Over the years, I have planted many, many roses in my garden, painting it in a rainbow of colors. My rose collection consists of several Climbers, Floribunda’s, Hybrid Tea’s, Noisettes, Polyantha’s, Bourbons, Hybrid Musks and Shrub roses. Most of these roses have been in my garden for several years, while some I’ve just planted recently. My inventory topples well over a hundred roses which is quite a challenge for I live in deer territory. Weekly spraying of deer repellant is a necessity to keep my roses from becoming their smorgasbord! This weekly technique seems to be working, even though the deer repellent does leave an unsightly residue on the foliage of my roses, but at least I have an abundance of blooms.

Since I’ve been growing and tending roses for over 2o years, I have learned a few things regarding the selection of roses for my garden:  They must have good disease resistance (I don’t spray chemicals, organic girl here), they must be tolerant of my hot and humid Zone 7b climate, and if possible, they must give me lots of blooms during their growing season (there are a few exceptions of course for the must-have one time bloomers). Sometimes, my roses are selected for their color, as to blend into my existing landscape.

I use only organic fertilizer’s on my roses during their growing season. My favorites are: Mill’s Magic Mix, Fish emulsion and Haven Brand Manure Tea which I brew in 5 gallon containers. I also occasionally use mushroom compost and horse manure .

My rose collection adds an aura of Southern charm to my garden with their endless combination of colors— from the lovely pinks and charming peach and apricots, to the the purest whites and creams, to the brightest reds, oranges and yellows which add an explosion of drama to my landscape.

Here are some of the roses that I grow in my garden that I have categorized by color and in multiple posts:

 My ‘Pretty in Pink’ Roses

(Pink, pale pink, deep pink)

‘Queen Elizabeth’– medium pink Grandiflora. Size: 5-10’h x 3’w. Zone: 5-9.

‘Queen Elizabeth’  has won more awards than most modern roses, including, in 1978, the World Federation of Rose Societies ‘World’s Favorite Rose’. I have two of these and they stand majestically in my garden reaching 7 or 8 feet .  The flowers are hybrid tea in shape borne in large clusters in a warm pale pink color . Great for the back of the border.  Beautiful rose that repeats well.

‘New Dawn’– pale pink Climbing Rose.  Size: 10-20h’+ x up to 8’w. Zone: 5-9

‘New Dawn’ is one of the easiest climbers to grow. Few Climbers can surpass ‘New Dawn’ for its hardiness, disease resistance, and profusion of light pink blooms. I love this rose. It conveys such a romantic feel in my garden. ‘New Dawn’  is very vigorous in my Zone 7b garden, even in part sun where mine is planted, so make sure you provide a sturdy structure for ‘New Dawn’ to grow upon and do her gracious climbing. This climbing rose is a one time ‘show-off’ in my garden, but so worth it!

 Ideally, ‘New Dawn’ should be planted in full sun, but it will also thrive on as little as four or five hours of sunlight a day that it gets in my garden.

‘Grande Dame’– deep pink Hybrid Tea. Size: 4-5’h.  Zone: 5-9

I absolutely adore this rose and its old-fashioned blooms. I even dedicated a post to her- ‘The Old Romance of the Grande Dame’.  An exquisite hybrid tea rose.

Two ‘Grande Dames’ grace my garden. This rose has great disease resistance and is a good repeat bloomer.

‘Mystic Beauty’– light pink Bourbon rose. Size: 2-4’h. Zone: 6-9.

I acquired this rose from Roses Unlimited. Having purchased three of these bourbon roses; two are planted in large containers and one in my flower border. The blooms are beautiful and it has a lovely fragrance that teases your nose to smell its blooms. New to my collection and so far a very good performer.

David Austin ‘Huntington Rose’ –  deep pink shrub rose. Size: 4’h x 3’w. Zone: 5-10.

 The beautiful pink blossoms are quite fragrant and it’s a non-stop bloomer in my garden so far.  I love David Austin roses and and this one is a keeper.

David Austin rose link describing this rose : http://www.davidaustinroses.com

‘Distant Drums’ – Brunette buds opening to orchid pink/tan. Hybridized by Griffith Buck. Size: 3-4’h x 3’w. Zone: 5-10.

