Thursday, April 30, 2009

Where Did All These Roses Come From?

I am not really a rose fan. I had several rose bushes years ago but I was never very good at growing them. Unlike my friend Dee at Red Dirt Ramblings, mine only looked happy for a short while each year. They seemed to take a disproportionate amount of work for the return so one winter my dad dug them all up for me and I gave them to one of my day care moms. This week as I walked around the garden I discovered something. Roses. All over my yard! How did they get there? It seems that over the last several years I decided that many of my design and function problems could be solved by roses...most of them climbing varieties.

Climbing Cecile Brunner began blooming a few weeks ago and is almost finished. Cecile's job is to cover the fence near the compost bin and provide a backdrop for the plumbago.

Climbing Rosa Flower Girl, on the wedding arch, is a dependable long bloomer. She got a fairly severe pruning this year and has responded by sending up lots of new growth. She used to make do with a trellis but wanted to be taller so earned the spot on the arch. Her job is to disguise the abutilon's scraggly trunk.
Climbing New Dawn, chosen for a fence corner with a bit less sun than most other roses would require, has just this week opened the first of what looks like dozens of buds. Her job is to keep the bird-killing cat who lives next door from jumping over the fence. So far this is not working out as well as I'd hoped. But she is getting bigger and may soon be making me happy.
Climbing Berries and Cream mixes with a solanum jasminoides on the trellis behind the fountain. She is another dependable bloomer and helps hide the fence...a leftover job from before we had the fence replaced a few years ago. That old fence was decrepit and needed hiding.


A mini rose given to me as a gift in a four inch pot many years ago is beginning to open. She was not happy in the four inch pot nor progressively larger ones but for several years this mini-flowered rose has been very happy in the front door bed, requiring only a late winter pruning and bit of deadheading. In return she blooms a bit all summer. She doesn't have a job aside from reminding me of my good friend who gave her to me. Behind her you see a glimpse of Rosa Demitasse. I'm not sure what her job is...I think she was one of those nursery purchases that happen to me. Seduced by pretty blooms and healthy leaves I give in and then I need to find a home for some poor thing that deserves it's own spot.
I guess I've made my peace with roses and ended up with the ones that work for me!

12 comments:

sweetbay said...

Your post made me laugh. Don't you love it when you find the roses that are little to no work and all reward? :)

Carol Michel said...

Roses happen! And they look lovely in your garden.

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

Sheila said...

Hmmmmm... seems like roses like you whether you like it or not!

donna said...

Looks like rose heaven! And smells like rose heaven, I bet.

Jennifer AKA keewee said...

Roses are tough. I ripped some out of one garden, put them in another, and told then I don't care if you live or die. They showed me, they are doing better than ever. *chuckle*

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

Hard working and looking good while doing it, that's my kind of plant. They all certainly look very healthy and happy.

Kathy said...

It's easier to squeeze a climber in. They have a smaller footprint on the ground.

Gail said...

Detente is working very well for you and the roses...they are lovely. I think that the climbers are especially nice...Cecile Brunner is one of my favorites. gail

Cindy, MCOK said...

For someone's who not really a rose fan, you have a mighty fine assortment there! I'd love to have more old garden roses but there is the wee matter of space enough for them all!

growingagardenindavis said...

Hi Sweet Bay! Yes...I need the high reward to work ratio for any roses I might have!
Thank you Carol!
Sheila...I feel very lucky that these are happy here!
Donna, it's true that some of them have a wonderful scent although not always from afar.
Keewee...good for you!
MMD...we all need a few of these I think!
Kathy...I think that's one of the big selling points with me.
Yes, Gail, as long as neither of us require too much of the other we're good!
The thing is Cindy, I really don't know how it happened!

Dee/reddirtramblings said...

Ah Leslie, I just saw the link. Thank you. You have beautiful roses, and I think 'New Dawn' won't disappoint you.~~Dee

Layanee said...

They are oh, so pretty!