22,152 Garden Web Discussions | Roses

You've gotten wonderful encouragement from everyone so far to follow your heart, and ultimately that's what a garden should be. I thought I'd throw in a more prosaic word of caution about gypsophilia from my mom's experience as food for thought. She planted the perennial baby's breath (or maybe mixed in with the annual) in a wild birdbath area in full sun. There was a wonderful mix of varied perennials and annuals when she started, and she thought the gypsophilia would add some height and wispiness. Turns out the gypsophilia was an absolute thug in her zone 5 Michigan garden, and it totally overpowered the other well-established plants already there and well suited for that spot. I tried to help her get rid of it or at least tame it, but by that point the gypsophilia had put down roots clear beyond where I could dig, and I'm sure it's still there to this day.

Now none of this says you can't have that combination, but I might suggest putting the gypsophilia in a pot behind the roses, and watching it very carefully to deadhead before it goes to seed. That way you could move the plant if it gets scruffy or out of control, and still enjoy the effect. Particularly a florist's rose may be less able to fight off a thuggish perennial, even in your more temperate zone than mine.

Just my two cents.

Cynthia

Thank-you so much to all of you. This is all really helpful advice! Not sure what house we're getting yet (or what state or kind of Garden we'll get) Hopefully we can have Christmas in the new house and I can get it ready for the January-March planting time.

Good to know about gysophilla, I might keep it potted and see how it goes, I've *ahem* got it on my windowsill in a plant pot, so I'll just keep it in that when it goes outside. There's no holes in the bottom so no chance of it rooting through the bottom.

I like Grand Prix for it's aesthetic rather than any specific reason of heights, etc. If there are other roses that grow in that colour (the size is quite nice too) then I will definitely go for something more suited to a garden and climate. I'm happy to spend some time with my rose looking after it, but as a new gardener, I would rather have something a little easier to deal with!

I'll keep the note about south-facing garden, but I don't think it's a priority for what we're looking for in a house. I think I'll have to work with the garden attached to the house we want, rather than the other way around!

I've recently been getting into Pintrest, so I might use that as a place for garden ideas as well as the other stuff I've been using it for. My real loves fit into a nice colour palette of black and red. So far I've thought of dark red roses, some black grasses I believe? Gladioli blackjacks (currently growing and spare bulbs) and maybe the black hollyhocks. And definitely some of what's growing in the people opposite's garden which I will photograph and identify at some point!

I also like the idea of doing an area with edible plants, definitely raspberry (which I've been told is a wild weed so I may need to contain it) and then maybe strawberries, tomatoes, avocado (if I can ever get it to grow!) and maybe a small herb section as well?

My friend has a mini-greenhouse as well, so I might get one of those!

As far as the formality goes, I was thinking originally I would just do haphazard, anarchistic gardening, but I got told on here that planning was a good idea! Turns out I already had more of an idea than I thought I did :)

I'm sure I'll have loads more questions when I get to actual garden-ownership and planting, and I'll be back :D

Thanks again to everyone for all the help so far!

Rosecandy, yes I shall certainly do that, thank you...

OK Michael, you're forgiven for giving us the slip, but the real question is - did you back Duke in your bracket from the beginning or get swayed by all the press about Kentucky? A good NC fella like you needs to trust the hometown boys. When I do a bracket, I routinely put UNC or Duke at or near the top (strong family connections all over NC), and history has shown those are pretty good bets.

Cynthia

The blooms look like Dr Huey. They are very beautiful when in bloom, but it only blooms for a short time in the spring. Then it throws LONG arching canes for the rest of the season. Plus Dr. Huey will get Black Spot fungus very easily.

Dr. Huey is the root (rootstalk). If the grafted rose is still alive you will see canes growing from above the larger knobby area at the base of the plant. Everything growing from below that knob is Dr. Huey sprouts growing from the Dr Huey rootstalk. Dr. Huey is also capable of growing an adjacent "crown" for another bush.

You do not want to save Dr. Huey! It may already have hogged nutrients and water to the death of the original grafted part. The long canes with the short lateral growth featuring red blooms can be marked with yarn if you want to wait until bloom is done. Then they can be cut back to 12-16 inches to see what is going on at the base. That will leave enough length to try to pull off as Seil described above. You may find it is now completely Dr. Huey with no live canes of the original grafted hybrid. In that case dig it out. And watch each year for a rose sprouting up where there was none. It's Dr. Huey asserting itself from a piece of root that traveled.

Thanks for all your responeses. I've learnt a lot from this forum.

Ingrid may have a thrips problem, as mites don't generally infest the blooms themselves....

I agree with Patty with regard to Mr. Zimmerman's advice. I bury my roses and don't remove the mound in spring as we are traditionally taught to do. spring. I find it is less work and I loose less roses during harsh winter. But since you live in zone 7, I don't think hardiness is one of your concern.

When I first planted roses our winters seemed to be much milder and that was just 8 or 9 yrs ago. At that time I didn't try to bury my graft as it was all new to me and i've learned as I went plus all the great advice on here.

Christopher I was even tempted to go back to all mine that I didn't bury the graft underground and build up a raised bed more or less around each one to protect them so after reading your post I may just do that. My zone is milder than lots but I do still lose canes and roses due to excessive cold and it makes me mad. lol

Thanks again everyone!

I'm finding it fascinating to see the pics of the landscape surrounding our various gardens. I think I'll go take some of my surroundings this afternoon.

