After the Conference: Easing Back into Life

Hi, Everyone.  I have missed you.  My normal life was completely buried by the planning and execution of the Heritage Rose Foundation conference, and it's going to take me a while to ease back into whatever life and routine I had before.

I would love to do a full report on the conference, with tons of photos and insights, but I can't.  I took very few photos over the course of the three days, as I was concentrating on making sure that each event kept to the schedule and went as planned.  All I can really do now is breathe a big sigh of relief and move on.

I can share this photo that my friend Jill took of me on a garden visit after the conference was over.  I love how it captures me in my natural habitat, concentrating on framing a perfect image with my phone.  So typical!

I hope that I will soon catch up with everyone.  Thanks for sticking around ... for checking on me ... and for being here.  

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!

A Lovely Combination

When I was planning my first rose garden, the rose border in our front yard, I used the roses I had on hand ... 40 widely different roses, with no obvious cohesive theme.  How to arrange them?  In the case of these two, I simply put together two roses named after a famous couple ...

 

 

I think they are happy to be reunited.

 

Ruby and Roses II

Ruby's most recent portrait spot was on the sunny side of 'Alexandre Girault' on Sunday morning.

 

 

Based on this expression, can there be any doubt that one of her parents was a Border Collie?  (We will never know for certain, though, since she came to us as a rescued stray.)

 

Ruby wasn't the only one modeling in the roses.  A young lady from the local high school came with a photographer friend of hers, and they used the roses, fence, barn, etc., as settings for her senior pictures. 

 

It stormed here overnight, and now the weather is supposed to be cooler for the rest of the week ... perfect for emptying the greenhouse and planting as many roses as I can in the new garden.  I'm motivated, so we'll see how much I can get done.

 

Sunday Snapshot ... Open Garden Day

My garden will be open today, from noon to 5pm.  The weather is going to be perfect, and the roses are absolutely gorgeous ... I'm biased, though, you understand.  Almost every rose in the garden is in full bloom right now.  Our long spring, with its adequate rain and mild temperatures, allowed the roses to put on lovely, healthy new growth.  Every one of them is totally FILLED with flowers.

Here is a little sneak peek at what you will see if you come to visit:

1.  Old Garden Roses suckering and totally obstructing the paths in the Rose Field.  Hard to complain when they are as beautiful as this.

2.  Roses in trees.  These are once-blooming roses.  Every year when they flower, I see that they have climbed higher and filled more of their trees than the year before.

'American Pillar' in a cedar tree.

 

 

'American Pillar', close up.

 

'Paul's Himalayan Musk Rambler' in a mulberry.

 

3.  The Rambler Fence is at peak bloom right now, and it is an absolute spectacle.  I have been a bum and let the roses go for the past two years.  They are growing like thorny haystacks on the fence and are creeping along the ground through the weeds.  All this growth has fueled a profusion of flowers like no other.  (and the fragrance!!!) 

From foreground to background, the roses on the fence are:  'Jean Guichard', 'Leontine Gervais', 'Awakening', 'Albertine', "Peggy Martin", 'Rene Andre', 'Aviateur Bleriot', 'Paul Transon', 'Alberic Barbier', 'Silver Moon', and 'American Pillar'.   (The roses are planted 24' on center ... do the math, that's almost 300' of fence packed with thousands of flowers.)

It's warm and breezy today, perfect for spending an hour or two walking and talking and visiting the roses.  (I hope to really get busy with my camera in the next few days, documenting this season's flowers to put together a virtual tour ... so those of you who cannot visit in person will get a taste of what it's like.)

Happy Sunday, Everyone!  It's a beautiful day to be in the garden.