Roses 2017

[johnralphcarpenter]

Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Three yellow roses working well together. Rosa ecae, probably Rosa 'Canary Bird', and Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'.

[Diane Whitehead]

Last fall I read a blog by a rose breeder in California.  http://sproulroses.blogspot.ca

He had roses in bloom in a few months from sowing the seed.  Now, I'm used to waiting
a few years for germination of some plants (worst example:  a colchicum that took 8 years,
is now 17 years old and hasn't flowered yet). 

I found it hard to believe a shrub could be so quick, so gathered some hips from two
of my Austin roses and sowed the seeds on November 19.  They germinated quickly,
and I have 39 plants from Tea Clipper, and 94 from Generous Gardener.  They are
growing in 2 inch pots, and about half have flower buds. 

Today, May 12, in a bit less than 6 months, three of them have opened.

What fun!  This summer I will do some deliberate crosses.

[Maggi Young]

Crumbs! That was quick - such fun!

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Diana,
That's really quick!
I remember reading that the first flower is a good indicator of colour only as the more mature plant can have more petals. So don't discard any on initial appearance!
cheers
fermi

[Diane Whitehead]

That's useful to know, Fermi.

Scent is also detectable in these first flowers, so I can toss any that have no perfume.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Hard times all round in the plant world. Hard on the heals of the announcement of the closure of Glendoick's mail order business we now hear that the Royal National Rose Society is in administration and the Gardens of the Rose near St Albans may not reopen. See http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/18/british-gardens-no-longer-bed-roses/

[johnralphcarpenter]

I have been incapacitated for the past week following major surgery on 2nd June. They said total knee replacement was a big operation and very painful. They did not lie. It is the surgical equivalent of a paramilitary punishment beating. Apparently there are a lot of nerves around the kneecap, and I now know every one of them intimately. Morphine is my friend.

So forays into the garden have been limited to a gently hobble around. Fortunately it is the time of year where everything puts on a dazzling performance with very little intervention from the gardener. In particular the climbing and rambling roses are at their peak. Here are a few:

Rosa 'Wickwar', from the late Michael Wickenden. This near-species makes a a huge rambler given the chance, with glaucous foliage and a mass of white flowers.

Rosa 'Alister Stella Gray', easily climbs through a Malus 'John Downie'.

Rosa sinowilsonii, too big for the space allocated to it, but worth all the heavy pruning needed after flowering.

Rosa 'Goldfinch' completely covers a garden shed.

Rosa 'Blush Noisette' clothes a rose arch.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Biggest of all, Rosa 'Paul's Himalyan Musk' rambles through an old damson tree and the neighbouring apricot. One of the biggest of the ramblers, it requires little maintenance if you are prepared to give it the run of the host trees.

[Maggi Young]

Good luck with what I suspect may be a long recovery, Ralph- knees seem to be much tougher to settle down after such surgery than hips - but you are so fit generally   I'm sure you will cope.  If we can benefit like this from your garden strolls then it's our win! Lovely to see these big roses  being given their head.

[David Nicholson]

All the best Ralph. Take it steady and have something to aim at, get your application in for next years London Marathon!

[Roma]

Rosa 'Nevada'
The best I've seen it for a long time.  It usually gets badly affected with blackspot and I cut out old stems every year or every other year so it never got to be a big bush but it must have been healthier the last couple of years

[Lesley Cox]

My very best wishes Ralph for a full recovery, and soon as possible, from your knee surgery. I have been waiting for that very thing especially since walking around Vienna and other Central European capitals last year and being nearly crippled by the end of that. Eight or nine and up to 11 miles a day and on cobbles mostly, just about did for me entirely. Hips fine, knees diabolical! But with physio therapy since December and a subsequent strengthening join class weekly since March, my knees are bearable again (with codeine adfinitum), my surgeon now feels I'd be best to avoid the surgery. I've joined a "Steady As You Go" exercise class which is specifically to strengthen limbs and keep one balanced and avoiding falls. It's not difficult, and is enjoyable in fact having given me an "extra" of meeting a lot of the local people in my nearby village, instead of being virtually on my own almost all the time. I would recommend such an activity to anyone getting older and a bit wobbly.

[ashley]

Rosa soulieana

[Lesley Cox]

That is lovely, but BIG!