June 24, 2013

English Roses Blooming



Rose season is going strong right now in the garden.  Above is 'Eglantyne' in the front yard.  You can see one of the 'Heartthrob' Korean dogwood trees in the background.  These pretty trees have been blooming for several weeks now. 



Here is the view from the other side with 'Walker's Low' Nepeta (catmint) in front.  This bush is actually three plants placed eighteen inches apart so they grow together, which is the way David Austin recommends growing his English roses.



Up close the second flush of blooms are ready to open.  This rose is still reaching toward its mature size.



'Eglantyne' is soft and fluffy and pink.  Very feminine.  The fragrance is not strong but it's nice if you get close enough.  My neighbor just told me that she can smell my garden as she walks past.  I told her that's probably much nicer than smelling the gardener.



Here is 'Crocus Rose' in the backyard with a 'Fine Line' Rhamnus (buckthorn) at the rear.



'Teasing Georgia' is finally filling out the trellis.  I planted a lavender 'Mrs. Cholmondeley' clematis at the base the spring, and it's already twining up several feet high through the rose.  It will be pretty next year.  More catmint and violet 'May Night' Salvia (sage) are growing in front.



Here is a closer shot of 'Teasing Georgia'.   Its color is more yellow than I captured in this photo.



'Harlow Carr' recovered from transplanting this spring to throw out a few little blooms.  I'm considering another transplant this fall, unfortunately.  It would be nice if I could figure out exactly how I want the garden at the beginning instead of playing musical chairs with my plants, but that just isn't happening.



And here's a final shot of 'Abraham Darby' in the evening light.  This is probably the rose that my neighbor is smelling when she walks by.  It smells lemony and completely delicious.  AD is tied with 'Lady Emma Hamilton'  - from which I cut a vaseful yesterday - for my favorite fragrant rose. 

8 comments:

  1. Your English roses are amazing and oh so dreamy. All of them are on my wish list and Abraham Darby will be planted in my garden in the very near future. Does your teasing georgia have fragrance? I visited heirloom roses yesterday and their teasing georgia didn't have fragrance nor did the one at the nursery a few weeks ago. Yet it is advertised as having a strong fragrance. Anyway, I am crazy for English roses. I wrote a post on our visit to the rose nursery this morning and took a ton of photos of English roses. It is nice to see them growing in your garden!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stacy, I just nipped outside to check and didn't notice much fragrance on 'Teasing Georgia'. I know that climate conditions and soil can affect fragrance, so maybe it smells nice in other places?

      Delete
  2. It's rose season in Maine, too. I don't currently have any roses in my garden, but I'm thinking about adding some in the next few years -- so I'm suddenly very interested in what other cold-climate gardeners are growing. Thanks for sharing yours. -Jean

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi VW,

    Lovely roses, poor little Harlow Carr being moved around!
    Crocus looks lovely, I have to investigate it for my garden...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nice roses. This is always a nice time to potter around and smell the roses. I also like the dogwood, but haven't found the spot to put one yet (yes I'm practicing selfcontrol) so I enjoy looking at everyone elses.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That Eglantyne is just beautiful! I hadn't heard about planting 3 bushes together - good tip! I only had one type of rose in my last garden, but I felt it was a little fussy. The old English looking roses are so incredibly gorgeous though! And I love your companion plantings with them!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your roses are divine. Ours are blooming profusely, but not so beautifully. They don't last very long in temps of 105°. They, along with me, are not enjoying our heat wave.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautiful! Such lush and healthy roses... I like your use of catmint as a companion and am looking forward to seeing your clematis bloom with Teasing Georgia.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.