A rose by every name
THE GARDEN FANATIC
“To decide ... [is] to be in control of your life.”
-- ABBIE M. DALE
“‘More!’ is as effective a revolutionary slogan as was ever
invented ... “
-- ERIC HOFFER
One of the great challenges in being a garden columnist is
deciding what plants to write about. I often ask Catharine, who not
only possesses exquisite taste, but is attuned to the pulse of the
garden, her opinion. She unequivocally told me this morning, “This is
the summer for roses!”
It is simply not true that roses should only be planted during the
winter and spring. Roses are at their peak during the summer and
fall, and can be selected for their bloom and delightful fragrance
(something you can’t do during bare root season). Your favorite
nursery should still have ample variety” David Austin’s English
roses, antique roses of yesterday, and today’s disease-resistant
hybrid tea, floribunda and shrub roses.
Given the opportunity to share my summer favorites, I am hard
pressed to choose. There are simply so many wonderful roses now
blooming. However, I admit that beauty, fragrance and resistance to
disease, brought on by the recent overcast weather, have influenced
my latest selections.
One of the most rewarding of the climbers is the single, blood red
bloom of Altissimo. Very fragrant and excellent as a cut flower, this
rose blooms freely throughout the summer. Its dark green foliage is
particularly resistant to disease. This is the strongest growing red
climbing rose for Laguna gardens.
I’m not a big fan of multicolored roses, but the hybrid tea, Color
Magic, is an exception. It’s colors of apricot; pink and deep rose
appear in an ever-changing blend. The blossoms reach six to seven
inches across and are fragrant. It is a favorite of rose lovers.
David Austin’s English Garden is, of course, an English rose. His
hybrids attract great interest in Laguna and beyond. Its flowers are
soft apricot with the form and character of an antique rose.
Wonderfully fragrant.
The China rose, Hermosa, is one of the finest of antique roses.
Cupped lilac pink flowers are fragrant as well. Its compact size
makes it a perfect choice for small gardens or in pots.
The non-stop bloomer, Iceberg, is a floribunda that doesn’t quite
reach pure white in our coastal clime. Very fragrant and nearly
disease resistant; if you only have space for one rose, this is the
one you should select. Look for climbers and tree forms too.
If pink is your color, the Portland rose, Jacques Cartier
(JOK-cah-TYAY) displays three- to four-inch puffy blooms that are
very fragrant. A great rose for the garden and fabulous in a long
lasting bouquet.
Reine des Violettes (wren day vee-oh-LETT) is a beautiful velvety
purple rose that fades to soft violet. This hybrid perpetual is
richly perfumed and nearly thornless.
The grandiflora Sonia is pink suffused with coral and salmon. The
sweetly scented blooms are complemented by glossy foliage. A vigorous
bloomer, the tree forms are particularly striking.
I recall when I first introduced Winifred Coulter into my garden.
That was nearly a dozen years past and it’s glossy green leaves have
yet to be sprayed for either insect or disease! This floribunda’s
rose pink blooms seem almost never ending.
Zepherine Drouhin (zeff-REEN DROO-han) is a climbing bourbon with
perfect semidouble deep rose flowers that are fragrant. As a bonus
this rose is thornless and can tolerate some shade. Although
sometimes difficult to locate, it is worth the search.
One of my great pleasures is sharing my passion for gardening with
close friends. Recently, Catharine and I spent nearly an entire
evening extolling the virtues of roses with our friend, Charlie. Her
enthusiasm for roses is only exceeded by her desire to add more to
her considerable collection. She reaffirms my belief that our
favorite national pastime is indeed gardening. See you next time.
* STEVE KAWARATANI is the owner of Landscapes by Laguna Nursery,
1540 S. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. He is married to local writer,
Catharine Cooper, and has three cats. He can be reached at (949)
497-2438 or e-mail to landscapes@ln.coxatwork.com.
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