White Roses (at Tufton) on Wednesday.

I'm sorry to have been away from here for a few days longer than usual.  I have spent the time frantically preparing the gardens and the nursery for the opening this weekend.  With visitors arriving on Saturday morning, it feels like there is so much left to do.  I want everything to look its best, and I'm working very hard (harder than usual) to put things in order. 

Let's take a break, you and me, and enjoy some of the roses from the beautiful garden at Tufton Farm last weekend.  It's Wednesday, so let's do the white ones.

This rose, in the Leonie Bell Noisette Garden, is labeled "Hollywood Pink Cluster".  I loved the little pink buds that open into clusters of soft white flowers.

Here is another rose from the Bell Garden ... Nastarana.

Rosa moschata was once thought to be extinct.  It was rediscovered by chance, and it is prominently placed in the garden at Tufton.  

Finally, let's follow up on the mystery roses I introduced you to last Wednesday.  I took pieces of my roses to compare to Tufton's Baltimore Belle.  Immediately, I knew that my rose is not THE Baltimore Belle. 

This is my rose:

and here is the beautiful, white Baltimore Belle:

Since I now know that I have two identical giant roses on my Rose Field fence, I think I have to remove one of them after the flowers are finished.  This will free up space for a rose that's coming to me from a rose friend in Montana ... it should get here tomorrow or Thursday.  I'm so excited!

The rose formerly known thought to be Baltimore Belle will now be listed on my web site as "Pink Baltimore Belle".  It's okay if we never know its true identity ... this rose will take its place among all of the other found roses that live here.

(written by Hartwood Roses.  Hartwood Roses blog)