Bloom Thyme Friday: Friends and Roses Part 2

Link | June 19, 2020June 19, 2020 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

In most of my garden “rooms” you will find roses hybridized by this rose friend – Dr. David Zlesak.

DAY JOB: David is a Professor of Horticulture at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. For the past 11 years, David has been teaching undergraduate horticulture students.

HOBBY: As a kid growing up in Milwaukee, David loved being outside and gardening – especially with his grandparents who had a small farm nearby.

FUN STORY: When David was 13 he read in the Sunday paper gardening section about Will Radler’s rose breeding hobby. So he wrote to Will for more information. Will (breeder of the Knock Out family of roses) got him connected to the Rose Hybridizers Association and with his love of art, science and roses, he was off onto a hobby that would bring him and all of us much joy in the roses that he has created.

FRIENDSHIP: I met David through American Rose Society events and we have become great friends. Actually, it is hard NOT to become friends with David as he is truly one of the nicest guys around! He is always willing to share his vast knowledge with those interested!

DAVID’S ROSES IN MY GARDEN

Petit Pink (10 of those!) (Lovely sweetheart blooms!)

Above and Beyond (Gorgeous spring-blooming climber)

The newly released Pretty Polly Lavender (Sweetest blooms and fragrant too)

The newly released Pretty Polly (So prolific and great in arrangements)

PODCAST:

Recently I spoke to David on the Rose Chat Podcast about a project that he is also very passionate about — The Clean Plant Network and the very important work they are doing. Listen in HERE.

BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK

THYME OUT…

‘Thyme Out’ is the name for my new outdoor working space and this space is coming together very nicely. Gone are the horrible vines, roots, and trunks of the invasive Japanese Honeysuckle (if you missed that post, read on HERE.

This space has always included a potting bench but Mr. G gave the potting bench a facelift and then surprised me with a beautiful work table. After a few days of seeing me work in the space, he said, “I’m making you another table.” Seriously, I said I don’t need another one it would be tooooo excessive.” He said, “I’m making you another table.” And, he did. And, guess what? I am so glad he did! I have room to spread out! I am spending so much time in this space.

Mr. G is the best.

To say that he ”gets” me would be an understatement.

To say that he is a craftsman, would be an understatement.

To say that he is a leader and mentor, would be an understatement.
To say that I love him would be an understatement.

And, to say that he is the very best at being a dad and papa … would be an understatement.

HAPPY FATHER’S (& PAPA) DAY, MR. G.

BLOOMING THIS WEEK…

The roses are on steroids this week and so are many other things. Here are a few pics. For more pictures and videos go to my Instagram page HERE.

Friends, thanks for dropping by.

I hope your world is filled to the brim with friends and with beautiful blooms too! 😘

Bloom Thyme Friday: Add. Subtract. Relocate.

Link | September 1, 2017 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Yes, this week has been about adding, subtracting and relocating.

ADD.

Take a look! I went shopping and found these beautiful plants on sale. Just what I needed for my new project!

New Project: I am adding new perennials to extend my border of cutting flowers. I’ll also add roses, herbs, ground covers and some annuals in the spring! For now I’m getting these beautiful bargains planted!

Border this July…

Current situation … Buckets, tools and pots everywhere!

It’s Phenomenal!

One of the plants I am adding is a new lavender I found! Phenomenal Lavender is said to be a winter hardy variety that is also disease resistant as well as heat and humidity resistant. I plant lavender every year and have tried several varieties but the “come back” rate is low. Phenomenal Lavender was named Must Grow Perennial for 2013 by Better Homes and Gardens. Let’s hope it lives up to it’s name! Have you grown it?

Jackson and Perkins has “Phenomenal” for sale, if you are interested. Here.

Perle d’Or Rose

Chamblee Roses is sending me two Perle d’Ors next week. I can’t wait to have these roses.

This picture is from the Antique Rose Emporium website (link)

Perle d’Or is a fragrant old garden rose that was bred in France and introduced in 1884. In this country, this rose has been tested through the Earth Kind program, proven itself and came out on top in 2007 when it was named Earth Kind Rose of the Year. Some articles say it is good for Zone 5 or warmer and some say Zone 6. With this in mind, I plan to keep these little babies in the potting shed this winter and have them in containers on the deck next summer. It may be a few years before I plant them in the ground.

SUBTRACT.

One of the few things I am subtracting this year is a beautiful rose that came down with Crown Gall. I had never had gall in my rose garden before—actually I had never even seen it before except in pictures. Needless to say I am not a fan. I took some good advice and removed the plant. If you want to know more about this yucky stuff, read on. #gross #enoughsaid 😷😳

RELOCATE.

I have been grooming a tiny Peggy Martin Rose I was given to have a prominent place in the garden. The location has been decided … on the trellis by the porch of my potting shed. I know. I know. She could get very happy and engulf the potting shed. But today I am okay with that. Having this rose in this space will bring me so much pleasure. My tiny little plant has grown 4′ this year and is ready to move.