 ‘Distant Drums’  is one of my favorite shrub roses because of it’s amazing color. The blossoms start off in a ochre-toned color which then turns into a mauve pink. A real performer in blooms and flowers repeatedly. A beautiful rare and unique rose colorwise. Grows much like a Floribunda in habit. It is rather thorny though and has occasional black-spot which I control by picking off the infected leaves.

‘Chicago Peace’ – pink blend Hybrid Tea. Size: 3-4’h x 3’w. Zone: 6-10.

This Hybrid Tea has lovely huge vibrant pink blooms with lavender overtones in almost perfect form. A sport of the ever popular Hybrid tea “Peace’ rose. Wonderful fragrance and excellent repeat bloomer. Mine is grown in a large container and is very healthy. Gorgeous rose and great for cutting.

‘Pink Double Knockouts‘- Size: 3-4’h x 3-4’w . Zone: 4-10.

My Knockout Roses are a definite blooming factory in my garden.  They have great disease resistance, are easy to grow, are low maintenance and bloom from spring until frost. Having planted a few dozen in my front yard landscape, on a difficult hillside , I must admit they provide long-lasting color in that area of my garden.

‘Pierre de Ronsard ‘ (aka Eden)  pink large flower climber. Size: up to 8-10′ h x 4-6’w. Zone: 5-10.

Newly planted in my garden, this rose is the epitome of romance with it’s romantic old fashioned pink blossoms. I just planted four climbing ‘Eden’ last spring next to several 8′ Rose Obelisk’s and can’t wait for them to grace these pillars. At the moment, all four climbers are about 6 feet tall and very healthy, one bush actually produced several blossoms.

My new 2013 pink rose additions are:

2- ‘Frances Meilland’– light pink hybrid tea

2- ‘Peter Mayle’– deep pink hybrid tea

‘Perfecta’– pink blend Kordes hybrid Tea

‘Cupcake’- medium pink miniature rose

2- ‘Laguna’– deep pink Kordes climbing rose

‘Jasmina’– violet & pink large flowered Kordes climbing rose

Next Post: Painting my Garden with Beautiful Roses (Part II)…My ‘Sultry Red’ Roses

‘Valentine Serenade’ from my garden to yours…  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Having planted this planting bed with hundreds of bulbs this year, 

I am awaiting the emergence of tulip blooms to once again grace my ‘Lady Diana’.

Of course, as in previous years during this holiday break,  I’ve been frantically planting the thousands of spring bulbs that I ordered so enthusiastically last summer.  As I’m writing this, I still have a few hundred left to get in the ground once it stops raining.

This time I ordered 1,900 bulbs, that’s about 1,500 less than last year.  The task of planting all these bulbs (which I plant all by myself I might add) is overwhelming. However, last year I started using an auger attached to my cordless drill which makes this task a lot easier (at least that’s how I convince myself).  Naturally, my main motivation and drive stems from knowing that in just a few months, my garden will be an explosion of color from the hundreds of tulip, daffodil and hyacinth blooms in their full glory!

Here are some of my selections for Spring 2013….

‘Angelique’–  Every year I plant ‘Angelique‘ in my garden and containers and every year I am always amazed by her beauty. Very romantic and feminine in appearance, this tulip closely resembles peonies when in bloom. The double blooms range from pink to pale pink to almost white.

 ‘Big Eartha’–  This year I decided to plant ‘Big Eartha’ tulips  instead of the red tulips I normally plant in my front-yard island beds. These beds usually require at least 500 tulips so it makes quite an impact. ‘Big Eartha’ is a beautiful pink tulip with 20″ stems. Perfect for cutting. Can’t wait  for my bouquets…

‘Strike Me Pink’

‘Strike Me Pink’–  is one of my favorite tulip mixes sold by Colorblends.  Last spring I mixed them with snapdragons and hyacinths in my Lady Diana statue garden bed. I’ve done the same this year.  Love the colors!

‘Dordogne’–  is a newcomer to my tulip collection this year. This tulip has been described as rose colored with yellow edges on the outside and fiery red with soft orange edges on the inside. Sounds like it puts on quite a show in the garden. A photographers dream…hope I can capture some of it’s exquisite beauty in my garden this spring.

