I know this is the antique forum, but being as my garden is primarily OGRs and modern reproductions (i.e. Austins), I thought I'd share what I've been doing with my pot-pet collection of fragrant red HTs -- and while technically "modern", some are still pretty old. I really do love the variations in flower form, softer colors that play well with companion perennials, and the growth habits of the roses I selected for planting in the ground. But when most non-gardeners think of a rose, they think of a fragrant red Hybrid Tea -- roses that tend to be too finicky and gawky for how I envisioned my garden. But frankly, there is something I find seductive about them, so I got a few to keep as pot-pets.

I should note one exception -- I have 'Orfeo' trained to climb a hacked-back Callery pear. This came as a band last year from Rogue Valley Roses, and has finally decided to show me a few blooms. Planted at its base are two clematis -- 'Henryi' on its left, and 'H F Young' on its right -- which are already making their way into 'Orfeo'. The inspiration for this triad comes from Jacqueline3 -- she posted a GORGEOUS shot of her 'Climbing Crimson Glory' with "Sombreuil" and clematis 'Jackmanii', linked below (and appearing for some reason at the end of my message):

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/rosesant/msg0919133714135.101259139278.jpg

Remember -- imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Jacqueline. I subbed a white clematis for your white rose, and a different purple-blue clematis, but I'm going for the same look. My clematis aren't blooming yet, but I'm already imagining my version of your trio for next year. This pic is taken from the side of the tree trunk where 'Orfeo' and the clematis are planted. The other side, facing the raised deck on the neighbor's house, has the ends of two canes tacked against the trunk, with laterals going up. The actual first bloom on 'Orfeo' was on that side, but not today's.

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My iPhone destroys the reds color-wise, but you can still see the beautiful form -- starting off like a classic high-centered HT spiral, but finishing like a petal-packed old Tea. And it smells just like 'Crimson Glory'.

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The rest are all in pots, but I didn't want them to look like my "march of the rose soldiers" pot ghetto from last year before the garden was ready for planting them.

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Admittedly, I don't have nearly that many in my pot-pet red HT collection, but it would still be a bunch of pots. Thus far, this is what I've got:

Big Ben (1964) -- barrel
Chateau de Clos Vougeot (1908) -- pot
Chrysler Imperial (1952) -- barrel
Crimson Glory VID (1935) -- 2gal liner
Heart's Desire VID (1942) -- 2gal liner
Mirandy VID (1944) -- barrel
Mister Lincoln VID (1964) -- barrel
Night aka Lady Sackville (1921) -- pot
Nigrette (1934) -- pot
Nocturne VID (1947) -- pot
Oklahoma VID (1964) -- barrel
Red Masterpiece VID (1974) -- barrel
Rose of Freedom VID (1948) -- barrel
Velvet Fragrance (1988) -- barrel

I had a plan -- use the rose as the "thriller" in a pot, and get annuals for "fillers and spillers." Then place them around the yard in such a way as to be attractive features. For the "big boys", I bought 22 1/2" barrel planters made of resin from Home Depot for $20 each. For the more "wimpy" ones, I happened to find some smaller 15" pots on-sale for $10 each at Rite Aid. Unfortunately, I'm short two of these, but I can't find anymore (and I wanted them to match). So I planned for this year that 'Crimson Glory' and 'Heart's Desire' will live in 2-gal nursery pots while 'Nocturne' and 'Night' grow a bit and graduate to barrels next year. Then their 15" pots would be handed down to CG and HD.

I posted pics of the newly-potted roses previously in my "2014 Rose Season begins..." thread. At that time, only 'Nigrette' had any blooms. But you can see what the pots looked like in a few others.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesant/msg051326393268.html?34

Finally, I got around to putting annuals in to make things look less bare at the base. This is an overhead shot of one of the barrels. The rose in here is 'Chrysler Imperial' which died back to the soil line in its pot during the crazy Winter we had. Only this and 'Night' were cut back this severely. BUT...it lets me easily show how I planted the barrels. In the center ring are two 'Black Dragon' Coleus and two Dusty Miller. In the outer ring are two yellow Celosia, two purple Petunia, and two white Verbena. These weren't my first-choices, but it was the closest thing I could find at Home Depot. All the barrels are planted the same way, with only the rose in the center being different.

