Music Maker Rose

Buck Shrub Rose ‘Music Maker’

Wordless Wednesday

Fair Bianca Austin Rose

Austin Rose

Rosa 'Fair Bianca'

(RO-zuh)

Synonyms: English Rose, AUSca

This Austin rose was introduced in 1982. Not as showy as some of the other Austin roses it seems to grow well and have a good amount of flowers. The fragrance is a little funky but pleasant to me. The petals form an intricate kind of old rose shape. One characteristic I like about 'Fair Bianca' is it doesn’t get too tall. Growing to about 2.5 feet it is nice for the front of the rose garden or mixes well into the border. Like most Austin roses it is very hardy and always seems to pull through the winter with minimal damage.

There are going to be some changes in my personal and professional life coming up. I can’t say anything right now but will try and keep this site up as much as possible.

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

George Bernard Shaw

Calla Lily in Black and White

Calla Lily

Zantedeschia aethiopica

(zan-te-DES-kee-uh) (ee-thee-OH-pik-uh)

Synonyms: Arum Lily, Large White Aethiopica, Varkoor

This is my little attempt at an ‘art shot’. It is easy to get caught up in the macro world of flowers and to a certain extent live there. That is forgetting the brilliance and beauty that flowers can lend our lives. A single white Calla lily in a vase is a bit of an interior design cliché but it still works. This picture (and all the black and white flowers on this site) was shot with the monochrome setting on the camera. No color picture of this flower exists. My only little secret is to turn the contrast setting up to +2 on the camera menu, which seems to give a better range of black and grey tones. The micro-Nikkor 60mm/2.8 lens and the D700 camera produced this picture.

Since it is Sunday again here is a bonus snapshot. This seemed like a very lonely rose. All it’s neighbors had bloomed months ago and had turned to mushy hips by now. The color and shape of this rose was slightly distorted but beautiful in its own way.

Japanese Rose

Japanese Rose

Rosa rugosa

(RO-zuh) (roo-GO-suh)

Synonyms: Beach Rose, Saltspray Rose, Wrinkle-Leaved Rose

This is a plant that I was taught to hate at an early age but over the years I have realized that despite some bad qualities it can be a good garden citizen. I was prejudiced against it but don’t feel that way anymore after having some of my own experiences growing it (funny how that works). Yes it is invasive, prickly and sometimes rangy growing but it is also fragrant, thick growing and resistant to most diseases that plague most roses around here. The fruit are nice looking and boldly colored. They have a habit of appearing on the bush at the same time as the flowers. We haven’t had any problem with seeding (we mostly grow the hybrids) and just watching and taking corrective action when needed has controlled suckering. This pleasant specimen was growing at the South Street Seaport in Manhattan.

Well today is the day of the party at the estate. The owner and I agreed the garden looked stunning. Luckily nature helped us out with a drenching rain this week. I got last minute color at the nursery yesterday. Here are my carts. I had to be careful since our budget had been mostly blown by then. Everything was reduced in price because it was in full bloom and the place wanted to get rid of the older stuff. That pretty much played right into my needs. 

           

                         

Pink Shrub Rose and Sheffield Chrysanthemum

Shrub Rose
Rosa cv.

We have been tending to this rose for the past several years and still think it is a great variety. The flowers are simply huge and very aromatic. I have a feeling it might actually be a climbing rose since it gets quite tall but it is really kind of jammed in its corner so it is difficult to say for sure.

The rose season has been pretty good here so far. Thankfully more and more of the modern types have some heat resistance bred into them. There was a great crop of roses available in the big rose garden on Friday.

Sunday means a bonus shot here on the digital flower pictures blog. This one was taken last autumn and I am posting it because some of the Sheffield mums at work are growing enormous and are going to be great this fall. This is truly a beautiful perennial that seems to be rarely grown. Much superior to the typical kind of annual mums usually planted. They were potting up some Chrysanthemums at the large annual farm last week.