 ‘Marilyn’-  Oh, Marilyn!  What a striking tulip. A pure white, lily-flowered tulip with strawberry flames. Wonderful in borders and containers. ‘Marilyn’ has once again been ‘sprinkled’ all over my garden….

‘Queen of the Night’– I’m ecstatic that I was able to obtain this tulip this year for it seems to be sold out alot! Even though it’s described as a ‘nearly’ black tulip; its probably more of a deep, deep maroon. ‘Queen of the Night’ has large goblet-shaped blooms on strong 2 foot stems. Late spring bloomer. I plan on pairing her with ‘Maureen’ (see below) for a stunning display.

‘Maureen’- This will be my 2nd year planting ‘Maureen’ in my garden. A pure white late-blooming beauty.  ‘Maureen’ does especially well in containers too. Combining her with ‘Queen of the Night’ this year.

So, these are all the bulb picks for my garden this year. I hope I’ve encouraged some of you to get a few in the ground before it’s too late!

  Springtime is the most exuberant time of the year in my garden. Here’s an early ‘taste’ of Spring  with some photos of my garden from last year…

Nothing says Christmas more like the fragrance and color of fresh greenery at Christmastime.

Your garden is probably the best source for fresh greenery and berries. I look around my garden this time of year and start collecting fresh greenery to add to my existing containers. I always try to mix natural greenery with some faux to give a lasting holiday season in my southern garden.

Use fresh evergreens from your own garden, as I have,  for an inexpensive way to decorate. Holly, cedar,cypress, nandina, pine, boxwood and magnolia are all amazingly abundant in my southern garden.

So use your garden as a way to inspire your holiday creativity or head to your local nursery and pick up some inexpensive “leftovers” to use in your Christmas garden.

Bring holiday cheer to your home….

Check out my Christmas Garden featured in Fine Gardening’s GPOD at:http://www.finegardening.com/item/25842/brendas-holiday-garden-decorations-in-georgia-day-1

September blooms in my garden…GBBD

Happy Bloom Day everyone!

Many thanks to May Dream Gardens for hosting Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day

‘A Dream Come True’….

 Proud and Honored!

Please check out the September 2012 issue of Georgia Gardening Magazine.   My garden has been profiled in this current issue….

 http://statebystategardening.com/ga/

Time to enjoy and share some late summer blooms in my garden.

 The recent rains have nourished and hydrated my flowers just in time for GBBD…

Some of my many containers blooming now….

 Many Thanks to May Dream Gardens for hosting GBBD…

As a gardener, I’ve always had a passion for designing and planting outdoor containers. Playing around with the different color combinations and textures of plants are fun and the choices are almost endless. To me, containers are an easy way to accessorize and customize my garden with pockets of color and my own creative expression. Over the years, I’ve had some container successes (I was a 2011 & 2012  Fine Gardening Container Design Finalist) and some not so great, like being a bit too ambitious and planting over 75 containers one year in which I had to succumb to watering daily for months during a drought (what was I thinking!).

This year, I decided to keep my container count to about 50…still quite a few but alot more manageable. By using a few container gardening basics and a little bit of TLC my containers provide be with big rewards throughout the spring, summer and fall.

Here are a few of my favorite containers which I designed and planted this spring/summer….

‘Tickled Pink’  Containers

Every year I plant the combination of Dragon-Wing Begonia’s, New Guinea Impatiens, ‘Silver Falls’ Dichondra and Creeping jenny in my large oval pedestal container. Simple elegance…

Dragon wing Cane begonia’s, petunia’s, fushsia, double impatiens and Persian shield spill from this lovely grey container located in part shade receiving mainly morning sun.

Dripping with elegant pink blossoms the dragon wing ‘cane’ begonia blooms all summer and into the fall in my Zone 7B garden.

Grouping these containers together creates a lovely composition around my fountain.

Tipping a pot on its side creates a playful spill of pink impatiens in my garden…

 Here was my Finalist Entry for Fine Gardening’s  ‘Accessorize’  2011 Container Design Challenge.

http://www.finegardening.com/design/articles/2011-container-challenge-finalists.aspx

‘Hot and Sassy Red’ Containers

 There’s nothing like classic red to add drama to a container. I use red around my entryway every year to make a bold statement.

