Sunday, August 22, 2010

Let's Go To Rick's House to See His Garden

My friend Rick has the the best managed rose garden I know.  He chooses his rose varieties carefully, plants them well, cares for them perfectly, and they always look beautiful.

The archway that leads to Rick's rose garden.


Cajun Sunset
Hybrid Tea


Rick's house is on a quarter-acre lot, in a wooded subdivision.  His backyard is the only place with enough sunshine to grow roses.  When people tell me that they don't have the room to grow roses, I use Rick as an example.  He has at least 150 roses, all of which are in his back and side yard.






I know he's going to blush when he reads this, but I'm going to say it anyway.  I consider Rick to be one of the driving forces behind my own rose addiction.  He is one of the most generous people EVER ... always ready to share his knowledge, experience, and techniques to help others grow roses successfully.  Get me going, and I may even use the word 'mentor' ... perhaps, more than once.


Pink Simplicity
Shrub rose


 Poulsen's Pearl
Floribunda


Rick is an active Master Gardener, a Certified Rosarian, and an accredited Rose Judge, with tons of rose show trophies and ribbons to his credit.  He also works full time, fishes whenever he gets the chance, and maintains this beautiful garden by himself.






There's no way to pigeon-hole Rick OR his garden.  He loves modern Hybrid Tea roses, and he loves the lovely, fragrant Old Garden Roses just as much.


Marilyn Monroe
Hybrid Tea


Marie Pavie
Polyantha


I think Rick has won the Dowager Queen trophy in the Colonial District shows (the top award for an Old Garden Rose) more times than anyone else!


Champneys' Pink Cluster
Noisette


Reve d'Or
Tea Noisette


I stopped by Rick's house last Thursday while he was at work, to leave him a lotus for his pond.  I had my camera with me, of course, so I could spend time taking pictures of his beautiful roses.  It was a bright sunny day ... which is good for the roses, but bad for taking decent photos. Some of his loveliest roses were in brilliant sunshine, which made getting good photos of them completely impossible. 


I darkened this photo a bit, and the other ones that show large expanses of his garden, to tone down the bright glare from the sunshine.


Monarch butterfly on Buddleia
(I didn't do anything to this one.  It was perfect as is.)


Kimberlina
Floribunda


Rick and I also share a love of cars, along with our love of roses.  He has a new Mustang, I have an old Mustang, and we both used to own old Corvettes. 




He and I are going to a rose society picnic in a little while.  I thoroughly enjoy his company, no matter where we are or what we're doing, it's always a good time!

Have a great Sunday!
Connie

5 comments:

  1. What a wonderful garden. Your friend sounds like a great guy! Love your photos and the butterfly is perfect as is!!

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  2. LOVE the butterfly photo! *sigh

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  3. What a lovely garden! Beautiful butterfly picture. How wonderful to have a friend with so much in common!

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  4. Rick has beautiful roses and a great taste in Garden Benches (I have the same exact bench...). I'm jealous of the ability to grow Reve d'Or in your climate.

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  5. Thank you for taking these lovely pics! It is an amazing garden - but to be brutally honest: I like yours even better! Greetings from rainy Germany - Lola ;0)

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