Roses

[truepenny]

Today I planted two Cerise Bouquet climbing roses, in the hopes that they will be obliging enough to climb the trellis on the west end of the front porch. I am uneasily aware that I am standing at the top of a slippery slope, rose-wise, and am hoping that my aversion to sunlight will keep me strong.

Also, a plug: HelpMeFind.Com is very aptly named, for they did, in fact, help me find the identity of my roses. (The nursery from which I got them had had them for quite a while and had lost their information.)

Comments

[pixel39.livejournal.com]

I wish I lived far enough south to have yellow climbing roses. *sigh*

I finally...

[themadblonde]

seem to have found my rose. For years I have wanted ONE rose bush (I have a tiny yard & only space for one), & I didn't feel I was being too picky. It had to be not white or yellow (I really wanted red), it had to be fragrant, northern winter hardy, & the blooms had to NOT come in clumps so that they could be cut for vases (even small ones). I'd been looking cursorily for years, not finding anything that fit all my criteria, then I found my ramblin' red rose. I was never expecting to get a climbing rose, but it works for where I want it, & so far (knock on wood) it's done remarkably well. I'm hoping to see it blooming in a few weeks.

[pameladean]

Those are so pretty. They'd never make it up here, though.

P.

[marydell.livejournal.com]

Ooo, those will be pretty, particularly on a trellis.

I keep thinking about doing roses, despite having a black thumb for the most part. My parents have a completely unkillable climber on their fence, so I should probably take a cutting from that.

[ashnistrike.livejournal.com]

We have white wild roses which are also unkillable and which you are also welcome to a cutting of if you wish. (Five-petaled white flowers with yellow centers, about an inch across. Very fragrent, but also very thorny.) They are trying to Take Over The World.

-Nameseeker

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

One of my sisters is a rosarian, with a certificate and all, and there is an officially-recognized way to reckon up your roses to prove that you really do not have too many.

First, any rose that has just been planted does not count, because you have no idea how it will do and if it will be a keeper.

Any rose that is not in bloom doesn't really count, because without flowers it's just a shrub.

Any rose you've had less than five years doesn't count--because it's not really established yet, and (see reason number one).

Any rose you've had fifteen years (or ten years, or seven years, depending on who's talking) or more doesn't count, because it's probably near the end of its productive blooming years and in danger of reverting to its rootstock. (Yes, we all know of roses much older than that which are doing fine. They don't count.)

Any rose that's not doing well doesn't count, because you may have to root it out.

Any rose you're thinking of moving doesn't count, because it might not survive being transplanted.

Any rose you have more than one of only counts once, because the extras are just back-up.

Some will claim that if you aren't sure of the variety it doesn't count, either, either because if you knew what it really was you might not keep it, or because serious rose gardeners always know their roses, and so if you don't know the variety, it can't be one of your roses.

If you ordered rose bushes for someone else, or for a public project, and an extra crept in there and you planted it in your yard, it doesn't count, because you totally did not buy that rose.

If someone gives you a bush or slip as a gift, it does not count, because it's not as if you went looking for it, really.

Also, if you plant it as, say erosion control on a slope or something like that, it's really just landscaping, and how can that count?

And so on.