Friday, May 30, 2008

Has It Come To This?

I have never been overly fond of Roses after having to tend a rose garden for a client. Some shift in the wind must be occurring. I am finding this Rose quite fetching. It has a nice full upright shrub habit. The upper canes are nearly thornless and the flowers are fully double with a simple old fashioned appeal.

I have no idea what its name might be. Being here is like going to a nursery with no name tags on any of the plants.




Four of these roses have grown out of the steep slope on the cut bank along my driveway. I don't even think these are the same ones where an attempt was made to save them that ended up with them being crushed under the wheels of the power company's trucks. This re-emergence must mean they are tough. They are kind of cute too, whoever they are.



And this is the hole for the Dahlia from San Francisco. I am following the directions. I planted well after the last frost date and will be adding soil as the Dahlia emerges. I still need to put in a stake, it said, even though Madame Stappers grows as a dense, rounded, all but self supporting mound. I don't stake plants.



This is the worst. I came home from walmart with five, $9 Knockout Roses for my sunny utility hillside.



I had two huge long stem Roses on Maui, one red and one yellow, that I completely ignored. I never sprayed them, never fertilized them. I only hacked the ten foot tall things back to the nub every couple of years and they bloomed regularly with abandon. These roses better not expect any better treatment from me.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

They say the Knockouts don't need us. I'm waiting to see too, having just planted a 'Radrazz' last fall. Don't blame yourself, Christopher. Many a gardener who long shunned roses has come to love them, including me.

Frances, said...

Hi christopher, the knockouts really are all they hype claims. No care at all, period. And
$9 at walmart, who can complain? Your lovely pink tough one is also lovely, fragrant?

chuck b. said...

I added FIVE roses to my garden this year. Unbelievable.

You gave that dahlia a professional hole! I'm impressed. I don't stake plants either, but I do use tomato cages, and that's what I'm doing for the dahlias.

Christopher C. NC said...

The Dahlia got a wooden stick stake today Chuck. If it doesn't need it , I'll yank it out.

Glad to hear that about the Knockouts Frances. Pam and I can rest easy. That is what I heard about them and hopefully they will do well and cover a chunk of that hillside with low mounding, no care color.

chuck b. said...

I've never seen dahlias staked. Just something I've read about.

Anonymous said...

A roof, by Gum, a roof! You have indeed come a long way. What do you think of your decision after a year?

I have to say the recent breeding of roses has also gotten me re-interested in them - after giving up on several hybrid teas present when I bought my house 28 years ago. I beat you on the Knockout; got one 2 yrs ago in a 2 gallon pot for $3.99 on sale from a nursery that, I guess, was just anxious to get rid of it. They are truly a great rose, except the deer like mine too.

bev