Growing Roses & Growing Friends

Link | October 13, 2016April 1, 2017 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

THE AMERICAN ROSE SOCIETY

Through the American Rose Society, I have rose friends from all over the country that enrich my rose hobby. This society exists to promote the culture and appreciation of the rose, through education and research to members, to local rose societies and their members and to the public.

Locally our rose growing season is coming to an end, but, like NYC, the American Rose Society is an organization that never sleeps. There will be something going on all winter long. If you are not a member, isn’t this a perfect time to join! So many rosey benefits!

ARS Year in Review 2016

Fun to see what’s going on in the world of the American Rose Society! Look closely, there might be a sighting of yours truly.😉

MEMBERSHIP…

Most ARS members are home gardeners who enjoy growing roses and want to expand their knowledge of rose culture. Starting now gives you all winter for learning and getting ready for spring! If you are not ready to take on a full membership, give it a try with the cost effective TRIAL MEMBERSHIP and see what you think.

FOUR-MONTH TRIAL MEMBERS RECEIVE:

Free advice from Consulting Rosarians.
Free or reduced garden admissions, a $25 value after just 3 uses.
Free online access to five quarterly bulletins, a $45 value.
2 issues of American Rose magazine, $16 value.
Discounts of up to 30% at merchant partners.
A four-month trial membership is valued at $86 for only $10!

For FULL MEMBERS, one of my fav ARS member benefits currently is the monthly newsletter. I am the editor! To see a sample of the newsletter, read on here.

For the trial membership or a yearly membership, complete the online form or call 800-637-6534.

New ARS Website coming soon!

OUR LOCAL SOCIETY … INDIANAPOLIS ROSE SOCIETY

For this society I serve at 1st Vice President and Chairman for website and social media.

In this organization I have met amazing people of all ages. We are all at different stages of the gardening experience and have different passions. Some are into just growing while others with the competitive spirit, enter the most amazing blooms and arrangements in competitions! We have those who use chemicals and others who are all organic. Some members have 1 rose and some have 500 roses. One of the great perks is getting to visit members gardens. This group has some amazing gardens.

But it is so much more…

We spend time enjoying all things “rose” together. We learn, we laugh, we celebrate successes and we deal with failures & issues together. It’s not just roses that keep us together, over the years–we have become family and you are welcome anytime!

This year we have members coming from Marion, Kokomo, Bloomington and most of the surrounding burgs!

Our 2017 year started off with a bang in March. Dr. Mark Windham gave a program on getting our gardens off to a good start and gave us the latest on his research with Rose Rosette.

You can keep up with what’s going on by subscribing to our blog at INDIANAPOLISROSESOCIETY.COM. You will receive posts in your email as we “post” them. Most of our meetings are the second Tuesday at 6:30 pm at the Sullivan Munce Center in charming Zionsville. Get it on your calendar! HERE’S WHAT’S COMING UP FOR 2017.

Come grow with us!

These guys know how to say “welcome home”!

Link | September 27, 2016September 27, 2016 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Last week when I left home for the Biltmore, there was not very much going on in the garden. (A post about the incredible Biltmore Rose Trials is coming very soon!)

Back to the garden… Something changed while I was gone. Rain. Lots of rain. The rain came and things started blooming! You can water and water and water but nothing is like a good soaking rain.

Caution... excessive garden pictures to follow...

Lady Ashe

Sunshine Daydream

Belinda’s Dream

Petit Pink

Quietness

More Quietness

Moje Hammarberg Rugosa

Dick Clark

img_1722-1

Smoothie

Flamenco Rosita

Flamenco Rosita 2

View from the Potting Shed porch.

Some of them were ready to come inside! 🙂

I am enjoying every single one of them! It’s gonna be hard to say goodbye for the winter. You are going to have to help me through it!

Wishing you a wonderful day and a warm welcome wherever you go!

5 Exhibition Roses To Awaken The Exhibitor In You

Link | August 29, 2016 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

The American Rose Society Vice President, Bob Martin, joined us recently on Rose Chat to chat about his top 5 exhibition roses and a few other things as well!

Exhibiting roses is a fun and rewarding hobby. We believe deep inside most every rose grower is an exhibitor waiting for an opportunity to show the world their blooms. This Top 5 list includes one rose that gets as big as a Volkswagen! Well, at least in Bob’s garden…

Click on the icon below to listen…

Here are the roses Bob chatted about:

Click the links to view photo’s and purchase information for these roses from online retailers.