Hardy Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum 'Sheffield'

(kris-AN-the-mum)

Synonym: Dendranthema ‘Hillside Pink Sheffield’

These were shot with my compact camera a Nikon P6000. It shoots such giant pictures and has a pretty good lens.

Shrub Roses

Shrub Roses

Rosa

Wordless Wednesday

Rhapsody in Blue Shrub Rose

‘Rhapsody in Blue’ Shrub Rose

Rosa

Synonyms: FRAntasia

This is the second time this rose has appeared on this blog. Since it did well as a replacement rose we bought one more plant for this year. It really should be called Rhapsody in Purple but I guess there is some artistic license with the breeders. The rose does produce a copious amount of flowers in a large range of purple shades. Often there is a unique blend of colors as some of the fading blooms turn lighter colors. When the flowers are full on purple they look pretty amazing. Really dark and rich looking.

U.S. Introduction: 2007, Weeks Wholesale

Fragrance: Strong

Petal Count: 16 (semi-double)

Average flower diameter: 2.5 inches

It is Sunday again so here is today’s bonus snapshot. It is just a nice looking garden arch from Long Island. Shot at sunset in monochrome with the D700 and Nikon 80-200/2.8 telephoto lens. Too bad about that nasty lens flare but the idea was good.

 

Hybrid Rugosa Rose

Hybrid Rugosa Rose

Rosa 'Therese Bugnet'

(RO-zuh)

Normally I wouldn’t give Rosa rugosa the time of day because it is an overgrowing, invasive pest. Today’s selection is far from that and is a good example of breeding bringing out the best characteristics of a plant while suppressing the not so great aspects. This rose was bred in 1941 and introduced in 1950. I thought it was much younger than that. The blooms have a mild fragrance but seem to keep coming in waves. The flowers are a nice, bright, clear pink. This picture was shot with the Nikon 80-200mm/2.8 lens.

We got rain again overnight. It had to be a couple of inches worth. Yesterday wasn’t a great day to be in the garden. Every plant you touched was enough to soak you even though the actual rain had ended hours ago. It would seem that today is going to be the same thing. Today I am going to be smarter and bring a change of clothes.

Just a note to the “Send Flowers to” people that keep posting comments on this blog. I feel it is spam and will continue to delete them.

Pink Knockout Shrub Rose

Shrub Rose

Rosa 'Pink Knockout'

Synonyms: RADcon

In some ways I think this rose is going to take over the world. This one is from Central Florida and there seemed to be 1000’s of plantings of them everywhere. Someday I will probably come upon a landscape that is planted with just ‘Knockout’ roses and ‘Stella de Oro’ Daylilies. I know why people plant these reliable and hardy plants but they seem so pedestrian and uninspired.

We have had good luck with the ‘Knockout’ series and planted some last fall. Hopefully the deer left them alone. I especially love the double pink knockout but that was unavailable at the time.

The stove is definitely heating up for work around here. A couple of calls came in last week and we are going to be mobilizing next week since the weather is going to be nice. Since things are a little slow at the estate will be again offering our gardening services to residents of Western Connecticut and Eastern New York State. We do landscape design and installation too. Get in touch with us if you have the need.

Yellow Submarine Shrub Rose

Shrub Rose

Rosa 'Yellow Submarine'

(RO-zuh)

Synonyms: BAIine, Garden Art Collection

Here is a nice yellow rose to break up the chrysanthemum theme we seem to having around here lately. Another of the Easy Elegance rose types it is a real clear yellow that starts off strong and then mellows as the flower age. These roses are extremely hardy especially for a yellow. The fragrance is mild but still there and nice.

Introduced in 2005 by Bailey Nurseries this rose comes from the famous breeder Ping Lim. In some ways he has revolutionized rose growing for the average gardener. His Easy Elegance roses have changed rose growing forever, especially for the casual growers. I have found them to be vigorous, long blooming and pest and disease free. My only problem with them is they some times get a little tall and flop over but the plant usually continues to bloom in that position.

