English Roses Blooming in Yellow, Peach and White

 

 

Today I am posting photos of all my English roses in colors other than pink.  Above is 'Teasing Georgia' grown as a climber.  It has taken several years to grow this large, and I hope my other English rose climbers will eventually reach this size.

 

Above is a close view of 'Teasing Georgia', which is a lovely soft yellow. 

I have two 'Crown Princess Margareta' roses growing on trellises near 'Teasing Georgia' on the west side of our home.  Their growth has been very slow for several years, but last summer I hooked some drip lines right up to their bases and they have been growing better since then.  The sprinklers alone weren't providing enough water.  The photo above shows the flowers as a little paler than they really are.

 

'Lady of Shallot' is still tiny after being transplanted this spring, but the flowers are beautiful.  This rose is recommended as one of the easiest of the English roses to grow. 

Here is 'Lady Emma Hamilton', which is tied with 'Abraham Darby' for my favorite fragrant rose.  The out-of-focus flowers in the background show the rosy shades that remind me of a sunset.  Unfortunately, this rose doesn't last long in a vase, but a bouquet can perfume a whole room for a couple of days before they wilt.  I'm afraid this isn't the best photo - this rose really is gorgeous.

Speaking of 'Abraham Darby,' here he is during the first heavy flush of bloom.

And here is a close view of Abraham Darby's lush, huge, ruffled flowers.  This rose was completely covered in rust in California, but I haven't had a problem here in Spokane.  So it's not a good choice if you have rust problems in your area, but otherwise it is magnificent.

Despite growing in partial shade, 'Crocus Rose' is growing and blooming beautifully for me.  The cream flowers mix well with other roses in arrangements.

'Claire Austin' is still getting settled after transplanting during our big landscaping project next year.  David Austin gives this rose rave reviews, so I'm looking forward to seeing it mature.  The flowers are exquisite.

This final miniature English rose is 'Francine Austin,' which I am growing as a climber.  It's sweet myrrh-scented sprays are great to add to floral arrangements.  I didn't see it in the catalog this year, but 'Snow Goose' is similar.
I feel so grateful to David Austin and other plant breeders who bring so much beauty to our gardens!

English Roses Blooming in All Shades of Pink

Eighteen different English roses have bloomed this month in the garden.  I caught pictures of all of them but will divide them into two posts since there are so many.  This week is all pink roses.  Above is Harlow Carr, which flowers profusely with medium-sized roses the color of bubble gum.

Gertrude Jekyll is a new addition this spring, so the roses aren't as full and large as they will be when the plant is established.  It's a very prickly rose but the fragrance is lovely.  I'm growing it as a climber since I have no more space for shrubs.

The Countryman is the same color as Gertrude and just as prickly - seems like I read that the two are closely related within David Austin's breeding program.  It has a wonderful strawberry fragrance.

Princess Alexandria of Kent starts out salmon-pink and matures to pure rose pink.  It has especially large flowers and is a favorite of mine.  I think it will mix especially well with Abraham Darby in a vase but haven't tried it yet.

Sister Elizabeth is growing like crazy this spring since I removed some competing plants.  Its musk fragrance reminds me of my grandmother's makeup.  You can see the adorable button eye at the center of the flower.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh lasts well in arrangements and blooms regularly, though not profusely.  It's growing much better since I added a drip line right to the base - roses can survive low water when established but they won't bloom or grow much without ample water.

The Lady's Blush is another new rose for me this year.  I wanted a different shape of rose for arrangements, and I especially like the bright gold stamens at the center.  I'm growing it as a climber.

This photo of Eglantyne shows a flower that has faded after a few days of being open in bright sunlight.  Eglantyne and The Lady's Blush are the same shade of pure light pink when they first open. 

Queen of Sweden is soft salmon-pink and produces very long, straight stems for an English rose.  It has very few thorns and lasts well in a vase.

I'll end with crimson-pink William Shakespeare 2000, which was one of my first English roses and is still a definite favorite.  If I could only grow one rose, this would be it.  The flowers are large and intricate, and the color is deliciously deep.  There is a medium old-rose fragrance, and it lasts well as a cut flower.  Next week I will post photos of the rest of my white, yellow and peach English roses.

Clematis In Bloom

 

Most of my clematis vines are blooming right now.  I don't have much room for more shrubs in the garden, but I managed to squeeze in a few more clematis this spring.  Above is 'The President,' which is darker and bluer than this photo shows.  It's hard to capture the color correctly.

I planted two of these lavender 'Ramona' clematis where they'll screen the glare off the back fence.  This photo shows the flowers after they've faded over several days.  They are a more vivid color when they first open.

 

'Mrs. Cholmondeley' is growing among a yellow 'Teasing Georgia' climbing rose.  I also have a 'Will Goodwin' that is about this color, but it isn't blooming yet.

 

The flowers of 'Duchess of Edinburgh' are giant - about 8.5 inches across.  This one is growing up into a crabapple tree.

I am guessing that this one is 'Miss Bateman,' as it was mislabeled when I brought it home.  I prefer the yellow center instead of this dark one, but the vine is so happy that I'll just let it be.

'Asao' was the first to bloom and is now finished, so this is a photo from a few weeks ago.
 

Now that the petals have dropped from 'Asao,' these sweet wisps have formed from the centers.  A 'Francine Austin' climbing rose blooms around it.

'Comtesse de Bouchard' is another new plant for me.  The color is very similar to 'Asao,' though Comtesse doesn't have a white center to the petals.  I also have a tiny 'Sweet Summer Love' Clematis paniculata to plant, though I don't know if I'll get any blooms from it this year.  If not, it will be something to look forward to for next year.

Bold 'Coral Supreme' Peony Blooms

The 'Coral Supreme' peonies are magnificent this year.  After several years in the ground, they have matured into large plants with giant blooms.

 

Here is a full view of the peony on the southwest corner of the house.  'Walker's Low' catmint is blooming vigorously on the left and a flowering cherry tree grows behind the peony.

 

Speaking of catmint, this wide view of the house shows several catmint plants in full bloom.  The Korean dogwood is hiding the peony flowers on the left, and the peony on the east of the driveway is just out of the shot. 

 

Here are several peony buds just beginning to open.  The color is almost neon at first - it just glows in the evening or on cloudy days.

These blooms have faded after a few days in strong sunlight.  They are as big as both of my hands spread out together.

 

Exquisite, yes?

The catmint makes such a great backdrop.

This flower is about to drop its petals.  Soon all the blooms will be gone until next year, which  makes them even sweeter while they last.