Rose de Rescht – Old Garden Rose (OGR)
Joy – Miniature
Julia Child – Floribunda
Butter Cream – Miniflora
Dona Martin – Hybrid Tea

Bob's Julia Child ... Yes, maybe it is as big as a Volkswagen! — Bob’s Julia Child … Yes, maybe it is as big as a Volkswagen!

MORE ABOUT BOB:

Bob Martin is the current Vice President of the American Rose Society. He has been growing roses for 44 years and maintains a garden of over 400 varieties.

He is an ARS Master Rosarian, an Accredited Horticultural Judge and an Accredited Arrangements Judge. Bob is the Chairman of the American Rose Society Horticultural Exhibitor’s Committee and Editor of the American Rose Society quarterly publication, the Rose Exhibitors’ Forum. He maintains a website covering U.S. rose shows at RoseShow.com as well as a Facebook site for Rose Exhibitors’ Forum. Bob has also been an Editor of Horizon Roses for 21 years and the National Editor for ten years. He is the author of the book “Showing Good Roses” and was honored for his lifetime contribution to rose education as a 2009 recipient of the ARS Klima Medal.

Bob is one of the top exhibitors in the United States and the recipient of numerous awards including the 2007 recipient of the ARS Guy Blake Hedrick Jr. Award for lifetime achievement in rose exhibiting. During his 30 year exhibiting career, he has shown roses in more than 220 shows, winning more than 1,400 trophies in every exhibiting class, including 13 national trophies. Bob has also judged an additional 84 shows and is a frequent lecturer at judging schools through out the country.

An avid hybridizer, he has 14 registered varieties, including the show roses ‘Butter Cream’ & ‘Dona Martin’, varieties mentioned on today’s broadcast.

FOR OTHER ROSE CHAT PODCASTS, click here.

Bloom Thyme Friday: Now you see it. Now you don’t!

May 2, 2014May 1, 2014 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

If you have been following my blog for a while you know that I have posted my fair share of pictures of my New Dawn Roses. They were spectacular last year (summer 2013).

But you will not be seeing pictures like these for quite a while — maybe years, as the Polar Vortex and New Dawn did not agree on conditions fit for roses this winter. I have grown New Dawn for more than 15 years and have never had to do a hard pruning. But, this year I pruned all the way to the ground. Yes, to the ground.

Take a look.

A clean canvas ready for new possibilities…

Don't mess with a girl with a sharp pair of Barnels in her hand! — Don’t mess with a girl with a sharp pair of Barnels in her hand! The bionic gloves and long reach Corona loppers sure came in handy too!

Vita Sackville West once said, “I am not an armchair gardener. For the last forty years of my life I have broken my back, my fingernails and sometimes my heart in the practical pursuit of my favourite occupation.”

I think Vita could identify with the day I’ve had.

It had been my experience that gardens are ever-changing and I am glad for that. If things were always the same, I most likely would get bored. So, this year we will focus on other plants. There are 3 clematis that also grow in this area and I am asking that they step it up this year! They need to be more than fabulous! I think they are up to the task. Henri I, Etoile des Violette and another one (whose name I can’t remember at the moment) … you are on!

I’ll keep you posted.

MORE ABOUT SPRING…

How are things going in your garden this week? Anything that didn’t make it through the winter? Are you moving ahead with Plan A or are you like me looking for the positive side of Plan B?

Other than the New Dawn roses, things are shaping up nicely this week. The roses that had to be pruned WAY back are recovering nicely and doing very well!I am seeing some strong growth and am hopeful for June blooms!

Here are some of the bloomers in my garden this week…

Daffodils we planted for Uncle Tony... — Daffodils we planted for Uncle Tony…

HAPPY BLOOM THYME FRIDAY!

Bloom Thyme Friday: Easy Elegance

April 25, 2014 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

All the beauty, none of the work!

That is the way Ping Lim describes his EASY ELEGANCE line of roses. Ping Lim, the renown hybridizer, has a line of beautiful, easy care roses that has been getting a lot of attention. I’ve been thinking about adding some for the last couple of years.