Black and White Shrub Rose

Shrub Rose
Rosa

Sunny Knockout Shrub Rose

Shrub Rose

Rosa 'Sunny Knockout'

(RO-zuh)

Synonyms: Radsunny

In order to finish the new area we have been working on we needed to have some more roses. This Sunny Knockout was looking so good it made it into the garden along with some Carefree and Easy elegance types. This rose is a standout amongst the others and comes with the ease of care the Knockouts have. This is the newest Knockout and it is sure to be a hit, in my opinion. The bright yellow flowers fade to a creamy color, which provides a nice contrast to the newer brighter yellow flowers.

Red Shrub Rose

Red Shrub Rose
Rosa

This was one of the few roses left after the hurricane. Since the rose garden is located in a windy and open area most of the flowers and foliage were affected. Already there are some new signs of life but I doubt it will get back to normal before the end of the season.

Luckily most of the other plants in the surrounding gardens came through without much damage but you could see that things had been whipped around and in general looked pretty bad. This estate is located in an elevated area, which saved it from flooding but also exposed it to more wind. Oh well, all we can do is wait for nature to repair itself and gently encourage the roses to come back.

Being a rose gardener is filled with a lot of ups and downs. Often times it seems just when we get things to where we want them some outside force acts on the garden.

This shrub rose, which I think maybe ‘Home Run’ has been a good citizen in the garden. It is a repeat bloomer that doesn’t seem to get too much disease. It is colorful and shapely.

This blog has taken on a mind of its own, publishing in a larger and different font. I guess that makes it easier to read.

Shrub Rose ‘Peppermint Pop’

Shrub Rose ‘Peppermint Pop’
Rosa
Synonyms: Radcarn

Here we have another new plant that seems to be lurking around the edge of the market. It looked familiar when I have seen it and now I know why. It is from the same breeder as the Knockout series of roses and it looks like a really colorful knockout type. The flowers are bright pink with a hint of a white underside. Introduced in 2011 by Conard-Pyle (Star Roses) it is sure to be a big hit.

‘Peppermint Pop’ is disease resistant and the dark green foliage provides a nice backdrop for the pink flowers. The bush gets up to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. The flowers have 25-40 petals and seem quite detailed. It is hardy to USDA Zone 5.

Shrub Rose

Shrub Rose
Rosa 'High Voltage’
Synonym: Baiage

This is kind of like the shrub rose I posted several days ago but this time I know the name. ‘High Voltage’ is a new member of the Easy Elegance class of roses and its subtle color and disease resistance are sure to have around for a long time. Obtaining a height of 2 to 3 feet ‘High Voltage’ is nice and small although the flowers are about standard size.

I didn’t buy the ‘High Voltage’ but was interested to see that the Easy Elegance roses come with a 2-year homeowner guarantee. I guess they think you are really going to like them. Here is a link to the guarantee it seems pretty fool proof.

Today is my birthday and my wife surprised me with some Selena Gomez tickets. The concert is at the PNC Arts Center in New Jersey. Recently on Facebook I posted some shots of the big festival/concert I attended. Someone sent me a note asking that their pictures be removed from the album. They were supposed to be at work and the boss saw their photos. Oops!

Yellow Shrub Rose

Yellow Shrub Rose
Rosa

Bonica Floribunda Rose

Floribunda Rose
Rosa 'Bonica'
(RO-zuh)
Synonyms: Bonica '82, Demon, MEIdomonac

This rose was recently featured here as the first rose of the year and it is still going strong. I often get stuck in a bit of a rut when photographing flowers and lately I have been trying a couple of new things. Here a shallow depth of field was used and I have been experimenting with that more. Something as simple as turning the camera into the landscape orientation (the long side horizontal and so the shorter side vertical) has been something else for me to remember to use. It is simple but effective.

Feeling a little under the weather as I lived out a dream from the late 1970’s when we attended the Peter Frampton concert at our local concert venue last night. It sure was amazing. Some of the best guitar playing I have heard in years. It wasn’t the flashy, shredding type of playing but more like a sophisticated tone based playing. He is quite a showman and has an awesome band. I should have brought my camera as Peter was telling the “red shirts” to leave some one alone who was taking a photo. “Let her have her photo”, was a great attitude to have.