Sometimes simple is the way to go by using just one type of ‘showoff’ plant. I’ve chosen red trailing petunias to make a spectacular display in my large urn enhancing my entryway.

Mandevilla vine is a prolific vine that twines around any structure. I have mine planted around a hummingbird feeder since the large red blossoms attracts butterflies and hummingbirds all summer.

‘ Purple Vibes’ Containers

 The fuss-free purple blooms of petunia and potato vine planted by my garage doors makes me happy every time I see them.. This showstopper just won’t quit…

  Having planted this rectangular iron plant-stand to the gills, you can hardly see the container anymore. The photo does this container no justice…love the cascading purple calibrachoa.

Purple and chartreuse is a favorite color combination of mine. This planter is still in its ‘filling out ‘ phase and will look lovely in a few weeks.

‘Blue Rhapsody’ Containers

 My ‘Blue Rhapsody’ container garden has to be one of my favorites that I plant every year. These containers definitely capture your attention from across my garden all year round. I plant spring bulbs in them in the fall for a pretty flower display in the early spring. Also, when I entertain I like to dress up the area with blue and white porcelain vases. 

Note: As of a few days ago my lovely Swan planter was a victim of a large tree limb and is no longer gracing my garden. I’m so glad I took this photo to share its splendor with you cause for now its just a memory...

‘Fancy Foliage’ Containers

 Packed with fancy foliage my round container looks good all year round. I replace the trailing coleus and potato vine with pansies in the fall.

 A combination of various hues of purple foliage plants draws attention to this planter. Still in it’s ‘filling out’ phase, once it matures I’m sure it will be one of my favorites foliage-wise. I apologize for the sub-par photo…

This in an old picnic basket I’ve had for over 25 years ( a wedding present ) that I decided to use as a container this year. The  foliage is a ‘feast’ for the eyes.

‘Addictive Succulents’

Harvest Delights

 Patio kitchen harvests are so easy and convenient. I fill my huge round patio container with tomatoes and herbs in the summer, lettuce in the fall…

Favorite herbs fill my old iron container….

Here are a Few Simple Container Gardening Basics…

(1)  Buy (or make) a good quality potting soil.  A planting mix with good drainage and water retention will reduce the amount of regular care required.

(2)  Try to use plants with the same watering and lighting needs in the same container.

(3)   Water your containers on a regular basis.  I know this is the most time consuming part of container gardening. I try to water my containers in the morning to keep them from drying out from the midday heat. I also like using larger containers. The larger the container the more moisture it will hold thus the less often you will have to water.

(4) For your containers to reach their full flowering potential, they need to be fertilized. Fertilizing is just as important as watering for achieving beautiful healthy containers. There are several types of fertilizers to choose from, including powders, liquids, foliar sprays, manure teas, etc. My most foolproof method is using a slow release glandular fertilizer when planting and then about 6 weeks later a liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks to give my containers an additional boost during their growing season.  I use liquid fertilizer for my heavy bloomers (like petunias), and for my vegetable, shade loving and foliage containers I use Haven Brand Manure Tea, an organic fertilizer that these plants love.

(5) Most flowers benefit from having their spent flowers removed. To keep my containers blooming and looking neat I deadhead my plants when needed.

Hope you’ve enjoyed the photo tour of my containers.

Previous Post: Painting my Garden with Beautiful Roses (Part IV)- My ‘Hot Sunset’ Roses

 My ‘Peachy’ Roses

(Peach, apricot, salmon pink)

Reve d’Or– Noisette climbing rose, buff yellow with shades of apricot/peach. Size: 10-18’h x 5-8’w. Zone: 7-9.

This graceful climbing Noisette rose, Reve d’Or,  was brought to my attention via #Rosechat, a twitter exchange for rose lovers. Paul Zimmerman, (a.k.a. rose expert), had tweeted on #Rosechat  how he loved this climbing rose and grew Reve d’Or  in his own garden. So naturally, this past fall, I had to plant one. Mine is growing up a triple arched pergola and already has taken off in growth and given me some lovely blossoms.

Reve d’Or– (French for ‘Dream of Gold’)-  has softly shaped, delicate double blossoms that are more ‘peachy’ in color. The flowers appear in clusters abundantly in the spring, lightly during summer’s heat, and again in the fall. One of the best climbing roses for warmer climates. A designated Earthkind Rose. AARS rating 9.2.

