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Japanese Maples Fall Color

'Skeeter's Broom' is the most colorful maple in our garden. I have just returned from a 2-week trip to Japan. This was my first ever trip outside the United States. It was an amazing experience and one I will never forget. Japan was wonderful - they really have their act together and I think the U.S. could learn a few things from them. There was one disappointment on the trip - the fall color had barely begun there and was really just beginning as we left. That is okay because the gardens were still spectacular, and I got a nice shot of fall color when I got back. 'Ryusen' I missed a few things - our ginkgo had just turned a glorious color the day before I left, and the leaves were gone by the time I got back.  'Sango-Kaku' I came home to many leaves on the ground but still a lot on the trees. 'Osakazuki', a beautiful red maple always changed color very late and therefore doesn't usually last long. When I left there was no color but a few remaini

June Roses

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Along the front street. The rose at the left is the David Austin rose 'Lady of Shallot'.

The roses started blooming in mid-May and most are blooming now with the exception of a few. Most of the non-blooming are new plants but they do have buds! In general, they are all doing very well and their growth rate is truly astonishing. I have had a problem with powdery mildew on a few varieties and blackspot is a given but on most roses, it is mild.

Look how the plants have filled in along the fence in front! 'Lady of Shallot' rose, the big orange one on the left was planted on February 17, 2016 according to my records and in two short years it is 6 ft. tall. The pink rose near the center is 'Robin Hood', one of my favorites from our previous garden. The orange one behind the fence is 'Radway Sunrise', a rose that many gardeners in this area highly recommended. It was slow to start but really catching up now. A lot of the perennials in the photo were planted LESS than one year ago. That includes the Geranium 'Rozanne' and the Santolina ericoides.

The climbing rose 'Dublin Bay' (below) is a new one for me and I had been disappointed with it but I must confess the blooms are exquisite. It still doesn't seem to want to climb the arbor, dang it, and instead wants to sprawl out.

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Rose 'Dublin Bay'

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David Austin rose 'Lady of Shallot' again 


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'Radway Sunrise' can attain monstrous dimensions I am told and I may have positioned it in an inappropriate spot. Right now it is fine. The color is truly electric.

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And speaking of shocking color, 'Westerland' continues to astound. I can see why it tops the list of many rose lovers in the Pacific Northwest.


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Near the fence corner and entrance to driveway is 'Peachy Creeper', a rose we loved after seeing it at Heirloom Roses.

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'Buff Beauty', planted in the back garden, wants to sprawl.



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'Buff Beauty' was one of my favorite roses in our former garden.

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'Marie Pavie' is astonishing in size here, already near 6 ft. In Alabama, it was a mild-mannered 3 feet tall and wide, which is how most descriptions read. She is going nuts.  

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'Phyllis Bide' planted on the new moon arch. I was hesitant to try this one but so far I like it.

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'Rosemary Harkness'


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'Tequila Sunrise' is very prone to blackspot but...
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Check out the bloom!

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. Gorgeous roses. Everything around them looks beautiful too. They support the roses.

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  2. Beautiful as always. Obviously enjoying your new garden

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  3. Ah! Your roses are exquisite. I love looking at them but except for one Rosa glauca I don't grow them. Although I am considering getting a climber for a trellis along my back fence. For the most part here in the PNW, size descriptions on plants should just be ignored. They don't behave.

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  4. How many car crashes have you caused by people stopping to gawk at your streetside frontage garden?

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  5. Love Jane's comment. It is beyond belief what you have created in such a short time. Downside? - you might have a lot of deadheading to do...

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  6. Like Jane above, I saw the first picture of this post and thought people walking by must stop and stare with delight and more then a little envy. You may be a newcomer to the PNW, but not to gardening. You've created a magnificent garden in two years; it's nothing short of remarkable. Rose 'Dublin Bay' has such a wonderful rich color; it may not want to climb just yet, but it looks amazing with the lavender.

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  7. That first photo is absolutely stunning. To say you have an eye for design would be a vast understatement. *****

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  8. Wow! Your garden has become spectacular so fast! Really impressive to see what you have accomplished in such a short time. Would love to see a Then And Now of your front garden--the improvement is so dramatic. Your neighbors are lucky!

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  9. Hi Philip! I was Googling Rosa Radway Sunrise , and clicked on your photo and there you were! Beautiful roses and garden! You should be doing design work. I'll see you at the nursery...Holly

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