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Here's a shot of 'Rose of Freedom' (which is really more of a dark-pink than red) on the neighbor's back deck (two houses on one lot, we share the yard, and yes, they love what I've done back there).

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The smaller pots -- well, I'm not terribly happy with what I planted in there. I was REALLY hoping for Alyssum, but couldn't find any. Bizarre, I know -- what nursery doesn't sell Alyssum? Maybe I got there too late. So, instead, I opted for blue Lobelia (I am hoping it's the cascading type, but the tag didn't specify) and pink Vinca. If I find something I'd like better the next time I am there, I'll change this and use the annuals elsewhere in the garden. This pic shows 'Nocturne' on the right, and 'Chateau de Clos Vougeot' on the left. Had I known 'Nocturne' was planning to shoot that big, thick cane this year, I'd have planted it right into a barrel this year. And here I thought I'd have to baby it another year. These small pots are all now in the back yard.

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Then came the hard part -- where to put the pots. I already had a couple spots in mind, but I also have the landlord's massive riding lawn mower taking up 1/4 of the paved area of the back yard, along with two wheelbarrows (ok, that's on me). So I have to clear up an area before I can pop pots into the corners. Meanwhile, in the front, I put the "brothers" on either side of my front steps -- 'Mister Lincoln' on the left side of the pic, and 'Oklahoma' on the right.

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There was a nook in front of the neighbor's house that was begging for a barrel, so 'Big Ben' went there. After I uploaded this pic, I went out and moved it to the center of the cement square. Lovely driveway, isn't it? Can you tell I rent? Haha.

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So, what about book-ends for the garage door? 'Velvet Fragrance' is on the left, and 'Mirandy' on the right. That terra cotta pot? I have two that color (same style as the red pots), and one holds 'R. fedtschenkoana' and the other holds 'DLFED 3', both grown from cuttings last year.

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A closer shot of 'Mirandy', who is blooming now. Apparently, my iPhone is better with reds from this distance. Unfortunately, you can't see much detail.

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When I get in close, the color goes all wonky -- 'Mirandy' is a dusky blue-toned red in real life.

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And yet, I keep trying, because it's the only way I have to capture the blooms. Here's two attempts with two blooms of 'Chateau de Clos Vougeot' that turn out too fiery.

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'Rose of Freedom' is a little closer to dark-pink than red, but I got it anyway because it's siblings 'Mirandy' and 'Nocturne' are here, as well as one of its parents, 'Night' aka 'Lady Sackville.' And Vintage Gardens seemed to be the only place selling it, so I figured "get it while I can."

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And here's an attempt at capturing 'Nocturne' that doesn't quite make it. In real-life, it's in the same family of "red" as 'Mister Lincoln' and the like, not quite as dusky as 'Mirandy'. If I didn't already mention it, they're all "very fragrant" with the exception of 'Nigrette' which I'd call simply "fragrant" by comparison.

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There's a bit of congestion here for now -- I'll figure out better spots another day. Perhaps the neighbors will want some on the raised deck. Pictured here, starting from the rose at the base of the steps on the lower deck, is 'Chateau de Clos Vougeot' in a red pot, then to its right in a black barrel is 'Rose of Freedom', then to its right in a red pot is 'Nocturne'. On the ground, the black barrel in front contains 'Red Masterpiece', with 'Night' aka 'Lady Sackville' in the red pot in the middle, with 'Chrysler Imperial' in the black barrel in the back.

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As the annuals grow and fill the pots and barrels, I'll update this thread.

:-)

~Christopher

P.S. The pic appearing below belongs to Jacqueline3, not me.

This post was edited by AquaEyes on Sat, Jun 14, 14 at 9:51