New landscapes are emerging, and I’m seeing the garden for the first time with fresh eyes because, at last, when I walk in the garden, I feel as though with fragrance wafting in the air and an abundance of perfect roses it is a ‘proper garden’ now. The experience of watching the roses unfold is gratifying, and remarkable all at once.
Season’s First Blooms
Many blooms are out, certainly more than I’ve seen before with hundreds of buds yet to open. There are some roses that have never done that well, but this season they are covered in roses. Although like all gardeners, I err on the side of enjoyment, trying not to notice all the things that require attention to maintain the beauty before me, and I find myself easily distracted, and want to set things right immediately. But, sometimes it is just
Time to stop, and smell the roses
Walter Hagen
The garden’s diversity of plants has altered the sweep of the garden in a way that I’d strived for since the start. The eye falls on unique niches and plant pairings that appear as if by magic. It is only the gardener who knows the truth. The winter culling of the languishing roses and attention to detail in pre-spring work has paid off in spades, especially from the Autumn planting and relocation of perennials. Particular roses now have room for fully rounded growth and have filled some troublesome areas with their companion plants. A glimpse of the improved garden landscape shows that garden aspirations can be achieved; if nature comes to the party, and the gardener has a consistent approach and is not afraid of demanding work.
Golden Beauty rose
The rainfall is exceptional this season and I’m grateful to have a lush, verdant garden for once with no need for hours of watering. Nature, as if on queue, sends showers and storms every time water is required. Enough is enough, though, and this week we are inundated with colossal amounts of rain, unseasonal cold, windy weather, and flooding.
Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, snow is exhilarating;
John Ruskin
there is no such thing as bad weather just different kinds of good weather.
Soul Sister with Peach Profusion roses
The intermittent sun has helped open more of the rose blooms, and everything is luxuriant and magnificent but soaked. For the first time, the garden has swathes of roses in natural garlands above the water tanks and climbing frames. Rose bushes laden with blooms have replaced the once single specimens; even some bare-root roses newly planted in August are flowering abundantly.
Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.
Aristotle
Soul Sister Rose
My current endeavour is to protect the masses of roses from falling to the ground with the weight of the blooms, especially when wet. The opportunity to get out and fix anything without rain is limited, but it’s a good problem to have and I would rather there be too much rain than drought and dust storms any day.
Spiced Coffee Rose fell from the weight into the rosemary
One of the themes I had in mind this season when purchasing new roses was for an old-fashioned or old-world romantic look, and I think this is accomplished with Soul Sister and Spiced Coffee Roses, amongst others: Cecile Brunner on the arches, Love Affair roses across the front and Kathleen Harrop on the gazebo.
Soul Sister was released in Australia by Swanes (agents for Weeks) in 2015 and was bred by Christian Bedard in the USA in 2008. Soul Sister is a prolific flowering rose and, according to The Rose Society of South Australia, will benefit from continual picking and deadheading. It will grow to 150 cm, has semi-glossy foliage, and is said to last long in a vase as a cut flower.
Spiced Coffee Rose
Unique as these two roses are, they have similarities, both being parchment coffee-coloured roses. The Spiced Coffee rose has beautiful crimson buds that open to lavender pink, fawn or soft beige with pink edges. The overall look is classic old-world; grown here with Lavender and also Viola cornuta that has russet tones that add to the old-fashioned charm.
Soul Sister Rose
Ruth Stout
Working in the garden … gives me a profound feeling of inner peace. Nothing here is in a hurry. There is no rush toward accomplishment, no blowing of trumpets. Here is the great mystery of life and growth. Everything is changing, growing, aiming at something, but silently, unboastfully, taking its time.
Spiced Coffee roses
A newly planted row of Love Affair Floribunda roses is sure to become a favourite. I planted Love Affair along the front window edge as I wanted an upright rose of only 100 cm in height, with a charming old-world look and good disease resistance. My choice has paid off already, as the first blooms came out this week, look fabulous, and are just what I was looking for: colour, health, beauty and abundance.
The Love Affair rose called KORaugneru has a stunning colour that is pink yet apricot too. The best feature is the buds sit packed on the stem with the open blooms and can be as many as 15 per stem according to Wagner’s Rose Nursery.
Love Affair was bred by W. Kordes & Sons in Germany before 2022 and introduced to Australia by Treloar roses in 2022. The Treloar health rating for Love Affair rose is 5 stars, evident from the strong, thick green leathery foliage. These Love Affair roses replaced the original choice of ‘Life of the Party’ roses that I moved to the back garden ( thriving there) and I am looking forward to many more blooms unfolding from the hundreds of buds.
The rose that lives its little hour is prized beyone the sculpted flower.
William C Bryant
The Peace Rose
Many of the roses this season with the extra water and nutrients are enormous, spanning 18-20 cm across in some varieties. It is hard to believe the size of the individual blooms. Nature gives with one hand and takes with the other for nothing is perfect all the time. I’m grateful for a thriving prolific garden this year despite having to view from inside quite often. It is delightful to see that every window in the farmhouse has beautiful roses to admire like stunning landscape artworks.
The Peace Rose: When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
Jimi Hendrix
The first of the Quicksilver Roses- slightly rain damaged
Quicksilver climbing rose is also a romantic rose belonging to the Kordes Arborose® Collection. Bred by Tim Hermann Kordes in Germany in 2004 and introduced into Australia by Treloar roses in 2020. Quicksilver roses pictured above are newly planted and intended to grace the rustic archway along the front path. Quicksilver has a beautiful deep lavender-mauve colouring not usually seen in climbing roses and dark green leathery leaves, pointed ovoid buds and clusters of rose blooms. It should grow 250 cm wide by 200 cm high.
But the rose leaves herself upon the brier, For winds to kiss and grateful bees to feed.
John Keats
The pictures featured in today’s post were taken on a quick dash into the garden between rain showers unaided by usual protective shoes and clothing. If you do not live with the ravage of mosquitoes, it may seem odd to don special gear when heading outside, but the mozzies are rampant with all the water surrounding the garden. Also, not an excuse for poor photos, but many rain blooms are slightly damaged by recent storms and rain.
Every year it seems to me I hear complaints about spring. It is either
Thalassa Crusso – The Julia Child of horticulture.
“late” or “unusually cold,” “abnormally dry” or “fantastically wet,”
for no one is ever willing to admit that there is no such thing as a normal spring.
All content Di Baker 2022
Images Di Baker 2022
