"Long ago. Far away..."
–Harry Nilsson
"The rose represents love, magic, hope, and the mystery of life itself."
–Diana Wells
Not in a galaxy far, far away, but on our own lonely planet, the rose has held an almost mystical relationship since the earliest times. For the ancient western civilizations, the rose came to symbolize love and passion... the Romans featured roses in their many feasts and orgies, masking unpleasant odors. Meanwhile, the inscrutable Chinese preferred to remember roses a bit more poetically... one rose was named ‘Yu-go-tain-tsing" (‘Clear Shining after Rain’).
The rose advanced from a ceremonial constituent of paganism to serious usage by practioners of health. Rosa gallica, the Apothecary rose, became a cure all for almost any ailment. The Dog Rose, Rosa canina, was reputed to combat rabies, and the Damask rose (thought to have originated in Damascus) was used to make rosewater.
Roses are approaching their blooming peak in mid-summer and can be inspected for their bloom and delightful fragrance (something you can’t do during bareroot season). Your favorite nursery should still have ample variety for your collection... from the antique roses of yesterday to today’s disease resistant English, hybrid tea, floribunda, and shrub roses.
Roses bought in containers can be planted in the garden at any time of the year, but this is a great time to establish roses prior to the predicted wild winter rains. The "perfect" hole for your rose should be 1 1/2 times as deep and 2 times wider than the container in which the rose is growing. Create a backfill mixture beneath and beside the rootball with a combination of 1/2 native soil mixed with 1/2 Nurseryman’s planter mix, 4 tablespoons of Gro-power, and the rose cocktail (see below).
Avoid disturbing the rootball during transplanting. I recommend that you cut and remove the bottom of the container and place the rose in the hole; the bud union should be about 2" above the ground. Cut the sides of the container and fill the hole loosely with soil. Remove the sides of the container carefully and the rootball will remain intact. Water thoroughly with a solution of 1 tablespoon of Vitamin B1 (further insurance against transplant shock) to a gallon of water to settle the soil. Check for settling, add more soil if necessary, then water again.
Catharine’s's Rose cocktail
1 cup of gypsite
1 tablespoon soil sulfur
1 table spoon chelated iron
1 tablespoon Epsom salts
In compiling yet another list of favorite roses, I have selected roses that have been particularly fragrant, disease resistant, and easy to grow this difficult year. They’ve been personally approved by Lady Catharine of Laguna.
Easy to Grow... A vigorous and bushy plant, Heritage is a perfect rose. The blooms are a lovely soft pink with a nice fragrance. Not fussy, it requires very little care.
The non-stop bloomer, Iceberg, is a climber and bush 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.
Olympiad is the red rose for your garden. Named in honor of the Los Angeles Olympic Games, it is pure red, long stemmed, and deserves a place in your garden and vase.
Disease resistant... One of the most rewarding of all roses is the single, blood red blooms of the climber, Altissimo. Very fragrant and excellent as a cut flower, this rose blooms freely throughout the year. This is the strongest growing red climbing rose for Laguna gardens.
Royal Bonica continues the trend of modern roses... free blooming, disease resistant, and not fussy about pruning. Pale pink blooms cover very green and shiny foliage.
In my mind, Mutabilis might be the perfect rose. I have never had to spray for either insect or disease in a six year relationship! This China rose’s multi-colored single blooms seem almost never ending.
Especially fragrant roses... The English will take the top three spots this summer. Possessing an old rose perfume, Orthello is a standout rose. It produces large, cupped blooms of crimson fading to purple. Nikki, at Browne’s, tells me that the blooms are excellent in flower arrangements.
David Austin, the English rose hybridizer, holds the shrub rose, Grüss an Aachen, in high esteem... he has even adopted it as one of his roses. The deeply cupped blooms have a pleasing fragrance which turn a pearl-pink to creamy-white.
English Garden completes the sweep for David Austin. His roses attract great interest in Laguna and beyond. It's flowers are soft apricot with the form and character of an antique rose. Wonderfully fragrant!
The rose reigns supreme in our garden... descendants of species from times long past. I hold a special affection for roses, as it it represents the love I share with my wife. That is why, in our personal Malmaison, Catharine and I will always have space for one more rose. See you next time.
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