Carefree Celebration Rose

Shrub Rose
Rosa 'Carefree Celebration'
Synonym: RADral

I can't believe that this rose has never appeared on this blog before. It is a great rose that we have been growing in two different locations. For the big rose garden this plant has been a welcome addition. It is not the type we normally grow in the garden since it is a mixture of Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, Grandifloras and even a few shrub roses. You know the finicky, high maintenance types. So against my better judgment we added ‘Carefree Celebration’ and it has been wonderful. The scapes of flowers look so happy and it seems to bloom pretty much continually. The flowers in the picture are a bit faded as the normally color is more orange/coral and fade to a nice pink. Today is the big rose tour at the garden and ‘Carefree Celebration’ is of course acting like a star. Even after all the heavy, heavy rain we had last week it was still hanging on.

The second garden I planted this rose in is much more rustic. Even under those conditions ‘Carefree Celebration’ has been growing nicely in a bed by the swimming pool. It has been disease resistant trooper that provides a lot of color.

Here are some details on ‘Carefree Celebration’:

Breeding/Introduction: Bred by William J. Radler. Introduced by Meilland-Star Roses Inc., 2007

Type: Shrub rose

Petal Count: 15 to 18 petals. Double.

Hardiness: Extremely Hardy (Zone 4b)

Come join us at Today’s Flowers . The links open at 1400 GMT. It is a great bunch of people and you get flowers from all over the world.

Here is Sunday’s bonus flower. Out of the 4 or 5 ‘Blushing Knockout’ roses we have only one has been producing flowers with this stray red petal. It probably isn’t that rare but it is fun to have. The plant also produces many regular type blossoms without the red petals. ‘Blushing Knockout’ was bred by the same person who created the first rose in this post and the ‘Knockout’ series. That is impressive to me.


Shrub Rose
Rosa 'Blushing Knockout'
Synonym: RADyod
Radler, 2004

Icy Drift Groundcover Rose

Groundcover Rose
Rosa 'Icy Drift'
Synonyms: MEIpicdevoj

Last year on May 27th I posted that I had bought a couple of ‘Peach Drift’ roses here . They turned out great even though it was an unconventional choice for our rose garden. Last week when we were there installing the other new roses ‘Peach Drift’ was doing very well. Loaded with flowers and buds and no disease. I was truly happy with the plant. That is why I have decided to try ‘Icy Drift’ its slightly smaller new cousin. It was disease free at the nursery and in full bloom. You can see from the picture the flowers are small but full of petals.

Drift roses are a cross between full sized groundcover roses and miniatures. They seemed to have taken some of the best qualities from both. Part of my need was good hardiness since the garden is located in a very exposed spot for winter. Our new program of putting about a foot of leaves on the plants, after they are cut back, and burlap around the garden has cut down our losses dramatically but we still need to buy as hardy a rose as possible.

Here is the low down on ‘Icy Drift’:

Type; Shrub
Introduction: 2010. Conard-Pyle (Star Roses)
Flowers: Small in large clusters. 17-25 petals.
Height: 1-2 feet
Spread: 2 to 3 feet
Hardiness: Zone 5 in the US

Flower Carpet Amber Rose

‘Flower Carpet Amber’
Synonyms: Calizia, Sedana

We always seem to be trying to find creative ways to have the ground covered. Pachysandra, Ajuga, Vinca and even Juniper are some of our choices. However the flower carpet series of roses seems like a nice alternative especially when they come in colors like this one. This rose gets about 2 feet tall and spreads up to 40 inches wide. It blooms throughout the season. This rose was considered new for the 2009-10 season

Here are some facts on ‘Flower Carpet Amber’:
Type: Shrub Rose
Bred by: Reinhard Noack, 2005
Petal Count; 9 to 16
Flower Size: 2 inches diameter

Here is a link to the home page of Flower Carpet Roses:
Tesselar.com