‘Compassion’– modern climber in hues of salmon pink and peachy/apricot. Size: 8-10’h x 5’w. Zone: 5-10.

An extraordinarily beautiful climbing rose with Hybrid tea-like buds that open into pretty ruffled petals that are exquisitely shaped. It’s fragrance is intoxicating. I have Compassion growing up my triple arch pergola alongside Reve d’Or . Wonderful repeat flowering. One of my favorites.

‘Evelyn’- David Austin short climbing rose, silky soft apricot, tinged with pink. Size: 6’h x 3’w. Zone:

Breathtaking rose in bloom, with huge old-fashioned rosette formed flowers. One of the most fragrant roses in my garden. A very good repeat bloomer. A small climber, perfect for a pillar.

‘Evelyn’ was named on behalf of Crabtree & Evelyn, who used it in their range of rose perfumes, soaps and lotions.

‘Buff Beauty’- Apricot blend Hybrid Musk. Size: 4-10′ x 4-8’w. Zone: 5-10.

A Hybrid Musk rose new to my garden this year. To my delight, Buff Beauty has already produced flowers and graceful long arching canes. This fragrant Hybrid Musk rose has beautiful clusters of double apricot flowers that fade to soft yellow. In warmer climates it is often trained as a climber. I’ve heard that Buff Beauty’s blooms are lovely in the fall….I can’t wait!

‘Amber’ Flower Carpet shrub rose- Semi-double peachy, amber flowers. Size: 2-3’h x 2-3’w. Zone: 5-10.

This my all time favorite Flower Carpet rose. High in disease resistance and a prolific bloomer. I have several planted around my stonebridge in front of my weeping Blue Atlas cedar.

My new 2013 ‘Peachy’ rose additions are:

‘Lady Ashe’– Apricot blend climbing Hybrid Tea

‘Peach Drift’

I’ve enjoyed sharing my roses with everyone with these multiple blog posts.  Roses offer us an endless combination of colors to paint our landscapes with in any way we choose.  So go ahead- paint your garden with beautiful roses!

Check out some of these helpful rose links:

http://www.ars.org

http://paulzimmermanroses.blogspot.com  

http://www.rosechat.info

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose

Painting my Garden with Beautiful Roses (Part I)…’My Pretty in Pink’ Roses

Previous Post: Painting my Garden with Beautiful Roses (Part III)… ‘Different Shades of White’ Roses

My ‘Hot Sunset’ Roses

(Yellow, Orange, Tangerine and Coral)

‘VaVoom’ – Orange and yellow blend Floribunda rose. Size: 3-4’h . Zone: 6-9

Va-Va-VaVoom! This Floribunda rose blooms continually in my garden giving me amazing color . It’s fully double flowers are an intense bright tangerine orange with rich mahogany colored new foliage.

‘VaVoom’ stands up well to the heat and humidity in my Zone 7b garden. One of my favorite roses colorwise, especially mixed with deep blues and purples. Fragrant. Does seem to get occasional blackspot.

‘Easy Does It’– Floribunda rose in hues of mango orange, pink and apricot. Size: 3-4’h. Zone: 5-10.

This rose lives true to its name..it has to be one of the easiest Floribunda’s to grow in my garden. Extremely disease resistant and a non-stop bloomer from spring to frost! The flower petals are beautifully scalloped with ruffled edges, starting out mango orange and then turning coral and pink. 2010 AARS Award. In the spring, I love mixing Easy Does It with orange tri-color snapdragons.

‘Julia Child’ – Warm buttery gold/yellow Floribunda. Size: 3-4’h x 3-4’w. Zone: 5-10.

Huge clusters of deliciously fragrant old fashioned blooms in a gorgeous buttery yellow. Extremely disease resistant (one of the best in my garden), constant bloomer.

2006 AARS Winner.  Adored by many and definitely one of my favorites!

‘Golden Gate’ – Golden yellow Kordes Large flowered Climbing rose. Size: 8’h x 5’w. Zone: 5-10.

