Garden Feast

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Dear Roses... Why Can't I Quit You?

Maria (Angie) B.

Scepter d’Isle rose

If you read my email during the fall, you know that last year’s gardening season was disastrous. So horrible that I basically razed it to start from scratch. It was part lack of time, but the biggest part was me not being able to keep up with pests, especially the Japanese beetles. True transparency— last gardening season broke my heart so much, that I was not sure I wanted to garden again.

However, there is part of me that will always have special place in my heart for my favorite flower— roses. And why is it that I cannot quit them? What is it that makes me come back to roses, especially the English rose?

Aside from the fact that it is simply beautiful, and their incredible scent, I think that there is something so romantic about them. Being surrounded by them, always makes me slow down and just embrace the delicate nature of the flower. And I know I am not the only one who feels like this because cultivation of these beauties started in China about 5000 years ago, and that was followed by a demand increase in the 17th (which kicked off the commercial cultivation practices that have brought up to today). Poems have been written and art has been created focused on these beauties. And the interest continues to increase, especially of heirloom varieties.

Which brings me to my next point— I thought hard and long, and decided that will be bringing back roses, except will go back to potting them, rather than planting on the ground. But then, it was a matter of deciding which roses to get— and let me tell you, that is not an easy job because there are SO MANY VARIETIES. But I dug deep and selected four that I love either because I have grown them before or because I have wanted to. So, here we go—

The Alchymist

This climbing rose, a lovely apricot golden-yellow rose. It has the most luscious fully double, old-fashioned blooms, with a strong fragrance. While this is a climbing rose, it looks beautiful as a shrub too. This beauty only blooms once, but it is worth it because it is quite a stunning rose when in bloom. It is one of my choices because is grows in hardiness zone 4. Warning: it is very thorny once it gets growing.

Photo credit: Heirloom Roses (where I purchased from)

Madame Plantier

This hybrid rose is a fully double, medium size pompon blooms. It has the most delicate tones in a creamy white with some blush tones. It is a workhorse bloomer and it blooms early in the season. Its growing behavior is as a bush, but I have seen it as a climber too. It is also a once blooming rose. And while I am going to try and attempt growing it in a pot, it should be planted with a lot of space.

Photo credit: Heirloom Roses

Emily Bronte

Dear Emily was first introduced to the U.S. in 2022 by David Austin. This rose is so perfect, and may be one of my favorite DA roses. It has soft pink and apricot petals, this the most amazing fragrance with notes of tea, but giving way to that nostalgic old rose scent, with hints of citrus. It grows as a standup bush.

Fun fact: David Austin named this rose with that name to commemorate the bicentenary of the renowned novelist’s birth.

Photo credit: David Austin

The Ancient Mariner

Here is a beauty that is new to me. With its impressive masses of blooms, this lovely pink rose has a fairly strong and warm myrrh fragrance. I love all the multi-petal blooms that this rose shrub produces.

Fun Fact: The name of this rose was inspired by Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s epic poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

Photo credit: David Austin

Can you blame me for being seduced by these beauties? :) They are glorious! Are you planting any roses this year? If not, what is one plant you are looking forward to planting?

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