Joanne McKinnon Garden Photography

Archive for the ‘Roses’ Category

The last rose planted this season. The new bed is 3 by 4 ft. Only two ‘Kogesha’ ensata irises will share this bed. To prepare the bed, I dug up 10 inches of soil. Removed roots and large stones and before replacing it, amended heavily with compost. I also added lime, bone meal and alfalfa meal and a small amount of Epsom salt. The ground in this part of my land is mostly sand. A mulch of shredded leaves will protect the base from the baking sun.

To learn more about this beautiful rose, visit the Hot Cocoa page.

Weeks Roses

For the first time, my Morden Sunrise was unprotected during the winter months. In early spring, I pruned off more than half the top. The sunny days made the sap rise up the stem, at night it froze. So even ‘hardy roses’ can benefit from some protection. This rose grows on its own root and bounced back, but it took a little longer. It will be protected for the next dormant period.

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I nearly lost this antique rose. The hemerocallis growing in the same bed were crowding it. So I moved it a few feet away in amended soil and pruned off the weak branches. I did have to add a few bricks to keep the wild turkeys from scratching the base and uncovering the roots.

I also moved the Winchester Cathedral. It had been growing in the same spot for years. I’ve read in ‘Old Roses and English Roses‘ that replanting can be beneficial. Now the rose is bouncing back slowly. The new bed was amended with shrimp and seaweed compost. My home made compost is scratched on the surface.

The Molineux blooms look slightly different this year. Last summer I never noticed a pink blush. Since I used the same amendments, I’m guessing this might be from the high heat, followed by excess rains. Another layer of compost was spread at the base yesterday.

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If you are looking for a rose with blooms like a hybrid tea, that can resist powdery mildew and black spots, give Lambert Closse some thought. This fully double, hardy rose tested well in Ottawa, Ontario and L’Assomption, Quebec. It can survive the winter in zone 3 with very little damage. You can also propagate this rose by soft wood cuttings taken at bud stage. This rose is well worth adding in any flower bed.

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This rose nearly landed in the fire pit last year. For a rugosa, it’s a bit finicky. The Hunder is a cross between a  ‘Rubra” (Rugosa) and ‘Indepence’ (Floribunda’). So it needs more care than the average rugosa. Mulching the base is a must. I tried cedar chips with little success. I moved it to a more sandy soil amended with plenty of compost. Added small rocks at the base to protect it from mud splashes. It worked, no black spots. It is also the only rugosa in my garden to get protection from winter colds.

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All links to Hortico are being temporarily removed in the Rose Collection. They will return when the roses are available for order again.

I finally got the Rosa Mundi in the ground. I waited for the nighttime temperature to stay above 12C (53F). Late frost damaged the leaves of some of the other roses. Now I water daily to keep the soil from drying under the hot sun. A layer of shredded leaves will be added on the surface as mulch. The Roseraie de l’Hay next to it is already producing buds.

Received roses from Richers Herbs today: Leda (painted damask), Rosa Mundi (gallica versicocolor Linnaeus) and Maiden’s Blush small (alba). They don’t look like much right now, but I know from experience that they will be in bloom in two months.

Last year, the Rose de Rescht took a long time to start leafing and thought I had lost it. I lift the plant and placed it in a pot and waited. A few weeks later I noticed the new growth and replanted it in a different flower bed. It bloomed in late summer.

Mme Hardy (damask) and Maxima (alba) survived the winter, with protection. They suffered very little winter kill.

Molineux English rose survived the winter with protection. It needed very little pruning, the plant barely suffered  winter kill. Compost and lime will be added in the next few weeks. The lower branches will be removed and then a mulch will be added when the soil is warmer.

The English Roses: Classic Favorites and New Selections