Being Hung Up On Roses

By Guest Writer Elaine A. Senft

As a little girl growing up in the warm environs of White Rock, the only roses I really enjoyed the smell of were the hot pink rugosas planted along the railroad track near the beach. I didn't think much of roses then. Well, that was to change. I can't remember the year when my husband and kids visited Miracle Beach on Vancouver Island but I do recall what happened. We were visiting friends near the beach when I spotted a quaint cottage and a garden with arbors and roses everywhere.

My excitement was overwhelming…pink roses climbing over trellises, white, yellow...more pink ...it was definitely an awakening...I couldn't stop myself from inhaling all the overpowering fragrances. The cottage on that particular beach happened to be the home of none other than the former president of the Vancouver Rose Society, Pat Murdoch...my poor family, looking all over for me and there I was, talking to her and her husband about roses.

That was it, I was hooked! I had to have a rose garden...and they had to be fragrant! No ands, ifs, or buts! Climbing Cecile Brunner, New Dawn, Golden Showers and, of all things, Veilchenblau ...but where to put them? So, 25 years ago, the trellis and arbor thing began in our Deep Cove, North Vancouver garden. We (my husband and I) built them from used wood and wired them together. My friends thought I was a nut...that’s the passion, once we're hooked! She (Murdoch, my mentor) said... “always remember, Elaine, buy good plants” ...and I have. Three hundred and fifty or so roses later, seventeen arbors and whatyamacallsits, I can say I now have a rose garden consisting of pretty much all Old Garden Roses (OGRs).

My #1 favourite rose of all is Mme Alfred Carriere (a creamy-white, fluffy, wonderfully fragrant noisette from the mid 1800s). Other favourites include a variety of modern roses, David Austin English roses and OGRs: New Dawn, R.Rugosa Rosaerie de la Hay, R. Filipes Kiftsgate, Bobbie James, Wedding Day, Lichtkoenigen Lucia, Sparrieshoop, Albertine, Graham Thomas, Abraham Darby, Leander, Rosa Mundi, Paul's Himalayan Musk, Rosa Canary Bird (she's the first to bloom but can be tender), Rosa Macrantha, Westerland and Autumn Sunset... I have probably missed naming some more...oh yes, Rosa Mulliganii and on and on…then there was the time I tried, and succeeded, in transplanting one of the house-eaters, Wedding Day!!

That day I really was Hung Up On Roses!!! Today, I enjoy a passion I can’t let go of – I enjoy acting as a rosarian consultant and teaching/giving lectures on roses because I have the time and the desire to share this information. I have grown wonderful old garden roses for nearly 25 years and it all started that sunny summer on Vancouver Island…we all have to start somewhere! I feel Mother Nature would be happy with that!

Happy growing!

Roses and Winter 09

BRRRRRRR. Is what my roses are saying this winter. Here is what you are all wanting to know!

Will my roses survive the Vancouver area winter of 08-09?
If they die will the nursery replace them due to a record cold temperatures, snow and wind?

I'll let ya work that one out yourself..wink..

We are in the middle of a long cold winter by Vancouver area standards and that makes it far too early to tell how bad winter loses will be this year. My gut feeling is that some of the more tender hybrid tea roses will have some heavy die back or perhaps total die back. Some climbers will die back but after a hard pruning they will bounce back in a season or two. The Old Garden type and hardy shrub style roses will have very little winter damage, they seem to laugh at the cold and the David Austin roses although more hardy than most Hybrid Teas may have some die back. Ask me in a month or two for a full report on the winter of '09!

One thing I do know is that we will be doing some very heavy pruning of roses this spring! That can be a good thing as it cleans up disease and insect problems and gives way to a nice shapely new rose bush! As long as you have a healthy, strong growing rose, most can bounce back from a pruning down to almost the crown level. Every variety of rose is slightly different but have faith that you will enjoy some of your favorite roses again next spring and enjoy the idea of replacing some of them with better, new varieties!

We will spend more time talking about this winter and how to tell if a rose cane has completely died in future blog postings.

Remember a few things about winter:

Wind, Sun and Cold in tender late growth is what causes most winter damage to plants including roses.
Snow cover is an excellent insulator against cold and the heavy amount we have had is helping protect your plants.

Cold long winters are nature's way of killing of disease and insects but we have to offer a few plants in sacrifice.

Without rain there can be no sunshine and without winter there can be no spring!

Ps. I leave for Hawaii Jan 17, wowowow. I'm sooo outta this winter wonderland. Ha!

Brad

Learn about roses through other rose bloggers

The web is a great place to learn more about the Rose!

Visit my twitter page at twitter.com/BradJalbert - it is a lot of fun and a great spot for light chatter about roses.

Another example is Carolyn Parker's Rose Notes, a newsletter/blog full of beautiful photos and news about the rose world.

The World Rose Festival has it's e-newsletter - visit its website to subscribe!

It is getting close to Christmas - make sure to include some wonderful red roses on your dinner table!

Name a Rose!

Have you ever wondered how roses get their names or wanted to name one after a loved one? Often referred to as one of the most unique gifts imaginable, having a rose named after someone is truly special way to immortalize a special person in your life. The process of having a rose named in itself is actually very simple. The real difficulty is in hybridizing a rose that's worthy of naming!

For Details on Rose Naming, visit the website of Select Roses at WWW.SELECTROSES.CA on rose naming to the left. You will find some pics of new Hybrids up for naming and information on the breeding and selection proccess.

I will be featuring some of my latest hybrids at the 2009 World Rose festival. You wont want to miss the Flower event of the year! Tickets for the World Rose festival would make excellent Holiday gifts.