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Archive for the ‘Roses’ Category

Spring may be a few months away but the catalogs are already started arriving. If you are not on Richters Herb’s mailing list, you can visit their site.

In the plant section, you will find the classic roses. I ordered Mme Hardy last winter and it arrived at the right time for my zone. In the same order I also got a Rose de Rescht and a Maxima. All of them bloomed. I’m getting 3 more this year.

They also have a large variety of scented geraniums.  I overwinter mine as houseplants. You can see photos in the Geranium and Pelargonium section.

The botanical name of the rose above is Rosa Gallica ‘Officinalis” Common name is the Apothecary rose.  It is also available from Richters Of all my roses, this one needs the least care and blooms every late spring.

Mme Hardy

Made a small change on the Mme Hardy page on Garden Images Richters Herbs are sold out for now, but they will be available from Hortico by 14 October, 2009. According to them they are hardy to zone 3.

The link to Richters Herbs will return when they are available again. They are a good reliable source. The roses must be ordered early for next spring shipment. They arrive bare root at the right time for your zone.

On Hortico roses can be searched by section, hybridizer, collection or recommendations. If you live in the UK, Mme Hardy is available from Peter Beales roses

If you are planning on adding this classic rose to your own garden, you will need to place your order early. Richters Herbs ships worldwide.

Rosa Rugosa var. Alba

This is my first bought rose. Ordered it from a mail order nursery over 15 years ago. At the time I wanted to create a rose hedge. They were moved when changes to the terrain were made. Now they grow as specimen plants. Rugosas can survive our cold winters and strong spring winds without protection. Pest is not much of a problem either. I did find Japanese beetles this year munching on the petals. They seemed to prefer white blooms. I kept the population down by dropping them in a bucket of soapy water.

Never saw mildew or black spot on any of them. I did have to cut down some older canes. They grew back and bloomed the following season. They also spread which makes them poor companions in flower beds. Using thick gloves that covers your forearms will also save your skin.

If you stop cutting the faded blooms in August, they will produce plenty of hips that will help the local wildlife survive winter.

And one more thing, they smell great.

Rainbow Sorbet

Bought this rose from a nursery in Plantagenet, Ontario, called Quenneville. I only visit once a year, in June. They also have a stall at the Ottawa Farmer’s Market during the summer months.

Normally, I would bypass a floribunda. I prefer old fashion looking roses. The shades of this one caught my attention. It was planted in a raise bed with plenty of aged compost and the base was covered with a cedar mulch to prevent mud from splashing the leaves. Turned out to be a good idea, got more rain than usual in July. Rainbow Sorbet also showed a good resistance to blackspot, even now with the cooler weather. Still blooming this late in the season, also earned it a few more points.

You can read more about this rose on Garden Images

When I lose a hybrid tea, I try to remove the understock. Last year I lost a Blue Boy growing next to an aggressive William Baffin explorer rose. In the same bed I also have a Red Carpet rose so I wasn’t sure what sprouted in between the two roses, so I let grow and waited. To my surprise, Dr Huey turned out to be the understock of the Blue Boy. Now it will moved to a new spot with amended soil and more sun.

I collect different types of roses. Dr Huey is my first Whichurana. To see more photos of my roses visit Garden website.