jerijen, thank you so much for the references. I actually purchased Tea Roses: Old Roses for Warm Gardens. I think you may have been the GW member who suggested it. Unfortunately, I need to stop drooling as I look at the images and start reading.

Lynn

Yes. The images are seductive. But I think you'd love some of those other books, too. My hands-down favorite is Mrs. Keays "OLD ROSES." She's the original "Rose Rustler."

It's a wonderful story -- she's such a great writer. Images are minimal and BW -- she was writing in the 1920's, but she was SO GOOD. She's my hero. So, I was overjoyed to get a plant of the rose called in her area "Faded Pink Monthly." I am so pleased to have a rose she found, and grew.

For anyone interested, you can download Dean Hole's book for free at the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: A book about roses - Dean Hole

Love love love Mrs Keays book. If you are a rose lover, it is a MUST read.

I just completed the Master Gardener program here in the Phoenix area. It was beyond great; I loved every minute of it and learned a lot. I imagine the programs vary by locale , as they are a national program (I think) but are runout of each state's land grant university. Here it is a part of Univ of Arizona. Master Gardeners are all volunteers, so sometimes it is hard to get ahold of the right person to ask, but the MG's that have been around for awhile are amazing gardeners. Also, in my MG class, there was a mix of experienced and beginner gardeners, so don't think you need to have much experience to enroll.

Again I highly recommend checking out the MG program, if you are so inclined.

I just wanted to add that I feel the same way about Mrs Keays, Jeri. Her book is so beautiful and you just feel the love she had for her roses so clearly in her wonderful book. She's my hero too!

Thanks Jasper! I think, sometimes, people think that a book from the 1920's won't give them much -- But it WILL!

I feel that I could sit down with her and spend an evening with some good wine, and some terrific rose stories.

True Blue -- Can you search that database for "EVERBLOOMING ROSES" by Georgia Torrey Drennan?

This is another to look for. There are facsimile copies. (I was lucky enough to get a first (only) printing copy at a reasonable price!

Everblooming Roses For The Outdoor Garden Of The Amateur: Their Culture, Habits, Description, Care, Nativity,... by Georgia Torrey Drennan

They don't have it there but I found a free copy through Google play. Not the most user-friendly but better that nothing :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: EVERBLOOMING ROSES

THANK YOU! This is another wonderful book on roses, from an even earlier writer.

Georgia Torrey Drennan, was born on a Mississippi plantation. Her young husband was a Lieutenant in command at the Seige of Vickburg, and his letters to her are considered to be the definitive account of that Civil War action.

He was a judge, post-war, but fell afoul of people who didn't cotton to his racial impartiality -- and so the family moved to New Orleans, where she wrote her book, and the family still lives.

The lady knew her roses, and there's a lot of information there. You can also buy a re-print, via Barnes & Noble.

Lynn, just wanted you to know that my ALM has now produced a few buds which of course I nipped off, but it was very encouraging. It's amazing how well this rose stands up to all-day brutal sun here, although of course I've covered up the pot with rosemary branches to cool it and keep the critters away.

Seeing the picture of Faded Pink Monthly almost made me teary-eyed because it was a link to my beloved book by Mrs. Keays. Even though I haven't read it for a long time so much of it still resonates in my mind. What an intelligent and resourceful lover (and detective) of old roses she was.

Ingrid

Ingrid,

That is good news. Your patience and nuturing of what I believe is a great rose is paying off.

Lynn