Time to smell the roses

-
Click on photos for full size images

Many of the roses just exploded with bloom over the weekend so if you are planning on stopping by to see them, get ready! I usually tell people that early-mid May is the best time but this year the warm temperatures are pushing them ahead of schedule. 


I spend the weekend getting the containers potted and it is a big job. I don't which is the most hectic - actually getting them purchased or planting them.


I took these photos this morning before I left home for work. Another storm system is coming tomorrow and you never know what kind of destruction that will bring.


If the weather cooperates and you are in town this weekend, come by and see the roses. Just promise to excuse the weeds - I'm behind on them. :(


"Rambling Rector" covers most of the pergola. "Buff Beauty" is on the left.




"Gartendirektor Otto Linne" at the bottom and "Rambling Rector" above
"Gartendirektor Otto Linne" (left) and "Buff Beauty" (right)
"La Marne" and "Moonlight" in the background to the left
"Buff Beauty"
"Moonlight"
Standing above looking down into the garden - Beauty Bush, "Buff Beauty" and "Rambling Rector". The hydrangeas in the foreground are covered with buds.
On the opposite side of the house (north side) is "Climbing American Beauty" on the archway



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

Chandramouli S said…
I don't see any weeds. The roses are so beautiful that the weeds are hardly visible. I hope the storm isn't too harsh on your garden. It's too lovely to be destroyed.
Hope you had a great Easter.
Have a good day!
April 25, 2011 at 9:38 AM
Masha said…
Your garden os gorgeous! I wish I could visit and smell the roses. Your Rambling Rector is very impressive. You have so many beautiful old roses grown so well it is a treat to see your pictures.
April 25, 2011 at 9:55 AM
Lisa Blair said…
I am in love with your photos of 'Buff Beauty'. And that's no surprise to me given how much I love roses that are in the peach/yellow portion of the spectrum. Thanks for sharing!
April 25, 2011 at 12:18 PM
Lisa at Greenbow said…
I am so glad you showed us this preview of the roses since I can't get by there this weekend. WOW is all I can say. They look terrific.
April 25, 2011 at 2:12 PM
Dirt Princess said…
I wish I was in town. I would love to see your place.
April 25, 2011 at 2:48 PM
Jess said…
Here I am wishing again I was a little closer to you. It is a sight even in photos. And those don't come with the slight breeze and the fragrance...
April 25, 2011 at 4:21 PM
Randy Emmitt said…
Phillip,
The rose gardens are stunning! Hope some of them are fragrant, if so it must be enchanting.
April 25, 2011 at 6:08 PM
Anonymous said…
Phillip, The garden is breathtaking!! I am sorry not to be there to see it,I had hoped to. Next year!
Rambling Rector looks too spectacular! Is he a remontant? I planted one at the foot of an old Oak tree but its still a baby...

Everything is early this year; too hot too soon!
April 25, 2011 at 6:22 PM
Dogwood trees Tennessee said…
Everything is gorgeous, so pretty!! You have so many beautiful old roses grown so well it is a treat to see your pictures..
Thanks for sharing..
April 26, 2011 at 3:35 AM
Jan said…
Gorgeous! Such eye-candy;-)
April 26, 2011 at 4:57 AM
The Redneck Rosarian said…
My My, what beautiful roses! People in Birmingham are still talking about your garden! Thanks for sharing your love of gardening and roses with the masses!
April 26, 2011 at 5:33 AM
Gail said…
Phillip, The garden is dressed in her finest! I love "Gartendirektor Otto Linne" and "Rambling Rector"together. It's a good combination and my favorite photo. gail
April 26, 2011 at 5:34 AM
Mary said…
I'm behind on weeding also and I have my Deshler classmates coming Sat as part of our reunion and my tractor won't go forward or backwards. I was trying to get mulched what we weeded. JD service says I pulled a wire loose driving through the Chinese privet. My iris and peonies are late this year. Most are just starting to bloom. Mary
April 26, 2011 at 6:11 AM
sherryocala said…
And this is only the beginning, right? Your garden is breathtaking. Buff Beauty is fantastic as is Gartendirektor Otto Linne. Thanks for sharing the beauty.
April 26, 2011 at 2:48 PM
Masiel said…
oh, just wonderful! It is such a pleasure to visit your blog at the end of each day! My roses here in my Indiana garden are barely woken up, so I can't wait for these to catch up growing.
April 26, 2011 at 5:40 PM
Connor said…
Makes me wish I had the space, time, and patience for roses! So beautiful!
April 27, 2011 at 6:44 AM
Rob (ourfrenchgarden) said…
Your roses are just beautiful as always. They look so good amongst all the spring green.