I would be hardpressed to pick my favorite garden out of all those posted. They are all so lovely.

Now that spring is here and we have a few new members, I thought I bring this post up again for everyone inspiration. I am planning to rejuvenate my front garden and is studying everyone beautiful pictures and opinions for ideas.

Wow! That is one beautiful, and big, rose. Thank you for sharing, Jacqueline.

All beautiful but quite scary! These are definitely something I don't see in my colder climate.

Then, the good news is that there are a whole wonderful bunch of Eastern Seaboard Rosarians to give you the best advice in the world.

Heck, Maryland was Ethelyn Emory Keays "stomping ground." She grew and researched the best of them. Look for her book "OLD ROSES" and be inspired.

Welcome to the crazy rose people society so my hubby says. Its the most wonderful hobby anyone could have. Enjoy picking and choosing and take lots and lots of pics for us to see. Have fun, Judy

I cringe when I hear someone has planted ZD. I did that once, it was the rose that ate Dodge City.I once cut 50 canes out of her just so I could get down a garden path. My husband finally wrapped a log chain around her and pulled out with a tractor.

Oh dear, Flowergirl, what a monster! At least it's not thorny, though, like some of those big'uns, so it won't actually kill you if you dare to defy its will! Someone on here or the ARF has/had a monster one like that (your ZD). Fortunately I think it was growing somewhere where it could pretty much do its thing. Was that Zephyrose/Florence? I seem to remember it on a slope(?) at the back of a building/house, in semi-shade.

I think Kathleen Harrop (one of her sports), generally stays more mannerly - similarly lovely blooms but in shell pink, and similarly perfumed.

Comtesse :¬)

HOLY SMOKES that is huge!!! And so pretty. Is that actually one plant?? the one I saw here locally must have been a young one, I think....nowhere near that size, just a lush pretty clump resting on a picket fence. And here I was thinking my 18 foot long by 6 ft tall trellis that I have envisioned situated on about a six foot wide strip of land would be adequate over time.....maybe not! I wonder if pruning would have to be a weekly event to keep that sucker in check just to keep it narrow enough not to encroach on my neighbor's property. I also have to wonder what the root system is like...will it eventually pick up the driveway and hurl it into the street?

JJpeace, your neighbor sounds worse than mine!

Tess of the d'Ubervilles has been a great climber for me. Lady Banksia, though a once bloomer, has an impressive set of leaves that would help screen a view. Westerland is a good grower for me, as is Aloha. Or you might consider a fast growing vine that will cover quickly - in my area a good one is star jasmine, its everygreen, blooms yearly with a divine fragrance, and you could plant shrub roses in front of it. In no time, it would cover a trellis. A good material for a trellis is cattle panel nailed onto square 4x4's. Screening that view would be a top priority for me.

Judith

'Bolero' should do very well for you. It is beautiful, very fragrant, and has a low, spreading habit. I would recommend 'Munstead Wood' for the red except it is extremely thorny. It is bushy, not tall, with gorgeous fragrant crimson-purple flowers.

I have seen Valentine for years at Chamblees and finally bought one this spring. Its still in its gallon pot but is out-blooming everything. I would bet this would be a great rose for a pot - blooming constantly. It is a shrub type rose I think, which would look great in a pot.

Here's a link to a handout that was created by a number of cities in N. Texas as part of an education effort. Read the notes at the bottom closely about the decision to allow infected plants to go the recycle location. The mites can't live without a live host, nor can the virus.

http://ccmgatx.org/media/89696/RREC-Handout-from-Claude-Graves.pdf

What about this? Snip the infected roses into smaller bits over a garbage can to collect in there. Squirt some dishwashing detergent in there, then fill with water. This will drown any mites still living on the canes. If you leave it in there for a few days, things should start decomposing -- or at least softening. If you have a compost pile, the material should be safe at this point for adding to it -- the virus-transmitting mites won't feed on decaying rose canes, and any mites still on the rose canes will be dead, anyway. Cover the stuff well with whatever other material you add to the compost pile.

If you don't have a compost pile, and don't plan on starting one, then just leave the stuff to steep in the soapy water for as long as you can stand it -- it might get stinky after a while -- then pour out the water and send the solids off to wherever the yard waste ends up. Doing so should prevent spreading either the mites or the virus into their compost.

:-)

~Christopher

You need to determine if you are in a quarantine zone for something or not first. Then follow the rules form CDFA. Bare rooting your plants was the best way to bring things in according the CA officials I spoke to. In that case, dig them up, hose off all the dirt, wrap them in some damp paper for the ride and keep them wet and most of all follow the rules or they will kindly take them off your hands for you and destroy them.

Please research this and go in prepared. We lived in CA for six years. My husband lived in CA when we got married in 1998 and I was moving from Texas. No one warned me about CA laws and I stood beside my car in tears as some very unfeeling border agents destroyed 52 african violets I had lovingly grown for years.

I have Iceberg (own root) and really love it - in fact, it's one of only two roses I have that I consider to be without any discernible scent - the other 'scentless' rose is the climber 'Pierre de Ronsard' ( aka Eden). I'm about to get an own root Margaret Merril - another white floribunda that has a beautiful perfume, it also grows to about 5 feet tall and the flower shape is really delightful - it's sometimes tinged pale pink (which also happens to my Iceberg, too).

Maybe Margaret Merril might be worth considering? Here's a link to it on Help Me Find -

Margaret Merril floribunda rose

Cheers

Tricia

Lots of blooms for a small bush.