Rose Buzz: The Heritage Rose Foundation

July 12, 2015 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

The Heritage Rose Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1986, devoted to the preservation of old roses.

The delightful and inspiring Peggy Martin, Vice President of the Heritage Rose Foundation, joined us this week to talk about the work of this organization and also about the incredible journey of hope and discovery she has experienced since Hurricane Katrina swept into her life and took her home, her roses and her parents. It’s an episode you don’t want to miss.

To listen to the podcast, click the logo below.

For additional information, visit the foundation’s website here.

Many of the roses in my garden are old garden roses. I love their beauty, their fragrance and their stories. The oldest rose in my garden is the Gallica, Rosa Mundi–the earliest known stripped rose. This rose has everything I expect from an OGR … beauty, fragrance and a great story or at least a great legend…

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. -Virginia Kean / Historical Rose Society.

My good rose friend, Ann Chapman, writes quite a different story about Rosa Mundi in her beautiful book, The Women in My Rose Garden. If you aren’t familiar with Ann, watch this video…

Do you have old roses in your garden?

About all this rain…

July 10, 2015August 3, 2015 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

The weather man says 90% chance of rain today and it is sure coming down. ☔️ It rained yesterday. Wednesday we had 1 1/2″ of rain and Monday (or was that Tuesday) we had 4″ of rain. It’s getting hard to keep track!

If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. I’ve decided to learn a bit more about rain. Next I may need to read up on jungles and rain forests!

For now, here are some rainy facts…

THIS JUST IN: In my next of the woods July broke the 1835 record for rain!
The highest amount of rainfall ever recorded in one year is 25.4 meters (1000 inches) in Cherrapunji, India.
Antarctica is the driest continent on Earth.
The umbrella was originally invented to protect people from the hot sun.
Louisiana is the wettest state in the U.S, which records an annual rainfall of 56 inches.
On average there are over 1500 thunderstorms occurring on earth with 100 lightning strikes per second
Rain drops do not fall in a tear drop shape, they originally fall in the shape of a flat oval.
Rainbows are caused by the effect of sunlight on countless millions of raindrops.
Annual averages for rainfall plus snowfall in my neck of the woods (Indy) is 42.4. No doubt we are breaking records as I type!

Blooms in the rain

Here are a few rain-soaked blooms from a quick garden walk in the rain…

Belinda's Dream — Belinda’s Dream … Yes, roses love the rain!

Stargazers ... I love these! — Stargazers … I love these!

Campanulas - Bellflowers — Campanulas – Bellflowers

I think tomorrow we have NO RAIN in the forecast … let’s just say I am looking forward to that.

I am itching to get my hands dirty!

☔️☔️☔️

EXTRA! EXTRA!

I was so honored this week when a local paper, The ICON, ran an article about me. If you’d like to read it, click here, open PDF and go to page 12.

Rose Buzz: Easy PZ Roses are Here

July 5, 2015July 5, 2015 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Remember when Paul Zimmerman, award-winning Rosarian and author, announced on the Rose Chat Podcast that he was teaming with Heirloom Roses to launch a new collection of roses with his endorsement … Easy PZ Roses? The time has come!

Take a look at these amazing roses with the stamp of approval from one of the premiere advocates of sustainable, easy care roses. I am excited about all these new roses, especially Good Ol’ Summertime. Look at that color! I simply can’t wait to have this one growing in my garden! Luscious! Click on the pictures to read all about this beauty!

sh801-good-ol_-summertime-1-1 — A good yellow rose is just hard to beat!

sh801-good-ol_-summertime-2-1 — Look at all those blooms!

If you didn’t get to hear Paul’s Rose Chat podcast … take a minute and listen in. No one can tell the story of Easy PZ better than Paul, plus you get to hear what’s going on in his garden at The Funny Farm. Click here.

Thanks for stopping by.

If you are one of the lucky ones who is already growing some of these beautiful roses, let us know how they are doing in your neck of the woods!

🐝🐝🐝

ROSES IN A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

June 20, 2015June 19, 2015 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

For all who love roses and love growing roses, the American Rose Society 2015 Fall National Convention is where you will want to be! Esteemed speakers are gathering from around the world to celebrate the rose, and provide you with an experience of learning, enlightenment and friendship!