Last weekend while at Lowes, I noticed they had a very large selection of EASY ELEGANCE roses and I never remember their having very many of them before, so I took that as a sign that this was the time to try them. Wouldn’t you think the same thing????? I know what you are thinking, I am very easy to persuade when it comes to roses and you are right. 🙂 My rose society also has some of the Easy Elegance roses for sale at a very reasonable price, so I have stocked up!

Here are the ones I bought: Music Box, All The Rage, High Voltage, Sunrise Sunset & Sweet Fragrance.

ADDED BONUS: This is the first rose collection to offer a 2-year homeowner guarantee to show how confident they are in their roses. You can read more about these roses here… http://www.easyelegancerose.com/

I am very excited to see how these roses do in my garden!

I’ll keep you posted!!

sunrise-sunset-rose-david — Sunrise Sunset

high-voltage-rose-1-bailey — High Voltage

Happy Bloom Thyme Friday!

David Austin Enchantment Continues

February 2, 2014 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

I am putting in another David Austin bed this year. I know. I know. This is not a big surprise, but aren’t you just a little curious about which ones I chose to plant in the new bed? There are hundreds of beauties to choose from and they’re all beautiful.

Boscobel

What David Austin Says:
Boscobel’ bears beautifully formed flowers of rich salmon colouring. They commence as red buds which open at first to pretty cups, gradually developing into perfectly formed blooms of classic rosette formation. The numerous small petals are of varying shades, mingling to provide a most pleasing effect.

Why I Chose: Michael Marriott of David Austin said it was amazing. He has never steered me wrong. Rose Chat interview with Michael … here.

Golden Celebrations

What David Austin Says: This is one of the largest-flowered and most magnificent of our English Roses. Its color is rich golden yellow and the flowers are in the form of a giant, full-petalled cup. It has excellent shapely growth, forming a nicely rounded, slightly arching shrub with ample foliage. It is very reliable and easy to grow. An ideal rose to mark any celebration or important event.

Why I Chose: I have succumbed once again to rose envy. All the pictures on Facebook and Twitter made this decision for me.

The Generous Gardener

What David Austin Says: A rose of delicate charm – its flowers being beautifully formed; their color a soft glowing pink at the center, shading to palest pink on the outer petals. When the petals open they expose numerous stamens, providing an almost water lily-like effect. It has strong, elegantly arching growth with polished dark green foliage. This rose would produce a wonderful effect towards the back of the border. It will also make an excellent climber.

Why: It was a wonderful Christmas gift!

The Ingenious Mr. Fairchild

What David Austin Says: The flowers are in the form of deep cups filled with crisp, upstanding petals – similar to those of peonies. The colour on the inside of the petals is a deep pink touched with lilac; the outside is of a paler shade. Looking at the bloom in more detail, one can see that the edges are an even deeper pink, giving a most delightful fringed effect – particularly in the earlier stages.

The growth is ideal with spreading, arching branches building up into a well-rounded, mounding shrub; its flowers nicely poised on its branches. It is very healthy and harmonises beautifully with other plants and perennials in a mixed border.

Why: This is another wonderful Christmas gift. Someone loves me.

Darcey Bussell

What David Austin says: Its beautiful flowers are produced freely and with excellent continuity. When young, their outer petals form a perfect ring around an inner cup; gradually opening out to form a perfect rosette. The color is a deep rich crimson that takes on a tinge of mauve just before the petals drop.

Why I Chose: Big winner at the Biltmore Trial. And, did you notice the color?? Basically, I just couldn’t live without it. 🙂

Do you grow David Austin roses? Have a favorite?

Here is a favorite David Austin from last summer…

Charlotte

David Austin Gardens
To see a video of the beautiful David Austin gardens read on.

Getting the year started off right…

January 1, 2014January 1, 2014 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

My family and friends are helping me get the new gardening year started off right! Take a look at some of the wonderful gifts I’ve recently received….

HOG WASH: “Perfect Scrub for Mechanics, Gardeners and Kids”
That just about covers my garden experiences!

ROSE JAM SHOWER GEL: “Sweet, tart and wonderfully fresh, this indulgent blend of rose, vanilla and lemon leaves you smelling of a rose garden and nourishing argan oil gets skin gorgeously soft.” Don’t you love the sound of that?

