Every Rose Has a Story

I think that every rose has a story, or often two. First there is the story of how each particular variety came into being, its main story, often a fascinating story of struggles and  triumphs on the part of the breeder and then the second story, our story, of how each bush came to me and the part it plays in my life.

Each rose seems to have its own personality, its own quirks and its own ideas on how things should be in the garden. In my garden, such a rose is Princess de Monaco. Her first story is that she was bred by Marie-Louise Meilland and released in 1982 to celebrate the life of actress Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco.

Princess de Monaco

My Princess de Monaco wasn't content to remain a bush rose and decided she wanted be a standard rose instead. Despite many attempts on my part to convince her to throw some new watershoots, she has flatly refused to produce any more than this one stem, which stands thick and tall for about 30 or 40cm then branches out in three directions.  This hasn't always been so, in earlier years she has grown multiple canes and until last year had 2, the oldest of which I removed during our annual prune, hoping to encourage more new growth.






 

She is virtually impervious to blackspot, though this may be because all her foliage is so high off the ground! I love her dark green leaves and the gorgeous cream flowers, long stemmed and elegant, with their vibrant pink edging and delightful fragrance. She shows all the glamour and beauty of the stunning Grace Kelly.

 

I have often wondered what would happen if I were to prune her one cane off at the crown, whether she would be induced to produce new canes or whether that would be the end of her. In balance it seems a little too extreme to potentially destroy a rose that is performing well in every other way. So a mini standard she now is!




A rose with a very old history is Mrs John Laing.  Bred in 1887 by Henry Bennett, this rose was created as a result of a breakthrough in terms of development of a new class of rose. Bennett is considered to be the father of the Hybrid Tea because of his pioneering work in the hybridisation of roses through controlled pollination. This rose is a cross between a Tea and a Hybrid Perpetual, or a Pedigree Hybrid of the Tea Rose as he called it.

Mrs John Laing

But who was the lady "Mrs John Laing"? Why was this rose, which proved to be one of his best and most commercially viable roses, named after her? After a little internet research it seems this is quite an enigma, about which there has been much conjecture and debate over the years.

 By now my curiosity was well and truly piqued and I dug even deeper, until I found a reference I had not seen before. Someone had posted this same question on a rose forum website and after much discussion, another contributor had come forward, claiming to be the great, great granddaughter of Mrs John Laing, a lady named Emelia, a Scotswomen whom she said travelled to London periodically to visit her son and daughter-in-law and grandchildren who lived in London, an entry I have not been able to verify elsewhere, apparently it was kept as a family secret for some reason that none of the family can now remember.

I find it quaint that she preferred to be known as Mrs John Laing rather than Mrs Emelia Laing, a custom that was quite common in those times and so different from today.

According to Wikipedia, Henry Bennett had been a widower for some years by the time he developed this rose 1887; his wife, Emma, having became late in 1875 following a horseback riding accident. Perhaps Emelia was also interested in roses, indeed who knows? Regardless this is quite a beautiful rose with a subtle but sweet scent.

Mrs John Laing came to me last winter as a bare-rooted rose from Misty Downs in Victoria. The blooms are well formed and appear quite delicate, almost rice paper like in texture. The leaves are mid green.  So far I have not had a huge number of blooms, but it is still early days as this is a relatively young rose bush.



Another of my favourites is Blueberry Hill. Many years ago I bought a bush for my mother, mostly, I think, because I thought it was a cool name. Bred by Tom Carruth (USA) in 1997 and released for sale in 1999 Blueberry Hill is classified as a floribunda shrub.  I hadn't heard of Tom Carruth before researching Blueberry Hill so was quite surprised to learn just how many outstanding roses he is responsible for developing.

Mum truly loved her Blueberry Hill and most conversations included at least one reference to just how lovely hers was and how prolifically she was blooming, etc, etc. After a couple of years I decided that maybe I should acquire one myself and approached my local rose specialist nurseryman (where I had bought Mum's) who said he thought they had one in a back paddock that they could bring in for me.

A week or so after I brought my "Blueberry Hill" home I had another phone call from the nursery. Apparently they were now not sure whether my rose was or was not Blueberry Hill and by this time "Blueberry Hill" had been planted in the garden.

When I saw the very first flower (left), I knew this was NOT Blueberry Hill.

Although I was initially a little disappointed that I didn't actually have a Blueberry Hill, this rose has excellent colour and a very pleasing fragrance, beautiful glossy leaves and each bloom is long stemmed and makes a perfect vase specimen. Not to mention being relatively hardy and tolerant of a little shade. I don't know her name and until the day I do, she will remain to me my "Not Blueberry Hill" rose.

Blueberry Hill

And so my quest for a Blueberry Hill rose continued. These are the times you really love Google because I did manage to locate a supplier and duly placed my internet order. Once planted I waited impatiently for my new purchase to produce flowers, just so I could be sure I actually had one this time.

Blueberry Hill has many moods. Sometimes she produces a single rose, sometimes a cluster, always a delight! Her buds open up into a delicate semi-double bloom with a subtle fragrance; a very enthusiastic rose.

Mum warned me that I should allow her plenty of room to spread and she was correct, what Blueberry Hill lacks in height, she more than makes up for in width.

The Rain Falls

The days have become weeks and now months as the sleepy Australian January gives way to February and the momentum of 2014 builds.

I remember those hot and humid days when it was hard to concentrate in the first weeks back at school each year.

I remember packing school lunches for kids who were sick of holidays and glad to be back with their friends once more.

But this year is different. I no longer have kids at school so there are no school books or uniforms to be bought, and they now take care of their own lunches! After so many years it is a strange feeling to now have adult children.

