Tag: English Roses

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Droopy Roses: The Ones That Nod

Rosa 'The Generous Gardener'

Most articles online about drooping roses are geared towards fixing a problem. Cures suggested for a drooping rose include:

  • Watering it more (assuming the rose is wilting)
  • Watering it less (assuming its roots are staying wet and rotting)
  • Feeding it (assuming the plant is lacking some elements)
  • Feeding it less (assuming persistent elements have built up too much in the soil, or that the canes are outgrowing their strength)
  • Staking, growing against an obelisk or training as a climber in the case of vigorous roses
  • Hard pruning
  • Diagnosing it with one of several rose diseases, then treating the problem
  • Leaving it be (assuming that the canes will strengthen enough to support heavier flowers from the third year on).

It’s not hard to see how gardeners might get confused. Continue reading “Droopy Roses: The Ones That Nod”

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Gallery of White Roses

White roses

“There is something quite special about white roses… they are all purity and light.” – David Austin

I’m sharing pictures of white shrub roses and rambling roses in eager anticipation of the peak flowering season for roses which is a couple of weeks or so away in my part of the world. As my sweetheart would say, bring it on! Meanwhile, I’ll let the roses do their own talking.

Rosa 'Desdemona'
Rosa ‘Desdemona’

Continue reading “Gallery of White Roses”

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Old-fashioned Pink Roses With Lots of Petals

Double roses with button eyes
Double rose with a button eye and a ruffled style

There’s something about roses with many petals. For many, these romantic, soulful plants are the archetypal roses, especially if they happen to be pink and to have a good fragrance.

Some of these do and some don’t. What interests me about them is their flower forms, the patterns the petals take, and the way the blooms cluster together. The odd one you may recognise. Continue reading “Old-fashioned Pink Roses With Lots of Petals”

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Rosa ‘Summer Song’ in a Flower Arrangement

Rosa Summer Song in a flower arrangement
Rosa ‘Summer Song’, allium and lisianthus

Some English Roses are unique in colour and this is one of them. An unusual colour brings challenges describing it. Rosa ‘Summer Song’ used to be ‘a sophisticated shade of orange’, or ‘burnt orange’, but in checking, I note its breeder is now plumping for ‘orange red’.

Rosa ‘Summer Song’ is not a cut flower, but I can see why florists would be drawn to it. Here it is but half open – enough to show the promise inside, but closed enough to last for a few days (with fingers crossed). Continue reading “Rosa ‘Summer Song’ in a Flower Arrangement”

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RHS Rosemoor Garden’s Rose Festival: Heaven on Earth

RHS Rosemoor's shrub rose garden in full bloom
Rosemoor during the Festival of Roses, 2019

I can’t tell you how many years I’ve wanted to visit Rosemoor when the roses are in bloom, but I can show you why. Friends had hinted I’d find a delightful rose garden there, but I’d been withholding judgement on whether it was a truly great one until I could see it for myself.

Pink shrub rose with lychnis coronaria and penstemon
Shrub roses growing with lychnis coronaria and penstemon

I’ve long been aware that not all rose gardens truly delight me. It seems I have a demanding wants list: relatively few rose gardens can tick off everything I look for. Continue reading “RHS Rosemoor Garden’s Rose Festival: Heaven on Earth”