A rose that has been very commonly grown in the “blizzard zone” of the Canadian and American Midwest is the Banshee rose. Banshee is unusually hardy for a rose of European origin, although it kills the snowline annually in my exceedingly severe district. Its extraordinary hardiness must be attributed to its popularity and the vast … Read more
About 1830, Colonel Roulet found an exceedingly small rose growing in a pot on the windowsill of a Swiss cottage. The Colonel immediately informed a friend, the botanist M. Henri Correvon, and cuttings were obtained from the plant which was estimated to be 150 years old at the time. Although this rose was not officially … Read more
Few rose lovers realize how versatile shrub roses can be. The value and use of the popular bedding type roses are well known, but other members of the rose family deserve more consideration for decorative garden purposes. Under the heading “Shrub Roses” come the species, the old roses, and a few moderns. Indeed they are … Read more
Why old-fashioned roses? The answer will not be found in a catalog of names or repetitious advice on planting and priming, all essential for happy shrubbery roses. We suggest, instead, an air of old-fashioned interest. Through carelessness, someone said, we cut ourselves off from intellectual resources. Many still think of caring for old-fashioned roses as … Read more
There’s something about a rose hedge that cannot be found in a hedge of any other plant material. Its natural, informal beauty appeals to everyone, even when it is not in flower, and when in bloom, it is delightful beyond expression. It’s true, of course, roses may take a little more care than some other … Read more
Every gardener wants roses, of course. And, after 30 years of growing them, I am prepared to swear every gardener can have them without much trouble. That is if he buys a good stock, locates plants, winter-protects, prunes, feeds them properly, and takes action against pests and disease. This sounds formidable, but it is not. … Read more
All too often, the rose catalogs use the word “hardy” to describe roses that cannot survive the average northern winter without careful protection. Unfortunately, this is likely why many gardeners decide they cannot grow them. They buy rose plants described as hardy, then the plants die the first winter, and so the conclusion is that … Read more
In most of our areas, hard frosts have come by mid-November. Mild weather sometimes holds until Thanksgiving, leaving some hardier annuals such as snapdragons, stocks, sweet alyssum, lobelia, verbena, and petunias still in bloom if they have been protected. Garden mums and roses can be expected to supply great colors right up to a general … Read more
The memorial rose (Rosa Wichuraiana), one of the parents of the modern hybrid rambler roses, is the only truly procumbent rose species. This native of Japan, Korea, and eastern China was first introduced into North America about 65 years ago. And even though it has been grown here for over half a century, it is … Read more
In recent years I have been experimenting with both hardwood and greenwood cuttings of roses. I have successfully used two modifications of the old-fashioned fruit jar method, and believe that the plants’ development is greatly aided by avoiding disturbance of the roots. This is made possible by rooting the hardwood cuttings where the plants are … Read more