BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Beauty at Every Turn

Link | September 22, 2017September 21, 2017 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

We are on the road to see roses in a place where there is beauty at every turn.
The mountains. The Inn. The Food. The Friends. The Roses.

This weekend is the Biltmore International Rose Trials. The history of roses at the Biltmore dates back to the very beginning. You can read about their 120-year love affair with roses here.

Since 2011, hybridizers, both professional and amateur, send their best of the best to live for two years in one of the most beautiful rose gardens in the world. These roses are judged 4 times each year by a local permanent jury and judged annually by additional jurors from around the world. Roses in the Biltmore garden receive minimal care — little water and no chemicals. Good luck to all of the hard working hybridizers who are hoping for one or more of the 12 coveted awards.

There could not be a more perfect place for a rose trial.

This garden is not only steeped in history, but is so very vital to today’s rose world as the trial brings to the public’s attention so many amazing roses.

Just walking through the entrances is an experience and once inside … Stone Walls, Pergolas, May Poles, Arbors, the Conservatory—all work together to create an enchanting place where beautiful roses and their flower companions flourish. Add to that the opportunity for rose friends from all over the country to renew friendships, to share lovely food and wine and to don our hats, grab our clipboards and get to the serious business of finding the best of the best roses for your backyard.

I believe George and Edith Vanderbilt would be proud of the valuable work being done in this garden that meant so much to both of them. A huge thanks to Paul Zimmerman for his vision, commitment and leadership in bringing us the Biltmore International Rose Trials.

MORE TO COME…

Pictures, videos and mini interviews will be posted on Facebook and Instagram. The Rose Chat Crew interviews will be available at RoseChatPodcast.com a bit later. We are also going to interview Jeff Plack about the Biltmore Wines! Did you know they were also famous for their wines?? Well they are. 🍷🥂🍷

Duty calls and I must go… Wink. Wink. Seriously, somebody pinch me! 😉

The above picture is from two years ago. This year the hat will be different, but the happiness level is the same! 🙂

Happy Bloom Thyme Friday!

Biltmore International Rose Trials 2016

Link | September 30, 2016August 17, 2018 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

 The Roses, The Garden, The Hats!!

THE ROSE TRIALS. . .

There is so much for me to love about the rose world. Roses, rose friends and rose events add so much to my life. None more than the annual pilgrimage to judge roses at the Biltmore. What a pleasure to be in this beautiful place with so many beautiful friends. And, the roses, oh my, spending this last weekend in September in the Biltmore rose garden is truly ending my rose growing season on a high note.

ABOUT THE TRIALS:

The trial is dedicated to the backyard gardener and is open to professional as well as amateur rose hybridizers from around the world. Each trial lasts two years and a permanent jury judges the roses four times per year. Even in winter!

Roses are evaluated for their overall health and vigor, fragrance, disease resistance and their ability to rebloom. All things that we backyard gardeners are looking for. In my garden are several of the past winners and I am making plans to add a few of these as well! 🙂

And, the 2016 winner are…

POLAR EXPRESS (Kordes Sunbelt Collection) Link to New Flora http://newflora.com/product/polar-express-rose/

Best Growth Habit
Best Floribunda
Most Outstanding Rose of the Trial

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HONEYMOON (Kordes Arbors Collection) More info here.

Lord Burleigh Award for Most Disease Resistance
Gilded Age Award for Best Climber

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DOUBLE 10 by Ping Lim

Pauline Merrell Award for Best Hybrid Tea

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

THE LARK ASCENDING by David Austin

Chauncey Beadle Award for Best Shrub

B/26A/06(M)LUC/HAxGC/MMT(10)

An amazing collection!

THE GARDEN…

Belinda’s Dream was so dreamy–I could hardly tear myself away! You can order this one here. Lucky for me, my Belinda’s Dream was blooming when I got home! (More about that here.)

Pink Pet (Sometimes thought to be Caldwell Pink … read more about that here. Also sold at Chamblees.)

Strike it Rich … Mercy! Tom Carruth has a winner with this one. Read more.

THE HATS. . .

Marci Martin always lovely and always inspiring. Check out her FB page here.

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Tina VanCleave, Marci and I having just the best time!

Jim Wilson and Susan Foxx.

Debbie Clark taking note!

Award winning rose grower, Cindy Dale, hard at work!

George Ann Hamilton … so lovely in her pink!

THE BEST PART…

Mr. G and I were celebrating our 39th anniversary that day.

He is the VERY BEST!

Rose Buzz: Welcome Back Old Friends

May 29, 2015May 29, 2015 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

This week the rugosas are taking a back seat as many other roses are taking center stage. As each of them bloom, is is like seeing old friends and many of them ARE old. They have been in my garden for a long time and they have been in the garden world a long, long, long time.

Meet some of the “oldest” roses in my garden.

Rosa Mundi (Gallica)

Gallicas are the oldest of the garden roses, having been grown by the Greeks and Romans! Gallicas are spring blooming shrubs with wonderfully fragrant blooms of pink, red and even some purples. My favorite Gallica is Rosa Mundi …. the earliest known stripped rose that dates back to the 1500s.

