22,795 Garden Web Discussions | Roses
I'm not even sure I'd be comfortable calling myself a small-r rosarian. I've been growing roses for only about 5 years; before that I chose plants that reminded me of roses but weren't as intimidating - begonias, dahlias, etc. Now I'm up to 55 roses; mostly floribundas with a handful of HTs, shrubs and minis thrown in. A couple climbers too but I don't have a lot of room for the really big ones. If I did I'd try Jude the Obscure in a heartbeat! I'm living in Toronto Canada, and my neighourhood is a nice little microclimate that qualifies as USDA zone 5b; at times I can even stretch that to 6. My yard is full of mixed perennial beds and has all types of light areas. I've got almost as many varieties of hostas as roses, and more iris, but only because they don't take up as much space. I also love lilies and peonies, particularly the intersectionals. In my "past life" I was a wildlife biologist and worked at several different zoos in Canada and the US throughout my education/career as a keeper, trainer, wildlife educator, and researcher. I loved that work more than I can say, but ultimately, when the time came, being at home for my kids came first. To my immense pleasure, I found that my appreciation for nature, science and taxonomy, my obsessive devotion to detail and my love of living things of all shapes translated very naturally into gardening. I'm not a member of any rose society yet, but now that you mention it... I'd better look into the local club scene!
This is the big version of my current profile icon. It's not a rose shot but it reminds me of a very special time in my life. The shot is about 10 years old, and is me visiting with some young and friendly elephants. I will always feel highly privileged to have had such experiences.
Karen
I visited Nelson's a few weeks ago and saw their mail order operation up close. They send out the same roses that you'd find in their 3gal pots but in 1 gallon pots instead. I'm impressed with the ease of the ordering process and the varieties that they offer. If you find a rose on their regular website that you like they will work with you on sending you that rose, even if it's not on their mail-order website.
That's not how Heritage looks here. We don't get bubblegum pink out of her in my garden, where she's really pale usually. And she's a warmer pink (but so pale that her tone doesn't matter much).
To keep that medium pink here, she would not be who I'd go with, although I do have her with that same salvia myself so that's certainly pretty :D
Steven, thanks for telling about your roses! I happen to have both of those ones, I'll be extra interested in smelling them this year~ Now that I think of it, I have noticed that roses smell differently as they age, I've just never really thought about it, and probably thought it wouldn't be a difference I could put into words.
Christopher, thanks for writing all that out! I loved reading it and it gives me more to look in to. Any time you want to write anything more...
Thanks everyone for your responses; it will be neat to notice more things this summer coming ~
I thought of this thread again when I read this online, from an article called 'History of Roses' by Jerry Haynes. Can't wait till the roses come back.
"Fragrance Footnote: The fragrance of Rosa moschata has a two-part profile of spice/clove (the "musk" element coming from the stamens, especially in a young bloom) and rich, sweet, and not quite fruity but something akin to banana that comes from the petals. It is unforgettable!"
view1ny, thanks for your well-wishes; I'm soooo looking forward to mending and getting my hands back in the dirt.
phyllissteen, thanks for the tip about Above All. I'm always interested in spectacular apricot-orange climbers, tho at present I'm thrilled with the color and performance of the Tradescants that replaced our dudly Westerlands.
Hmm that's a good idea. Do you mean that stuff in the can called, Pruning Seal? I bought some of that years ago to spray the insides of some clay pots to make them less porous. That might be something to try. Would that do something evil to the root cut on Pat Austin though? It smells like tar if I remember right lol.
Gosh I am so jealous of your upcoming fun trip and all your mushroom compost! It sounds like pure heaven.
It looks like you got some really gorgeous roses. I was looking at Charles McIntosh too lol. You will have to let me know how it does grafted.
I ordered Lady Emma H. from Heirloom on its own root. I will be interested to see how large she will get here on own root. I have a kinda rounded style urn that I want to put her in since she stays smaller than some. If she gets too big I will have to bump her up to something larger. I think she would make a nice centerpiece maybe flanked by a couple Sharifa Asmas in urns.
I hope your winter is done with. They say ours is basically over now as well. Its been raining the last 3 days and cold. Yuck Yuck. I'm debating on pulling stuff out of the greenhouse this weekend.
Yes, that's it. It covers the wound, preventing insects from entering the wood on oak trees - like a sealer. I would think it would cover the wound like a liquid bandage a cut on our finger. Works well on trees....why not on the roses? Or you could push them together, tape with masking tape....maybe they would grow back together. Or tie with string.....anything to push the cut together. Then again....maybe they would grow fine as is. Bet they do.
Will certainly report on how the grafted vs. own root Austins do. Charles Rennie McIntosh is a most delightful shade of lilac/pink. Really pretty! My current Lady Emma H. is in a pot - own root, very healthy, but I am expecting the Lady Emma I get grafted is going to be much bigger. I tell you - these Austins from DA take off and grow! Your idea of putting these in urns sounds beautiful - perhaps with a trailing plant like asparagus fern, money plant.....
It is quite cold here, though temps are "just" 37. Due to bone chilling cold, seems worse than that. Really, I consider every day above ground a good day, am glad to be here! Spring will be here soon enough - I bet this time next week, we are quite a bit warmer, and with the upcoming week of rain we will be getting, bet we will soon see some sunshiny days! I just bought an incubator to hatch some chicks so that will give me something to do inside while waiting for spring. Of course I could always finish taxes or clean a closet.........Judith
Before I posted my photos (on the antique rose forum) I downsized them to an 800 x 600 size and then just dragged them over to my post. I have my pictures in a folder on my computer and just opened the folder to the pictures I wanted and, as mentioned, dragged them over to the post, i.e. the pictures and the post were on the screen at the same time.
How do you reduce them???