Newly planted in my garden this spring is the Kordes climbing rose ‘Golden Gate’. It has already grown to 7 feet tall and given me lots of blooms. ‘Golden Gate‘ has lovely double blooms that are golden yellow slowly fading to cream. Beautiful healthy green foliage. Wonderful repeat bloomer and fragrant.  It’s a keeper in my garden.

‘White Licorice’ – light yellow Floribunda rose. Size: 3-4’h x 3-4′ w. Zone: 5-10.

Another newcomer to my garden this spring ‘White Licorice’  Floribunda rose. Two of them grace the entrance to my backyard stone arbor. The sweet licorice/lemon fragrance is a wonderful greeting, along with the lovely lemon yellow blossoms which turn to ivory white. .  Only downside…seems to be susceptible to blackspot. Already thinking about replacing this rose with a few Julia Child Floribunda’s.

‘Coral’ Flower Carpet Rose-Size: 3-4 feet. Zone: 5-11.

This prostrate- growing shrub rose is a real eye catcher in my landscape. The coral color is bright and cheery even in our brutal summer heat. Extremely  disease resistant and requires little care as most Flower Carpet shrub roses. Prolific bloomer.

Next Post: Painting my Garden with Beautiful Roses (PartV)… My ‘Peachy’ Roses

Previous Post: Painting my Garden with Beautiful Roses (Part II)… My ‘Sultry Red’ Roses

My ‘Shades of White’Roses

 ( White, Near White, White edged with pink, Blush)

Climbing ‘Iceburg’ Floribunda Rose- Size: 8-10′ h. Zone: 5-10.

Climbing Iceburg produces beautiful semi-double white flowers all summer long in my garden. I’ve read that it’s considered to be the best white climber, however, Sombreuil also has my vote.  Iceburg’s flowers are fragrant with beautiful dark green foliage. The only fault is that the flowers are not very long lasting when cut.

A reliable climber in my garden and even performs well in a bit of shade.

‘Sombreuil’ – Creamy White Climbing Tea Rose. Size: 8-12’h. Zone: 6-9. 

‘Sombreuil’ is an outstanding climber in my garden reaching about eight to ten feet . One of my all time favorite white roses due to its fragrance and elegant creamy white flowers. It’s flowers remind me of the ‘Alba Plena’ camellia with their formal flat double petals ever so slightly blushed with pink. It flowers profusely and sheds its soft faded petals beautifully. Sombreuil  adds an Old World charm to my garden. It’s believed by some, that it was named after the daughter of Comte de Sombreuil, who was governor of Les Invalides at the time of the French Revolution, and she saved her father from prison and possible death.

 These next few roses are different shades of white–they either start out white or eventually turn white as they mature….

‘Moonstone’  – Soft cream finely edged in delicate pink Hybrid Tea rose. Size: 3-4’h x 3’w. Zone: 5-10.

Moonstone is an absolutely stunning hybrid tea rose blooming in my garden. It’s flowers open from large buds to lovely white petals finely edged with pink. The blooms are huge and exquisite. The flowers change colors as they age, becoming more creamy white.  Moonstone is a noted prize winning exhibition rose and also an excellent cut flower.

I have two planted in my garden; one in full sun, which is doing excellent (above photo), and the other is planted in part sun and has been prone to some black spot. This rose definitely prefers some sun and heat.

Madame Alfred Carrie – near white Noisette Tea Climber. Size: 10-20’+ . Zone: 7-9.

This is one blooming machine in my garden… and that’s an understatement. Climbing Madame Alfred Carrie blooms almost all year round for me in my Zone 7b climate. At times I’ve had blossoms in January!

This climbing Noisette rose is very vigorous so make sure you have a tall and strong structure (or a house) for this rose to climb upon. I made the mistake of planting mine against a wrought iron railing about 9′ high and 20′ wide and it’s already outgrown that space, requiring the task of pruning on a regular basis to keep this climbing rose within it’s bounds .

 The blooms are a pale white tinted with a hint of blush and very fragrant. This climbing rose has a soft romantic appearance when in bloom. It’s undemanding, provided you plant it with plenty of room to grow, and it is quite disease resistant. ‘Madame Alfred Carrie’ has a long blooming season and is almost thornless (which helps in pruning) . I truly love this climbing rose and would never have a garden without it.