Legend has it that Rosa Mundi was named after Fair Rosa- mund, a mistress of Henry II, England’s monarch from 1154 to 1189. In The Book of Old Roses, Trevor Griffiths tells the story of their tragic affair. Henry was forced to marry a princess who, brooking no competition, is said to have murdered the lovely Rosamund. By Henry’s order, Rosamund was buried at Godstow Nunnery near Oxford, England, and each year on the anniversary of her death, he ordered her tomb to be decorated with masses of Rosa Mundi. My good friend Ann Chapman says that’s not the way it went down. For the rest of the story, check out Ann’s fascinating book… Women in my Rose Garden here. You can follow Ann on Facebook here.

Madame Hardy

Damask roses are very old, having been grown in Biblical times. They are known for their distinctive, rich damask perfume and beautiful pink or white blooms. My favorite Damask rose is Madam Hardy … amazingly fragrant white blooms with a unique green eye. Madam Hardy was named for the wife of Empress Josephine’s head gardener … Mr. Hardy. 🙂

I have had this rose in my garden for more than 20 years and hope to never be without it. A profuse one-time blooming Damask rose. Stunning and over the top fragrance. She never lets the winters bother her in this Zone 5b garden.

Celsiana (Damask)

This semi-double Damask has more charm and fragrance than the law allows … so don’t tell anyone I have her! LOL This one-time bloomer has been charming rose lovers since before 1750! That’s staying power! I love the “flouncy” growth habit of this rose. I love the way it looks against the herb garden fence.

Queen of Bourbon (Bourbon)

Bourbons were the roses of Victorian England. They produce beautiful, large, full old rose blooms on vigorous growing bushes with blooms of wonderful, heady fragrance. Many Bourbons repeat bloom. One of my favorite bourbons is the Queen of bourbon although it does not repeat bloom for me.

However, when she blooms, she blooms and I can’t wait to say to her, “welcome back, I’ve missed you.”

Les Reine de Violettes (Hybrid Perpetual)

These roses were developed as hardy garden plants between 1840 and 1900, by crossing the Portland, Bourbon and Gallica roses and were mostly used as cut flowers. My favorite Hybrid Perpetual is Reine Des Violettes (Queen of Violettes). Lovely, lovely, lovely. She is doing great this year but some years she is “attracted” to Black Spot so it pays to keep a watchful eye on her.

NATIONAL ROSE MONTH!

Since June is National Rose Month, what a great time to join the American Rose Society. Check it out here. And, if you are local to me, join us at the Indianapolis Rose Society! Not local, I’m sure there’s a group near you and you can find the listings at ROSE.ORG.

Around the garden this week…

I’m on the road to the Biltmore to judge at the Biltmore International Rose Trails. I am excited to see the garden, garden friends and find out who the winners will be. I’ll keep you posted!

What’s blooming in your neck of the woods? Are you greeting old friends back to the garden or are you sending them off for a long winter’s nap?

Bloom Thyme Friday: Roses on Trial

May 23, 2014May 23, 2014 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

This weekend I am heading to the Biltmore Estate as a juror for the 2nd Annual Biltmore International Rose Trials. YAY!!!

WHY HAVE A ROSE TRIAL

”The trials are a valuable way for the home gardener to learn what roses do well and what may be potential candidates for their own gardens,” said Paul Zimmerman, coordinator of the trials. “Trials of this type are usually open to all rose breeders around the world – from professional to beginner.”

I so appreciate all the hard work that is done to bring backyard gardeners the very best in beauty, health and fragrance!

A_yOtW-CcAMbH55.jpg-large — Roses ARE plants too!

PAUL ZIMMERMAN: Whether it is writing his amazing book, Everyday Roses, his articles for the Fine Gardening blog or leading the way in rose trials, Paul keeps us informed and entertained!

LUCAS JACK: As rosarian for the magnificent Biltmore Estate, Lucas brings a wealth of information and inspiration to the world of roses and to the next generation of gardeners.

ROSE CHAT PODCASTS…

Both Lucas and Paul have joined us on Rose Chat several times to chat about the Biltmore garden, rose trials and gardening in general. Below are links to those podcasts. Listen and learn whenever it is convenient for you! 🙂

Lucas…
2014 Episode…
2013 Episode…

Paul…
2014 Episode…
2013 Episode…

ADDITIONAL INFO…

For additional information on this year’s trial … read on.

Want to see more pictures of the beautiful garden, read on.

Follow along on Twitter and Facebook for updates this weekend!

GARDEN REPORT

Last night at our rose society meeting we each gave a report on what’s going on in our gardens. There were reports of outstanding iris, peonies and roses — that seem to be stronger because of the Polar Vortex. (Who knew????) Right now the big winners in my garden are the Rugosas and clematis. Love em! Every garden is so individual … what’s making a statement in your garden this week?

HAPPY BLOOM THYME FRIDAY