White Roses on Wednesday

I find that I really enjoy these 'photo only' posts.  The garden is looking pretty nice considering Thanksgiving is tomorrow ... but there are not very many star-quality, photo-worthy roses out there.  As I said last Wednesday, the white roses are the first ones to look shabby.  I'm going to have to use photos from earlier in the year from now on, I'm afraid.  Digging for them on the computer gives me a chance to relive summer for a while each week.


This week, let's concentrate on white roses with a touch of pink.

Kathleen (Hybrid Musk, 1922) grows in my front border, on a rebar tripod by the fence.  I love the simple beauty of her single flowers.  They remind me of apple blossoms.  Kathleen produces a bountiful crop of orange hips in the fall.

Mary Washington (Noisette, bef. 1891) is named for George Washington's mother.  It is a lovely smaller Noisette that produces clusters of delicate white flowers all summer. 

Mrs. Dudley Cross (Tea rose, 1908) isn't here anymore.  I am sad to say that she was a casualty of the two consecutive sub-zero nights in late January 2009 (-3 and -6!).  She was still a baby, and she was killed right to the ground.  I will take cuttings from a friend's plant, and soon she will live here again ... in a more protected spot this next time.

Madame Cornelissen (Bourbon, 1865) is a sport of Souvenir de la Malmaisson.  She is relatively compact, with pale pinkish-white flowers throughout the summer and into fall.  Like her sport parent, she has a lovely powdery fragrance.

Pink Surprise (Hybrid Bracteata, 1987) is a big girl who wants to sprawl all over her neighbors.  You should see her thorns!  In spite of what sounds like colossal drawbacks, Pink Surprise has lovely, healthy foliage, and the flowers are HUGE.  They start pale pink but quickly fade to a lovely warm white.  She never fails to get attention from visitors.

Sally Holmes (Shrub/Hybrid Musk, 1976) is another lovely pinkish-white single rose.  Clusters of delicate, pointy buds start out apricot, and open to the graceful flower you see above.  She can be a large shrub (6 feet+) or can be trained as a smaller climber.

I don't know exactly which rose this is.  I'm fairly certain that it's one of the Hybrid Musks in the Rose Field ... but I can't be sure.  Maybe it's Daphne.  Whatever it is, it's sure lovely.

Happy Day Before Thanksgiving!  If you're traveling to visit family today, I wish you a safe and speedy journey.

(written by Hartwood Roses.  Hartwood Roses blog)