I have not been sure what I wanted in this space since I lost my gorgeous New Dawn 3 years ago to RRD. It was heartbreaking, but now I’m going to give Peggy a chance to add the wow to the entrance to my special place.

Here is a picture of 4-year old Peggy on one of my arbors in early June.

Want to see New Dawn in her prime! Here she is…

Yes, she has been missed but hope springs eternal for gardeners and next spring we will watch Peggy grow!

I don’t know about where you are but our weather has turned cold! I don’t know what this early cold snap says about our winter! Mr. G is hoping for a lot of snow. He might just get it.

I usually wish you a happy bloom thyme Friday. And, I do wish you all the best, but it is hard for me to say the word happy. My friends in Texas are on my mind and in my heart constantly. Let’s keep praying for them and helping where we can.

Fireworks and Fragrance

Link | July 1, 2016July 22, 2016 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

In life and in gardens the right companions can make the difference. They can make us stronger, cover up our short comings and enhance our beauty.

My garden style is cottage gardening …. I grow everything from trees and shrubs to herbs and roses. These garden companions work beautifully together to give me just what I want—continuous beauty. In fact, once we get through one of the midwest’s hard, cold winters, I am looking for fireworks and fragrance. Nothing adds the fireworks and fragrance like roses.

In April, lilacs give me beauty and fragrance that garden dreams are made of however, in a few weeks they are finished — for a year. Forsythia make a huge showing too— bringing all that yellow sunshine into our world—for a few weeks. Just as I am saying goodbye to those lovely shrubs, along comes the Rugosa Roses and Old Garden Roses with an explosion of blooms that fill the garden and many vases to the brim with beauty, fragrance and over the top charm. While most of the old garden roses only have one bloom per season (about 4 weeks), many of the rugosas don’t stop with just one bloom cycle and will give you at least a few fragrant blooms throughout the growing season.

Just as the rugosas are taking a break and the one-time blooming old garden roses are finished for the season, here come the easy care roses I call garden roses (sometimes referred to as shrub roses). These power bloomers go to work and believe me their bloom season will continue all the way to fall. There is no shrub or perennial that gives me season-long bloom like the garden roses and paired together, they work their cottage charm.

Rugosas putting on a show in my garden!

Whether you are like me and have have lots of space, or you have a few nooks and crannies you would like to brighten or have containers on a balcony that need some punch, there is a garden rose for you. Garden roses come in all sizes and colors and will take no more care than any other plant or shrub in your garden. Give them sunshine, water, a bit of fertilizer, a quick trim of the spent blooms, then just stand back and enjoy. (And have your vases ready to fill and share.)

When deciding on companions for your roses, the first thing to consider is compatible growing conditions and here are two companions that have their relationship all worked out and have become a match made in heaven… roses and clematis!

Etoile de Violette and New Dawn Climber…

Here are some easy care, power blooming shrub roses that fill my garden with beauty and work well with all of the other plants that catch my fancy.

Petit Pink… This small shrub from the Proven Winners OSO Happy series is constantly happy in my garden covered in these dainty pink flowers. We can thank David Zlesak for this amazing shrub!

Music Box and her companions… This is a lovely blooming machine from the Ping Lim’s Easy Elegance Collection. Starts out creamy yellow and adds more pink as it matures.

Sunrise Sunset… also from the Easy Elegance Collection paired with Double Red Knockout

The Generous Gardener… One of the best and most disease resistant David Austin roses I have ever had!

Peach, Apricot and Red Drift Roses… These beauties from Star Roses and Plants grow low and spreading fitting nicely in the front of a border but they also do equally as well in a container. These are super blooming garden roses.

Quietness… This lovely Buck Rose is a part of the Earth Kind series and is one of the most beautiful bloomers in my garden. If it can make it through the rigors of the Earth Kind testing program and is considered hardy for your zone… take a chance! Did I mention it is very fragrant!!

Quietness with her lily companions…

Beverly HT from Kordes... Beautiful, sustainable and fragrant. Big winner at the Biltmore International Rose Trails. Love it!

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Belinda’s Dream and her companions… This is another rose from the Earth-Kind series. This rose grows big and strong in a container on my deck and is rarely without beautiful and fragrant blooms.

Cherry Pie… The amazing bloomer below is from the Proven Winner’s OSO Easy collection. This picture is of a three-year-old rose in my herb garden. What started out as a tiny test rose, is now a show stopper. She has more than proven herself to me!

The rose is our national floral emblem and
the most popular and beloved flower!

So, if you have shied away from roses in the past, thinking they are divas that take more time and energy than you have … Think again!

It’s not just hair styles that have changed since the 80s… The new Millennium brought us new classes of easy care, sustainable garden roses and we are getting more and more every year.

Maybe it’s time to dress up your shrub borders and add more blooms to your flower beds with the new rose kids on the block–they will bring the fireworks!