‘Marie Pavie’ – white blend Polyantha Rose. Size: 15″-4’h x 2’w. Zone: 4-10.

‘Marie Pavie’ is one of the oldest Polyantha’s.  This jewel-of-rose is new to my garden and I’m already in love with it. It’s semi-double flowers open from small flesh pink buds before fading to white. The plant is vigorous, compact, thornless and good for the front of the border or container planting. Intensely fragrant, especially on humid evenings in my garden.

My new 2013 white rose additions are:

2 – ‘Moondance’– white blend Floribunda rose

‘Green Romantica’– white blend hybrid tea

Next Post: Painting my Garden with Beautiful Roses (Part IV)…My ‘Hot Sunset ‘ Roses

Previous post: Painting My Garden with Beautiful Roses (Part I)… My ‘Pretty in Pink ‘ Roses….

My ‘Sultry Red’ Roses

(Red, Dark red, Crimson, Pale red)

‘Don Juan’ -modern large flowered dark red climbing rose. Size: 8-10’h x 6’w. Zone: 5-10

This is definitely one classy climbing rose. My favorite red climber of all times. Enough so, that I have three climbing up the stone exterior walls of my home. The beauty and fragrance is amazing. The color is a true, deep, velvety red. I have two ‘Don Juan’s’ growing in a sunny location that have grown tremendously in the last 2 years and the third in a part sun location that, to my surprise, is doing very well.

Eventually, this climber will be trained to grow over the arch entry of my home, but for now, it’s still in it’s ‘growing phase’. Requires little attention other than deadheading (or in my case training the canes)  an excellent repeat bloomer. Occasionally can get spells of black spot, but that doesn’t seem to slow this rose down since new growth compensates the loss of leaves.  I would not have a rose garden without a ‘Don Juan’!

‘William Shakespeare 2000‘– crimson red David Austin shrub rose. Size: 4′ x 3′. Zone: 5-10.

Another newcomer to my garden this spring, this David Austin rose has exquisite, large double crimson red blossoms that are full petaled, cupped and quartered. The rich luscious color is outstanding ( hard to capture with a camera), especially when planted with pinks and violets. I was impressed and pleased with the number of blossoms WS2000 provided me this month considering I just planted it 3 months ago. Mine is planted next to several pink ‘Huntington Roses‘,  another David Austin shrub rose.

Red Flower Carpet Rose ‘ Noare‘- Carmine red shrub rose. Size: 2-4’h x 3’w. Zone: 4-10.

Most of my roses, especially my shrub roses, are integrated as part of my landscape design. My Red Flower Carpet roses ‘Noare’ are no exception. I have several groupings of this shrub rose flanked around my Blue Atlas Cedars ( conifers are another passion of mine) and the color pairing is just stunning!

A prolific bloomer with beautiful carmine red flowers with yellow centers. Highly disease resistant and easy to grow. Love it for its punch of vivid color from spring until frost.

‘Double Delight’– cream blushing red Hybrid Tea rose. Size: 4’h x 4’w. Zone: 5-10.

Even though ‘Double Delight’ is not totally red in color, I still placed it in the ‘Sultry Red’ category due to it’s spectacular bi-color with red being it’s eye-catching attribute.

‘Double Delight‘ is a gorgeous Hybrid tea whose fragrance and perfectly formed flowers are creamy white with a tinge of red that looks like it was hand-painted on its outer petals, and then as it matures it’s flowers turn more red in color. To me, it’s an artist’s dream to paint this rose for it’s alluring two-toned beauty.

My new 2013 red rose additions are:

2- ‘Dublin Bay’– red large flowered climbing rose

‘Traviata’– dark red hybrid tea

‘Munstead Wood’ – dark red David Austin rose

‘Tess of the D’ Ubervilles’– crimson red David Austin rose

5- ‘Warm & Fuzzy‘- Christmasy red miniature rose

Next Post: Painting my Garden with Beautiful Roses (Part III)… My ‘Shades of White’ Roses

Peonies…they’re every gardener’s dream. Well, at least this gardener. They are more voluptuous than some of my roses and provide an old-fashioned charm to my garden. Bearing spectacular bowl-sized blooms, peonies can last 50 years or more in your garden. Having planted more than 50 peonies in my garden over the years, I think of planting one as a lifetime commitment.