What's the grass near the foot of the pergola in the second photo?

Your garden must be a delight to visit.
April 27, 2011 at 10:32 AM
Bay Area Tendrils said…
Aah, you're a bit ahead of the Left Coast, so I'll have to get my fill via the computer screen for now;-)
Such fragrance!
April 28, 2011 at 8:48 AM
Bay Area Tendrils said…
Aah, you're a bit ahead of the Left Coast, so I'll have to get my fill via the computer screen for now;-)
Such fragrance! Divine....
April 28, 2011 at 8:48 AM
Annie in Austin said…
I hope your roses are still beautiful today, Phillip - but even more, hope you are OK!
Am worried because Phil Campbell, AL doesn't look that far away from Florence on the map.

Annie
April 28, 2011 at 9:16 AM
D said…
Everything is so alive and beautiful in your garden, Phillip... a masterpiece.

I am hoping that all is well with you and that the storm has passed you by.
April 28, 2011 at 9:29 AM
Julie H said…
You have such a beautiful garden! I love to make your pictures my desktop pictures at work so I can dream of sitting in the garden with roses all around me :)
May 1, 2011 at 9:48 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pruning & Transplanting Clematis (and other plants)

-
Image
Ah, the clematis, one of the most beautiful and frustrating of plants. I counted five books on my shelf devoted to them, and I still have to consult them every year when it is time to prune. This year I'm doing something new - moving a few that are obviously not doing well (lack of sun, more than likely). I'm worried about one of my favorites - 'Jackmanii Superba'.  First, I had to dig it up when the new gate was constructed. This clematis was massive, and the bottom stalk looked like a small tree. I divided it to give a piece to my neighbor. Somewhere along the way, it was cut back all the way down to the trunk . I'm still asking myself how this happened.  Only time will tell if I've killed the poor thing.  It has been replanted, and so far, no signs of life. Others that I decided to move were not subjected to that abuse and were moved immediately after I dug them up.  This is 'Etoile Violette'. This rampant variety was along the front fence and it alwa...
Read more

Winter Projects

-
Image
Pinus contorta 'Chief Joseph' I was really too harsh in my last post concerning the weather. It has actually been a very mild winter, and looking back, I see that I have completed several projects. The first, back in November, was a redo of the twig fence. This has been an ongoing project that has left me unsatisfied. At the beginning, I just piled the twigs up, along an existing chain fence, and soon realized that they would never stand on their own. Critters (squirrels!) continually knocked twigs out of the arrangement, but over time, it was simply gravity that caused problems. I used various methods to try and keep the twigs in place, including using wire to tie them and fence posts to brace them. All temporary solutions. Gravity always reared its ugly head.  At the end of summer, I decided on a different approach. The sheer weight of the twigs made a deep wall impractical, so I decided to construct a shallower fence and secure it with a stronger support.  This is how it l...
Read more

Ruby Tuesday's Strawberry Tall Cake

-
Image
Much to my dismay, I have cut back on sugar consumption. Difficult, because I love sweet treats, but on the other hand, I want to be a healthier person. I still like to bake and I've just discovered  "Prue Leith's Cotswold Kitchen"  on You Tube and enjoying it very much. That said, I normally make a dessert at least once per week, but I try to have only a piece or two, and share the rest. Going through some of my cookbooks, I came across a series of books by Todd Wilbur, who reproduces recipes from popular chain restaurants.  In the first volume, I saw the Ruby Tuesday Strawberry Tall Cake and remembered that it was a favorite of ours. I haven't visited a Ruby Tuesday in ages and I don't know if they still serve this. I decided to give it a try and it turned out pretty good. The photo I took doesn't show the cake layers and is not a very good representation, but you get the idea. Actually, we thought the best way to eat this was in a bowl, kind of like a t...
Read more