Dirt Therapy

Now is the time to see our garden. The roses have just started to bloom and "Rambling Rector", the monster rose that covers most of the pergola is phenomenal. The fragrance in the garden is wonderful. The confederate jasmine on the patio, the roses and the privet perfume the air. I love this time of year. One of the rose highlights every year is " Veilchenblau", one of the most beautiful roses in my opinion . Looking through the pergola , it covers the archway in the distance. "Veilchenblau" has just started to bloom - by next week you will barely see the foliage, just a blanket of flowers.   Roses 'Veilchenblau' and 'Mutabalis' Roses 'Buff Beauty' (left ) and 'Rambling Rector' (on pergola) Other roses on the pergola - 'Francois Juranville', 'Russell's Cottage Rose' Miniature rose 'Gou rmet Popcorn' and Salvia 'Hot Lips' 'Russell's Cottage Rose' Rose 'Peggy Martin...

The last of 'Veilchenblau' blooms are fading after a three-week stretch which is fairly typical. No more blooms on this one until next year. This rose, first introduced in 1909 by J.C. Schmidt of Erfurt, Germany was an offspring of 'Crimson Rambler' which marked a milestone in climbing roses in 1893.  'Veilchenblau' is one of my favorite roses. The flowers are spectacular, blooming in large clusters of a color variation that begins with dark reddish-violet buds that open dark and gradually fade to lilac. White streaks are also visible. This color shift occurs over the extended bloom time so you have all the different hues going on at once. The foliage is also quite nice, thornless (or almost thornless) and light green in color. It is said to have a scent of green apples but I do not notice this. This time I'm growing the rose on a fence although it has room to stretch up over the gate. It can reach 12 feet. You can see random new shoots reaching for the sky....

Climbing Rose 'Dublin Bay' and Clematis 'Jackmanii Superba' I was just looking at my rose spreadsheet and I counted 50 names. This includes all of them, including a miniature in a pot. Of course, that number is probably incorrect as I am always finding plants that I forgot to put on the inventory list. A large number of these roses are climbing types. I have always loved climbing roses, spilling over walls and arbors, and intermingling with vines and other plants. Many of the roses are the same ones I grew in Alabama and some are completely new ones for me. One of these is 'Dublin Bay' which is on the gate/arbor entry in front. This is a modern rose, introduced in 1974, and has 'Altissimo' and 'Bantry Bay' as parentage. I've seen it described as a "climbing floribunda" and it actually grows in the habit of a floribunda before achieving a more vertical status. According to my notes, I planted this on March 4, 2016 so this is its four...

"Rambling Rector" on pergola "Sea Foam" and "Blaze" roses along with honeysuckle   "American Beauty" "Gartendirektor Otto Linne" (hedge) and "Tausendschon" on back of fence.   "Veilchenblau"   "Veilchenblau" Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

  I know, I know, there is no such thing as a blue rose. Hybridizers are still trying to come up with one. This beautiful rambler is named "Veilchenblau" which means "violet-blue" in German but who would choose a blue rose over the colors this one displays? I don't think I would. I like it just the way it is. Deep purple crimson buds open to a softer lavender and fade to light pink and white. Each flower has a white streak running along the petals.     This is a rose that always elicits ooo's and ahhhh's from visitors to the garden. Bred in 1909, it is a vigorous but thornless rambler that can be grown a variety of ways, covering arches like we grow it or letting it scamper along a fence. If you look at my photo from last year , you will see that it was much larger then. I pruned it severely last year because it was getting out of control and had some die-back. This is how it looks this year - Disease-resistant and very easy to grow, t...

'Dublin Bay' with lupine and Clematis 'Jackmanii Superba' on our front gate I hope the colors in my rose photos come out okay as I suffered an accident involving a tree limb and my eyeball. Day one was agony (and of course it would happen on a Sunday) but I am feeling better today and after seeing my eye doctor this morning, I feel a lot better. It actually happened on a good weekend as the weather is too hot to be working in the garden. I decided to work on photos I've taken over the past few weeks to recuperate and escape the heat. Of course, that involves working on the computer and in Gimp in which great eyesight is needed. Bear with me! 'Lady of Shalott' The roses got off to a late start this year because of the cool spring. It has also been wet which has encouraged black spot. Powdery mildew doesn't seem to be as bad this year.  'Alchymist' 'Mary Rose' 'Marie Pavie' 'Lady Emma Hamilton' 'Gertrude Jekyll' bei...