Rose Fever: Pursuit of the perfect garden (a springtime vanity)

me | 3/18/07 | Knitting a Conundrum

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Spring fever has got me. I want to get out of the house, away from the computer, and dig in the dirt. Getting ready to start a new rose bed. Anybody else out there nuts about roses?

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Hey! We could be the FR Rose Society!

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Gorgeous, gorgeous rose pics, in all sorts of colors!

http://www.amityheritageroses.com/ColorFavs.html

Which one do you think is the best? I am leaning towards one
of the pinks, but I am not sure.....

[dandelion]

Oooh, pretty pretty! I especially have a fondness for apricot/peach colored roses; I especially love the way that "Charles Austin" rose looks in the picture! My apricot roses are "Mrs. Oakley Fisher", "Peach Beauty", and "Monteczuma". But I have to say the pinks are always lovely.

Have you ordered any yet? Do let us know which ones you choose!

Oooh! OOOOOH! News from my garden...

Up to bat: "Climbing Pinkie" bloomed today (Central Texas, zone 8a) - my first rose blossom of the season. A beautiful small shell pink, fully double.

On Deck: Sweet Vivian, Knock Out, Autumn Damask, Granada. All are laden with blooms, but are still a few days away.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I have a Cherish, a Pink Sunblaze, a Sexy Rexy, and a yellow and a white that I don't remember the names of, but that were both beautiful. I'll pick them up on the 14th or 15th...

I've sent off for two books about 18th century gardens...I am hoping to get some ideas for something wonderful for the back yard. I want to include a red rose rosebed, and maybe some climbers. I will have a lot of room to play with, and I want it to be something inviting without a lot of lawn!

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Great rose catalog online with a huge amount of information about the types of roses there are.

http://www.hortico.com/roses/roses.asp

[La Enchiladita]

Oklahoma is a beautiful deep, dark red rose... a HT, I think, not an old rose.

[La Enchiladita]

Medallion is a rose I think you both would like:

Just found it in the catalog Knitting linked; heck, I like it too!

[Knitting A Conundrum]

That is one pretty rose!

[DoveyLuv]

Hi,
I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with you here on the clay soil thing. I used to live in Arizona, where I had Adobe clay soil. It was well drained, however, so you're right there. Sandy soil isn't good for growing roses. Yes they need drainage, but sandy soil is way to pourous for them, because they love water, and sandy soil drains way too quickly.. Roses just don't like water standing on thier roots. Sandy soil also lacks in organic matter, which roses love.I grew 45 rose bushes in AZ, and all of them thrived. In fact They were humungous! I wish you could see my Queen Elizabeths! Some growers even recommend ADDING some clay soil to the planting holes. So if you have clay soil, it should be fine for your roses. No need to completely replace it. Just add compost, or rotted manure before planting, and be sure you have a well drained site. Clay or otherwise.

[Palladin]

I dig lots of peat moss into my rose garden and have spectacular blooms. I'm in Pennsylvania. I do make sure the roses get sun almost all day long, by planting them on the south side of the house, and I am a nut about watering them religiously.

And that's about all I know about growing great roses.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

This is true. I've had some Oklahomas before.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Went by the nursery and now this is the complete list of roses I'll be planting come tax day:

Cherish
http://www.rose-roses.com/rosepages/floribundas/Cherish.html

Sexy Rexy

http://www.regannursery.com/roses/detail.lasso?ID=557

Yellow Sunblaze

http://www.monrovia.com/PlantInf.nsf/3e858bc84af1756c88256f0a00787e69/88027cbc78ae742488256f470062ca89!OpenDocument

Pink Sunblaze

http://www.northwesthort.com/catplant.asp?pid=1198

Popcorn
http://www.growquest.com/mini%20rose%20gourmet_popcorn.htm

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Rose of Sharon?

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

LOL,,,duh,,,I "found it"...;0)

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Rose of Sharon isn't thorny enough! But it makes a pretty foundation planting.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Well it’s been days, fellow gardeners.

So far, because of a spout of bad weather, I have double dug about 6 ft of a 18 ft long garden bed, planted a plum tree, and bought a sugar tyme crabapple.

12 more days til I pick up my roses from the nursery!

And now I have discovered a wonderful book about old style gardens called “American Gardens in the 18th Century: for use or for delight” by Ann Leighton, which is giving me plenty of ideas for what I am going to do with my back yard.

So how is your springtime going?

[pinz-n-needlez]

Don’t know if my thumbs are green, but my eyes sure are. LOL

‘Dita, I haven’t forgotten your sweet post to me, just up to my nose in fabric and thread. On the home stretch... no leaving the sewing machine except to sleep and potty. The kids bring me food....

I have a garden plot waiting for me!!! :-DDDD The neighbor brought over his Bobcat this weekend and took out all the azaleas and monkey grass in ‘the’ sunny spot in the yard.

Must. finish. sewing. to. play. in. the. dirt!!

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Chained to the sewing machine!

[diamond6]

Jackson and Perkins are supposed to be really good quality roses.