Monday, May 18, 2009

May Roses


May and September are the chief months for roses here; in the summer months Japanese beetles eat them up.

This is a China/ Gallica cross that I got from a trade. The shrub is arching and fountain-like, mostly thornless, with one big flush of bloom in spring. The flowers are wine-red/ purple and fragrant.




'Pink Pillar' is a rose that I'm not sure I would have picked if I hadn't seen it in person. The red buds open to these delightful sunset pink fragrant flowers. I saw this rose blooming in combination with the climbing miniature 'Work of Art'. Normally I hate pink and orange together and dislike miniatures, but the combination was a wonderful one.


'Mutabilis' is truly well-named. I'm always amazed to see these tangerine buds


open to these pale cool pink flowers


that then darken to raspberry pink.


'Belinda's Dream'



'Sombrueil'


'Veilchenblau' looks its most lavender/ purple to me in the midday sun, which has surprised me. In the morning sun it has more of a wine-red color. Its fragrance, which is not at all rose-like, is sweet and wafting. I think some people can detect it and others cannot.



These 'Veilchenblau' are growing as free-standing mounds at the border of the vegetable garden, where they may eventually become monsters. lol At least it hardly has any thorns. I'm layering it so that I can also grow it on the fence between the pasture and the old front yard.


16 comments:

  1. They are all so beautiful and so happy in the sun there. I like roses but don't have so much sun here so I only grow a few. I enjoy seeing them all the time and smelling them even more.

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  2. The gallica rose is so fru fru and what a color. I normally favor the single petal roses but I love that one.

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  3. I tend to like the single bloom and so Mutabilis is cute to me. And of course Veilchenblau is fantabulous. Maybe one day I'll grow a rose myself. If I can find one that's easy to care for, has fragrance, has single blooms, and isn't red. :)

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  4. Sweetbay,

    That China/ Gallica cross is WOW I love it. The only roses I have blooming are the native Carolina Swamp Rose.

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  5. I really like them all, but Mutabilis is amazing! It's like having three roses in one!

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  6. Oh my goodness! Those are so lovely! I don't even try to have roses any more - I just don't have the time to do all that work - but I LOVE them, love them!

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  7. Hi Sweetbay

    Beautiful roses.

    I've seen Mutabilis featured as a full page in a David Austin catalogue a few years ago and thought it looked something. I don't think I seen it growing anywhere in other posts on the web.

    Rob

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  8. We just bought Veilchenblau this past weekend! We saw in Phillip's Garden. BTW I bet he's going to love that first rose.I thinks it's beautiful too.--Randy

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  9. Would love to grow Mutabilis but it's just to cold here. I'm switching to the once blooming heirlooms because of the beetles. It's too hard to see my lovely Austins and HT's covered in those foul beetles. I moved my two Gallicas to a sunnier place this spring. Don't know if they will bloom this year.

    YOur roses are lovely. Enjoy.
    Marnie

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  10. Thanks for your comments everyone!

    I would love to know what that first rose is; it's been nicknamed 'Dehlia's Purple' by its original owner, but that is not its registered name. There's a good chance it's a named cultivar, but it seems there's just as good of a chance that it's not -- there seem to be a lot of these Gallica/China crosses whose identity remains a mystery.

    Mutabilis can be a monster here. I grew mine from a cutting of a rose that we gave to my MIL. Her rose is gigantic now, a good 9' tall. lol It looks like it's covered in multi-colored butterflies when it's in full bloom.

    These roses are treated just like any other shrubs. I never spray them. All I do is feed them (ie throw manure on them from time to time) and cut out deadwood as needed. I can't grow most Hybrid Teas or Austin roses for that reason -- there is too much disease pressure here. These roses are either very disease resistant or are vigorous enough to outgrow any disease they get. I bought Double Delight once -- my husband really likes it -- and I think it lasted about 2 weeks. lol

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  11. Dear Sweetbay, Your roses are splendid...I can't think of a better word to describe their deliciousness...well, except deliciousness! If I had the space, the sun, the soil ;) I would love to grow Mutabilis. it sounds a dream...multicolored butterflies has sold me! Have a good week. Gail

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  12. I love the tangerine tinge to your Mutabilis rose. What a beautiful assortment of roses.

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  13. Your roses look like they are exactly where they want to be! I'd like to have the room for them you have. I especially like the last two that are so bushy and full of blooms.

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  14. I am so envious of your fabulous roses!! Wow! What a border for a veggie garden the Veilchenblau are! I just love the old fashion single roses. Beautiful photos too!

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  15. What beautiful gardens you have. I planted foxglove for the first time this year, guess I'll have to wait for blooms next year.

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  16. Bayse's Purple looks like velvet, just want to touch those petals. Wish Veilchenblau was hardy here. You kitty looks blissfully happy relaxing in the sun. Great crop of foxgloves.
    Marnie

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