Ramblers, by Anne Belovich

Ramblers are the first roses that I remember falling head-over-heels in love with.  It's not a class for the faint of heart, because many of them can easily put out canes that grow ten to twelve feet or more in a single season.  

Anyone who loves and collects Ramblers* will eventually cross paths with Anne Belovich.  She loves Ramblers, too, and has been collecting and growing them for decades ... she has what is thought to be the largest private collection of Ramblers in the world.  I have corresponded with Anne for a few years, exchanging cuttings and plants, and I met her in person at an event in Texas two years ago.  During our conversation, Anne told me that she was in the process of writing a book on Ramblers.  That book was released last month.  My copy arrived in the mail a few days ago.

Last year, Anne contacted me to ask if I would send her photos of "Pink Van Fleet", a rose I grow that she and I think may be the true 'Bess Lovett', which is lost in the US.  I was honored that she asked, and thrilled that one of my photos is in her book.

I am most surprised that, in addition to photo credit in the back of the book, I was mentioned among some very big names in the acknowledgements at the beginning of the book.

I have only had time to thumb quickly through Ramblers.  All roses in it are presented in alphabetical order, for easy use as a reference.  I can already see that this book will get a LOT of use as an important addition to my rose library ... and it stands as a reminder of a mentor who made a big impression on me and on my garden.
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* A Rambler, as I know it, is defined as a large, once-blooming climbing rose.  The American Rose Society no longer recognizes Ramblers as a distinct class of rose.  Ramblers were recently reclassified and split into separate classes based on their genetics. No matter what their new classifications, they will always be Ramblers to me.

Click HERE to order Ramblers for your own rose library.

Rose Overload!

The past two weeks have been a blur!  As soon as spring weather arrived, I spent every available bit of time for weeks, working in the garden and getting the roses ready for their big show in May and June.  I try to do what I can to have the garden look its best when visitors come.  Whenever I'm outside, I have my iPhone in my pocket ... which is really handy for taking photos.  

Here is a selection of roses that have been photo-worthy so far this year ... in alphabetical order, because that's how they end up being arranged in my blog photo file.  This post is a long one.  Settle in, and ENJOY!!  (Highlighted rose names are links to take you to the rose's description page on Help Me Find, the best rose reference site on the web.)

'Alchymist'

  

'Alida Lovett', Hybrid Wichurana rambler. 1917.

'Annie Laurie', Floribunda, 2001.

"Arcata Pink Globe", Hybrid Setigera rambler, found rose.

'Augustine Girault', Hybrid Wichurana rambler, 1907.

'Baby Betsy McCall', Miniature, 1960.

'Climbing American Beauty', Hybrid Wichurana rambler, 1909.

'Coral Creeper', Hybrid Wichurana, 1938.

"Dennis's Not-Anemone Rambler", Hybrid Setigera Rambler, history unknown.

'Fabvier', China rose, bef. 1829.

'Garisenda', Hybrid Wichurana, 1911.

'Ghislaine de Feligonde', Hybrid Multiflora, 1916.

'Glenn Dale', Hybrid Wichurana, 1927.

'Gold Coin', Miniature, 1967.

'Golden Arctic', Large-flowered Climber, 1954.

'Golden Glow', Hybrid Wichurana, 1937.

'Grace Seward', Miniature, 1991.

'Green Ice', Miniature, 1971.

"Green Mount Red", Noisette, found rose.

Detail of front yard Hybrid Tea garden.  The pink rose in the front is 'Mme. Joseph Bonnaire'.

'Janna', Miniature, 1970.

'Mary Guthrie', Polyantha, 1929.

'Mary Washington', Noisette, bef. 1890.

Detail of Miniature Garden with Ramblers on the fence.

Detail of the Miniature Garden with Ramblers on the fence.

Detail of Miniature Garden with Ramblers on the fence.

'Moonlight', Hybrid Musk, 1913.

'Mrs. Robinson', Floribunda, 2008.

'New Dawn', Large-flowered climber, 1930.

'Orfeo', Large-flowered Climber, 1963.

'Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler', Rambler, 1916.

'Pink Pillar', Large-flowered Climber, 1940.

'Robin Hood', Hybrid Musk, 1927, and 'Maid Marion', Hybrid Musk, 1930.

Unknown China with Virginia provenance, grown from cuttings from Sacramento City Cemetery rose garden.

"Setzer's Noisette", Noisette, found rose, said to have been taken cross-country from Virginia in the 19th Century.

'Shailer's Provence, Hybrid China, 1799.

'Shailer's Provence', Hybrid China, 1799.

'Silver Moon', Hybrid Wichurana, 1910.

"Single Pink China", China rose, found rose, thought to be a sport of 'Old Blush'.

'Verdun', Polyantha, 1918.

'White Quill', Mini-flora, 2003.

I can honestly say that my roses have never looked better.  My efforts to attend to things before they become a huge problem (like weeds and blackspot) are really making a difference.  Our rainy, cool spring helped, too.

In case this wasn't enough for you, there's still more to come.  Stay tuned!

Roses in the Garden, May 19

Here is a sampling of the photos that I took during my walk in the garden early this morning.

'Glenn Dale' is a totally amazing rose.  Once blooming, easy to train, and produces hundreds of flowers every spring.

More buds than flowers right now.  The main show is still to come.

Climbing American Beauty is an early one every year.

Golden Century, mini climber, behaving itself and staying on its upside down tomato cage support.

Climbing Lavender Lace turned out to be too large and unruly to confine to a tomato cage.

Alchymist buds.

Alchymist buds.

This is a found rose from California.  As far as I know, I have the only plant outside of California.

One side of my Hybrid Tea garden.  I see Mrs. Joseph Bonaire, Maria Stern, Shot Silk, Gruss an Aachen, Dairy Maid, President Vignet, and others.

Moonlight is such a photogenic rose.

Accidental combination of Moonlight and Shailer's Provence.

One corner of the Hybrid Tea garden, with Else Poulsen, Chinatown, Lundy's Lane Yellow, Zalud House Shingled Raspberry, Reveille Dijonnais, and others.

Subtle colors on a flower of Lundy's Lane Yellow.

West side of the Hybrid Tea garden, with Else Poulsen, Ivory Triumph, Jiminy Cricket, Poulsen's Pearl, Lundy's Lane Yellow, Captain Christy, and others.

Pots in the driveway even look good when they're blooming.

Perle d'Or is one of my very favorite roses.

I can't wait till that sidebud opens, to see if it's single, too, or double like Perle d'Or usually is.

This Alister Stella Gray was sent to me as a rooted cutting by a woman in DC who found it growing up to the second floor of a townhouse.

Tidewater Trail is my own foundling.

Another flower cluster on Tidewater Trail.

Charlotte Anne is a sport of Playgirl.

I love singles most of all ... Dairy Maid is a little piece of sunshine, as a friend said on FB.

Old Gold was an early attempt to breed yellow into modern roses.

There's a bit of yellow in there, in the center of the new flower and as the petals age.

These flowers have opened within the past few days.  Most of the garden still has more buds than flowers, so the show will continue for the next few weeks.  This is such an exciting time of year ... what I work for ... let the show begin!!

Don't forget, Open Garden Day is Sunday, June 7.  If you can, make plans to come meet the roses in person.