“Planting Roses Makes Common Scents”….. so make the time to plant one. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing these last few weeks in my garden. Luckily, since I live in Zone 7b, I don’t have to wait till spring to plant my roses even though I’m sure I will find more to plant once spring arrives. This year I’ve planted several Climbing roses, Hybrid Musk’s, and a few Floribundas. The roses I selected needed to be tolerant of my hot and humid summers, as to keep any diseases down to a minimum, since I’m not an advocate of spraying my roses. Some of the roses I’ve planted are Antique Roses. Antique roses seem to be tougher and are more disease resistant than some of the modern roses. Also, keeping my roses well fertilized with organic fertilizer during their growing season and pruning when needed seems to keep them pretty happy. However, I do have my challenges; living in a heavily deer populated area, I’ve learned that in order to grow ALOT of roses, I’m having to grow them vertically and apply “stinky smelling” deer repellant regularly. Oh, the things we will do for the splendor of the rose….
Some of the Climbing roses I planted this year:
- Rev d”Or– Noisette (1869).Vigorous. Flowers are golden yellow,with pale yellow edges and apricot petal backs . One of the best climbing roses for warm climates.. Repeat bloomer. 12′-15′.
- Compassion – Modern climber. Fragrant delicate pink buds open to apricot and fade to butter yellow. Repeat bloomer. 8′-12′
- Golden Gate– (Kordes) . Golden yellow changing to pure yellow,citrus fragrance, repeat bloomer. 8′-10′
- Sally Holmes– Modern climber. Large clusters of peachy buds open to “hydrangea-like” creamy white blooms. Repeat bloomer. 6′-8′ (small climber).
- Evelyn– David Austin rose. Large cupped apricot blooms with a strong fragrance. 6′-8′ (short climber) Good pillar rose.
- Moonlight-( Kordes)Fragrant, semi-double apricot buds turning yellow with edges fading to pink. Repeat Bloomer. 8′-10′.
- Veilchenblau– Multiflora Rambler (1909). Nearly thornless, highly fragrant rambler with large clusters of cupped semi-double violet blooms. Tolerates partial shade. 9′-12′. (Climbing) No repeat bloom.
My Shrub Rose selections:
- Belinda– Hybrid Musk (1936). Deep pink blossoms with yellow stamens and white centers. Repeat blooming.4’x6′ (shrub). Makes an excellent short climbing rose in hot climates.
- Buff Beauty-Hybrid Musk (1939). Beautiful rose with clusters of double blossoms that begin as buff yellow and mature to apricot. Repeat blooming. 4′-6′ (shrub/small climber).
- Lavender Lassie– Kordes(1959). Hybrid Musk. Large trusses of fragrant,semi double blossoms that leans more to the lilac side of pink. Repeat bloomer. 6′-8′ )shrub/low climber).
- Moonlight-Hybrid Musk (1913). Its buds are cream colored and open to soft yellow to white flowers. Repeat blooming. 6′-8′ shrub/pillar rose.
There are so many different ways I use roses in my garden; growing them over arches and pillars, in beds and borders, against walls, on railings, as hedges, and in containers. With just a little care they add beauty, grace and charm to my garden. Planting roses does make “common scents”. Hope you find that to be the case in your garden and that you take the time to plant one. I promise you’ll be glad you did. Happy Planting!