ROSE EXHIBITION

The best exhibitors of roses in the country will be there to compete for top prizes, along with top rose photographers and arrangers.

ON THE PROGRAM

Where else would you find rose greats like Michael Marriott, Will Radler, Alain Meilland, Thomas Proll and Steve Hutton gathered in one spot to teach and inspire us! Read about each of these guys here.

Don’t miss out and register early to reserve your spot!

FOR ALL THE DETAILS, READ ON.

Rose Buzz: This Week’s Bloomers

June 18, 2015June 18, 2015 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

If you live near me you know that rain is in the forecast every day. Hard rain. Stormy rain. Heavy rain. I have read that in Australia they call the rainy season –“the wet.” Sounds about right. ☔️☔️

All this “wet” has given my roses a bit of grief. Petals are flying every where in the rain and the wind.

And, I have been known on more than one occasion lately to break out in song… 🎶🎶Raindrops on Roses and …🎶🎶

Back to the roses. Here are some of the ones that are shining right through. ☀️☀️☀️

Even had enough to make a few bokays…

Rain or shine, I hope you are having a wonderful week and that everything is coming up roses!

Rose Buzz: Weekly Rose Walk

June 7, 2015 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

The rugosas and the old garden roses with their fireworks bloom displays and incredible fragrance are fading into the background, but there are other bloomers taking center stage.

Tom Carruth’s Anna’s Promise Grandiflora
Lovely / Vibrant / Easy Care / Fragrant

Ping Lim’s lovely Music Box is beginning to open.
Look at all those buds!

Dr. Buck’s Quietness is out of the world this week.

This rose is a part of the Earth Kind series.

Quietness up close … swoon … oh how I love this rose!

Keith Zary’s Gemini … One of the prettiest Hybrid Teas on the planet!

Tom Carruth’s Falling in Love … Another one of the prettiest Hybrid Teas on the planet!

Proven Winner’s Cherry Pie from the OSO Easy Collection

David Austin’s The Lady’s Blush … delicate and lovely

Keith Zary’s floribunda Our Lady of Guadalupe and her neighbors

Thanks for stopping by.

What’s creating buzz in your world this week?

ROSE BUZZ: The Biltmore Rose Trial Winners 2015

May 31, 2015October 8, 2016 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Today was a very special day for rose lovers — the judging of the Biltmore International Rose Trials. Since 2011, The Biltmore historic rose garden has been home to these trials. It is my extreme pleasure to serve as a juror to the wonderful event that showcases the work of the amateur as well as the professional hybridizers. More about the rose trials here.

Under the supurb direction of Paul Zimmerman of Paul Zimmerman Roses, this event is a highlight in the rose world where after two years of observation in no spray and limited care conditions, the winners are announced. Dressed in our garden party best, the jurors come together to be about the serious work of finding the roses we can look forward to having in our own backyards and yours.

AND THE WINNERS ARE…

Award of Excellence for Best Established Rose

Queen Elizabeth

Honorable John Cecil Award for Open Group

Popcorn Drift / Nova Flora

Edith Wharton Award for Best Floribunda

Tequila Gold / Meilland

Gilded Age Award for Best Climber

FlyingKiss / Ping Lim

Chauncy Beadle Award for Best Shrub

Lord Burleigh Award for Most Disease Resistant

Peachy Keen / Bill Radler

William Cecil Award for Best Growth Habit

Phloxy Baby / Bill Radler

Pauline Merrill Award for Best Hybrid Tea

Cornelia Vanderbilt Cecil Award for Most Fragrant

George & Edith Vanderbilt Award for Most Outstanding Rose of the Trial (Best in Show)

Savannah / Kordes

JURORS HARD AT PLAY (I mean work!)

Yes, today was a very good day in a very beautiful place!

Thanks for stopping by!

Rose Buzz: Exhibition Bed

May 3, 2015June 19, 2015 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

While many o my roses are easy care, no spray varieties, I do have a few roses that are more diva like and require more of me. I love them and think they are worth it. They live in my Exhibition Bed (my only raised bed) along side a few that don’t require much at all so it all balances out.