Herbaceous vs. Tree vs. Intersectional

I. There are several different types of peonies. Herbaceous Peonies are the most well known type and I have several in my garden; Sarah Bernhardt, Bowl of Beauty, Festiva Maxima and Karl Rosenfield, just to name a few. Herbaceous peonies can be planted in both spring and fall. They need at least 5 hours of full sun with rich well-draining soil. Like most long-lived perennials it can take three years for them to bloom prolifically but they are well worth the wait. Herbaceous peonies require very little care and live for generations.

II.  Tree Peonies are woody perennial shrubs.  Tree peonies grow slowly, producing 1 to 6 inches of new growth each year. Given well-drained soil and dappled sunlight, they will live for centuries. I haven’t acquired any in my garden yet but I plan to in the future.

III. Intersectional Peonies, also know as Itoh Hybrids, are a hybrid produced by crossing a tree peony with an herbaceous peony. I came across this variety when a gardening friend of mine found them for half price (Itoh peonies can cost around $75-$100 @) and he picked me up several at a local nursery that was going out of business.  Itoh peonies produce tree peony flowers and leaves on plants that behave like herbaceous peonies, dying down to the ground in winter and reemerging each spring. A mature plant can produce 50 or more dinner-plate sized flowers on strong short stems that do not require staking, which is a plus if you having as many peonies as I do. Each plant can remain in bloom for 3-4 weeks with new buds continually opening over this period. My seven Itoh Peonies were spectacular this year considering I just planted them last fall. So far I am very impressed!

Since I garden in Zone 7b, Southerners can find it a bit tricky to grow peonies. But certain selections will tolerate our mild winters. The key to growing peonies successfully in the South is in the planting. The secret is to not plant the “eyes” of the peonies very deep. Peonies should be planted only 2 1/2 to 3 inches deep. Also, fall is the optimal planting time.

For arrangements, cut when the buds are just opening. Don’t cut full-bloom peonies, they won’t last long.

If there is one rose that I will swoon over its the ‘Grande Dame’. This Hybrid Tea has big bountiful blossoms that remind me of some of the old romantic garden roses. Her huge blossoms just teases your nose to bury it in her fragrant double rose-pink blossoms.

You can’t help but be drawn to this rose and it’s arresting fragrance. ‘Grande Dame’ is definitely a stately rose that demands attention.

And if that wasn’t enough to sway you, this rose is very vigorous in growth, has remarkable disease resistance, and is a good repeat bloomer. Oh, did I mention her blossoms look absolutely stunning in a vase….what else could you ask for!

I’m participating in Chris VanCleaves’ –  Fill The Frame Friday’  at Celebrating Life & Roses  with this photo of the charming David Austin rose ‘Evelyn’.

 I Love the Orange Sorbet   color of my snapdragons in my garden this spring. This orange flower with pink hues compliments well with my Floribunda roses ‘Easy Does It ‘(blend of mango,peach & apricot) and ‘Vavoom’ (orange- juice orange).

Once the weather heats up these snapdragons will begin to fizzle and it will be time to replace them with summer flowering annuals. I definitely got alot of ‘flower power’ out of them though and they are deer-proof !

One of the finest  spring blooming trees in my landscape is the Fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus), a small tree that’s considered as one of the most beautiful native trees in the southeastern U.S.  During its peak ‘awakening’ the Fringe tree produces a beautiful and delicate visual impact in my garden for several weeks.

My fringe tree begins blooming roughly the same time as most of the dogwoods and azaleas in my garden.  Large, 4 to 8-inch-long loose clusters of lightly fragrant white flowers cover the fringe tree in spring for several weeks. The flowers have very narrow petals that give the appearance of pom-poms from a distance. It has a sweet fragrance that is potent but not overpowering.

It grows as a multi-stemmed tree in my garden eventually reaching around 20 feet.  Although, Fringe trees are adaptable and will grow in most soil types, they do prefer moist, deep, well-drained acidic soils. The ideal planting site would be morning/early afternoon sun (its location in my garden), but shade during the hot afternoon hours.

 The fringe tree makes an excellent specimen tree.

This tree will also draw birds to your garden, as they will eat the bluish-black fruit that develops during late summer.