HELPING HANDS HAND CREAM: “A nurturing almond, cocoa butter and chamomile hand cream to give back what life has taken out.” Sounds good enough to eat.

GIFT CERTIFICATES FOR 2 DAVID AUSTIN ROSES: The Generous Gardener and The Ingenious Mr. Fairchild. I am over the moon about these.

BARNEL PRUNERS: Wendy Tilley highly recommends.

BIONIC ROSE GLOVES: Recommended by Chris VanCleave and Wendy Tilly

CLASSIC HAND TOOL SET: from Flexrake …. beautiful!

ROBERTS DISTILLATA ALLE: A rose tonic that the Florentine women of 1867 just wouldn’t be without— need I say more!

Gifts 5 Spring, bring it! I am armed and ready!

Blurring the Lines

November 29, 2013January 5, 2014 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

At our house we like to blur the lines between inside and outside as much as possible. No we don’t have terra ferma for floors … yet. Did I just say that. Let’s just keep that between us. Mr. G need not know.

Today is one of those rare days in Indiana where it is sunny and even though it is 34 degrees, to me it feels like 70 and I just have to be outside! So, I spent the day “decorating” outside. Through the long winter months I love to look outside my window and see pretty things!

I’ve been on a scavenger hunt today to find things in the garden to add to the vignettes we will enjoy out our windows through the long Indiana winter…

Treat for the hard-working gardener. ; )

Some things are more important than breakfast…

September 21, 2013September 21, 2013 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Recently we had the pleasure of visiting the Biltmore rose garden. We arrived in Asheville on Friday evening too late to go to the garden, but that was okay with me because I wanted to see the rose garden in the early morning!

I was up really E A R L Y and chose to forgo breakfast so I could be the first visitor to the garden. This meant Mr. G was going to forgo or at least delay breakfast too so he could deliver me to my destination.

When we got to the edge of the garden I practically jumped out of the car. Shaking his head, Mr. G headed off to park the car. This is not his first time to be a part of something like this. 🙂

It worked! I was first on that a misty late summer morning! And, I was greeted with much fanfare by the bees, hummingbirds and gold finches–just the way I like it!

A beautiful start to a wonderful day…

The Biltmore rose garden is completely surrounded by a tall stone fence and the setting will just take your breath away.

This garden is one of America’s finest rose gardens but gives you a truly international experience… of the 1400 roses, there are roses that were grown at the end of the 19th century plus many of the modern varieties. There are lovely English borders complete with David Austin English roses like Molineux and Princess Anne; Pink Pet China Roses; roses with French names like Monsieur Tiller to compliment the 250 room chateau–and then there are the American hybrids Blush and Champney’s Pink Noisettes—even though they don’t sound American. For the scoop on Noisette Roses, read an interview with P. Allen Smith here.

LUCAS JACK:
BILTMORE ROSARIAN AND HORICULTURALIST

This beautiful garden design and all of these rose varieties work together beautifully under the watchful care of Lucas Jack and his team of staff and volunteers. Lucas’ expertise and enthusiasm is a winning combination.

We had the pleasure of a personal tour by Lucas. He shared stories of their commitment to historical research in choices of plants for the garden and garden structures, how he keeps the plants healthy as well as his plans for the future. We are in the process of scheduling his next visit to ROSE CHAT, so you can hear all the details from him too.

If you missed Lucas on Rose Chat Radio in July …. LISTEN HERE. You don’t want to miss Lucas’ chatting about his advice for the next generation of gardeners as well as discussing good growing practices and companion planting for roses.

Flamenco... from Peter Beale's Roses — Flamenco… from Peter Beale’s Roses

David Austin's Moulenix — David Austin’s Moulenix

Stokes Hybrid Teas... — Stokes Hybrid Teas…

Mike Athy's pink rose ... very fragrant! — Mike Athy’s pink rose … very fragrant!

INTERNATIONAL ROSE TRIALS

Another highlight of the visit was to see the rose trial roses. Since 2011 this garden has been home to the Biltmore International Rose Trials. During this time, more than 75 varieties from growers and breeders worldwide have been planted and cared for by Biltmore’s horticulture team. Each trial lasts two years and a permanent jury judges the roses four times per year. One of the big winners in May was Mike Athy’s rose, Athy Fa La. Truly a stunning and disease resistant rose…