I have an Exhibition Bed because I hope to one day have one of my roses crowned Queen of Show … someday! You gotta dream. If you wonder what beauties you might see at a rose show, check out the Indianapolis Rose Society’s posts on rose shows here. If you love roses and aren’t a member of a local rose society, I would highly recommend finding one in your area. I have learned so much from my society and the added bonus is you get to be with others who love what you love. Find more on rose societies at ROSE.ORG.

Back to the Exhibition Bed…

This winter the Exhibition Bed took a big hit. Our winter was cold but so was the Polar Vortex winter 2 years ago and they did quite well after than horrible winter. I think this year was harder because we turned super cold BEFORE we had the thick blanket of snow that we had during the Polar Vortex. And, since these roses are in a raised bed… the cold was just harder on them. My plan is to provide extra care for these roses next winter with higher mulch and maybe even a covering. Mr. G, the designer and builder of all things for my garden, will think of something! 🙂 More about Mr. G’s building stuff here.

To date I have lost 2 Gemini roses in this bed but the others are coming back… just a little slower.

Current Exhibition Bed Inhabitants…

2 Dick Clarks
1 Cherry Parfait
2 Gemini
1 Neil Diamond (Doing well!)
1 Falling in Love
2 Golden Gate (one is struggling)
1 Beverly
1 Joy (Doing very well!)
1 Corretta Scott King

As you can see from the pitiful picture below, they are indeed getting off to a sad, slow start. But, this is our benchmark … May 3, 2015 … let’s see where this goes.

Speaking of raised beds… Mr. G built himself 2 small raised beds for tomatoes. Look at the “decor” he added …

I see this little sign made it through the winter!

He knows me!

2014 EXHIBITION BED…

On a happier note, here are some pictures from the Exhibition Bed last summer… (If you click on one of the pictures below, it will start the gallery feature for better viewing.)

Do you garden in raised beds?

Rose Buzz: Fireworks

May 2, 2015May 3, 2015 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

I am going to be doing some traveling in May so I have been taking advantage of every moment of good weather to get the roses on their way to a spectacular growing season.

The existing roses have been trimmed, fertilized and prayed over! 🙂 The new bareroot roses have been soaked in moo poo tea and planted.

Of the new ones, there are 4 beautiful new roses from Star Roses and Plants that I am trying this year. I am very excited about these beauties and can’t wait to share them with you…

The Icecap™ Rose is a pure white landscape shrub resulting from the combined breeding efforts of Will Radler and Meilland international.
Look-A-Likes® Apple Dapple is a new addition to the popular Look-A-Likes® series.
The Pretty in Pink Eden® Rose is a climbing Romantica® Rose with all the great qualities of the Eden® rose.
The Peachy Keen™ Rose, an exceptionally disease-resistant landscape shrub, so impressive you’d swear it was a Knock Out® Rose!

A good moo poo start... — A good moo poo start…

Many of the Hybrid Teas and Floribundas had to be cut back to the ground 4 weeks ago but they are coming back strong!

Gertrude Jekyll was cut back to about 3” from the ground and baby look at her now. She is ready to grow. And, if you know anything about this rose you know that when she’s happy you are happy. She is gorgeous! Classic old rose form and very likely the most fragrant of all the David Austins.

Gertrude Jekyll getting ready... — Gertrude Jekyll getting ready…

Here’s one that surprised me today…. The Queen of Bourbon rose appears to have a bud! This is the first “bud” in the garden so far. Exciting! Read more about her here.

Look closely. Yep, it’s a bud…

First bud on the Queen of Bourbon... — First bud on the Queen of Bourbon…

The frost came this week and those that were a bit taller like The Generous Gardener … had a bit of burn. I’ll just trim and she’ll be fine.

Late season frosts are not our friends... — Late season frosts are not our friends…

Next week the temps are going to soar into the mid 70s, so we could have an early bloom cycle!

ROSE FIREWORKS

Since I am that person who counts down the days until spring—starting the day after Christmas, I am looking for ROSE FIREWORKS when spring finally comes. My old garden roses and the rugosas are happy to oblige. They are very predictable “spring fireworks.”

Look at these Rugosas! Hardly a bit of winter die back. Lush, green and on their way.