"I don't know whether nice people tend to grow roses, or growing roses makes people nice." Roland A. Brown 1939 American Professor
This sure has been a different type of winter from last year, hasn't it? Last year at this time, I was outside cutting in a new rose bed because there was no frost in the ground. This year, I would need a pick-ax to do the same job. That doesn't stop me from planning and daydreaming where the next garden is going and what roses I'm going to try there.
The fact is, I've already started digging out a new plot in the front yard. I got as far as excavating a hole something less than three feet deep. I had planned on back filling with organic material (i.e. manures and other assorted amendments). Anyhow, I got the hole dug and that's as far as it got before winter settled in. So here comes the "Blizzard of '99" and it filled my hole in level with the lawn. A few days thereafter, on a very frigid night I decided to try some night photos of our house with the festive holiday lighting (as Sue's insistence, since she had put up a whole new holiday theme this year). With camera on tripod and dressed in several layers of outer wear to fend off the arctic temperatures, I'm out there running around the yard attempting to get the right shot before the camera froze up. Well you can probably guess, I forgot about the new garden hole left in the lawn. Down I went, head first, but trying to hold the tripod up and away from the potentially damaging collision. Mission accomplished, as the camera came out of it unscathed and fortunately for me all the snow provided a soft landing for the photographer. Never mind that I appeared out of the hole, mostly covered in white, bearded and looking something like the Abominable Snowman. I'm glad my neighbors didn't' see all this, as likely they think I have a mental deficiency anyway with all the manure I haul in here and my trekking around the neighborhood in the Fall begging for oak leaves!
At any rate, I've decided it's safer to stay indoors and peruse the rose mail order catalogs for the coming season. One that I especially like is Edmund's Roses (Phone# 1-888-481-ROSE). I've always been pleased with their stock and their service. Usually I find that their plant descriptions are somewhat more honest than some others I've read.
So far I've ordered Admiral Rodney which is a tall two-toned pink bloom with strong fragrance. I've got a Big Purple coming. Another tall plant with heavy scent and Captain Harry Stebbings that is also tall and also has a strong fragrance. Do you notice a pattern forming here? I guess I lean toward the tall plants with lots of aroma. Everybody else in this world and me, right? I've also ordered Le Ann Rimes and Rina Hugo and one more tall climber, Westerland, to match Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, growing on the other side of the arbor. Conrad is a rugosa that reached 8 ft. growing on its own roots in its second season in my garden.
Some of my favorite roses this year were Artistry, which was a great performer with orangish-red blooms and Magic Lantern ( a tall favorite with golden beacons in the garden). Europeana for its continual red blooms all summer long and Reba McIntire, with its vibrant orange-red hues. I always like Rio Samba for its multi-colors that remind me of a circus. This one is usually the first bloom of the season in my garden. Brigadoon has always intrigued me with its creamy coral colors and then of course, there is Color Magic that is one of the very few tender plants that I will try to nurse through our zone 5 winters. I grow this one both in a container and in the garden. Now, last year its survivability wasn't really tested because of the mild winter we had, but this year will tell the true story. If by chance it succumbs to the cold, I will happily replace it with the same cultivar. Does this tell you how much I like this rose? Pretty blooms!
There is one more rose topic I thought I might mention. This year for Christmas, Sue surprised me with a monster rose book entitled, "Botanica's Roses". This has been wonderful reading when I'm locked indoors away from the garden. It includes most of the newer cultivars accompanied with photos and descriptions. It is the most comprehensive rose description book that I have come across. As a bonus there is a computer CD included with tons more rose data. This entire package is a rose library in itself. Even if you don't have a computer this would be a treasure to have in your book collection. By the way, it comes with its own carrying case too. Before Christmas, Costco and Sam's Club were selling this book at the best prices locally (under $30.00). Bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders are not carrying the book in stock at all. So, if you're thinking of adding this one to your library, do a little shopping research first. On these cold nights, when all we have are photos, and rose books to get us through the winter months, Bontanica's Roses can go a long way toward mentally keeping us in our gardens. Until next month, Happy rose garden thoughts!
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