Although in terms of weather, this year is not very different to last. A couple of days of rain last week settled the dust and our parched gardens have been greedily gulping the moisture injection and once again the humidity increases as the summer sun seeks to reassert dominance over the earth beneath and half a week passes with the heavy moisture laden atmosphere trapped beneath high riding cloud cover.

Then three more days of rain, the humidity is high, around 96%, with the slightest exertion raising a sweat. The oppression breaks around midday and heavier showers develop throughout the afternoon. You can almost see the garden growing overnight, the weeds certainly do.

My In-Laws had a Tibouchina growing right beside their letterbox, it was one of the older style purple ones. They weren't really that much into gardening and I think they were quite proud when their shrub was covered in beautiful purple flowers.

In recent times there have been some exciting new dwarf Tibouchina varieties released.

Tibouchina Peace Baby

Distributed by PMA, these are called Fantasy Flower Tibouchinas and include a gorgeous white, "Tibouchina Peace Baby", which grows to about 60 cm high. "Peace Baby" was covered in blooms in the weeks after I brought her home.

Tibouchina Cool Baby

"Tibouchina Cool Baby", a pretty pink and white, growing to just 45cm and "Tibouchina Groovy Baby", a vibrant purple colour, also growing to 45cm, both of which are recent acquisitions of mine.

I don't really have room for a full height Tibouchina shrub and am thrilled to have one of each of these three in my garden. As they are dwarf varieties I think I should be able to keep all three in medium sized terracotta pots which I can move around as required, to a prominent place whilst they are in flower and into lightly dappled shade in the hotter months. Although they are designed for full sun, my "Peace Baby" found full sun in Sydney (as a potted specimen) too much and suffered a fair bit of sun damage, from which it is still recovering so I was excited to find a bloom on each of the first two, I guess I'll have to wait a little longer for "Groovy Baby"






There a couple of other varieties in this range, "Tibouchina Illusion", Tibouchina Allure" and  "Tibouchina Imagine", and these grow bigger (between 1 and 3 metres).

Ivy Geranium

Over the past month or so I have invested an incredible amount of time (and money) in watering the garden but it seems that no amount of watering is ever going to refresh and bring the garden back to life as effectively as a couple of steady showers of rain will. Everything seems to be grateful for the rain.

Long Tall Sally

 









The grass that was brown and crisp has miraculously turned green once more and as I dead-head the roses, I see that new red stems and buds have already begun to grow beside the spent flower heads and I am hopeful of a nice autumnal display in the coming months.

Tuberous Begonia Pink Picotee 

I think we all have certain expectations of what will and won't do well in our gardens. More often than not, it is that things don't perform to our expectations so it is all the sweeter when the surprise is a pleasant one, as was the case with this Tuberous Begonia. I had seen them grown to perfection in glass houses in Orange and Bathurst and on impulse bought a couple of tubers through an on-line end of season sale, fully expecting that they probably wouldn't amount to much.

Endless Summer Hydrangea - Twist N Shout

Garden Visitors

Although we've now lived in Sydney a little more than 20 years, I still feel a patriotic pride when I see our more iconic landmarks, those landmarks that still inspire awe on our infrequent trips to or through the city. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, colloquially know as "The Coathanger" and the Sydney Opera House, both stunning engineering feats, are two such landmarks, landmarks that welcome travellers as the aircraft circle the city before landing.

Similarly I never cease to stop and admire the native wildlife that abounds in the Sydney Hills, and be grateful that I live in such a beautiful and diverse area and that much of this wildlife chooses to grace our garden with its presence.

Ours is a land of contrasts and the wild birds are surely a testament to this with their plumage so vibrant and quite unique.

This Scaly-breasted Lorikeet is a member of the parrot family. Lorikeets are essentially nectivors as can be seen by this Grevillea-snacker spotted recently in my mother's garden.

This juvenile Magpie will soon lose the grey wing and breast feathers as he/she becomes an adult.

The adult Magpie (or Maggie as they are also known) has extracted this strand of coconut fibre from the coir fuchsia basket.

He (or she) is gathering nest construction materials for the next batch of babies. Magpies have a very distinctive carolling song, although they can tend to be somewhat aggressive during nesting season. I have heard of children being attacked whilst walking home from school by Maggies and wearing icecream containers on their heads for protection.

Although their plumage lacks the vibrancy of many other native Australian Birds, the Kookaburra is quite a majestic bird. They seem to hold themselves with dignity and pride and it is said that in full voice, a Kookaburra sounds like it is laughing. They do not eat seeds like the majority of our other airborne visitors, instead delighting in finding an unsuspecting worm too close to the surface. I have childhood memories of feeding minced beef to Kookaburras, who become somewhat tame. This one was not, thus the low detail as my camera was on high zoom. .An adult Kookaburra is similar in size to a Galah.

Many of the  Rainbow Lorikeets around our house have become quite tame. You can see by the slight reflection of the glass that this quirky little guy has come right up to my kitchen window ledge and is appealing for additional food.

They are quite comical birds, looking at you with first one eye then the other.

Maintaining a fresh supply of clean water for native birds is important in our climate, and although I am not sure I'd like to drink my bathwater, these little Rainbow Lorikeets don't seem to care.

King Parrots are not frequent diners at our Bird Cafe which makes a sighting all the more special. The more brightly coloured one at the front is an adult male with the softer coloured female behind. Many of the birds visit either early morning, dusk or on dull days, seeking camouflage in the shade and shadows.

The Sulphur Crested Cockatoos are quite large birds, with a reputation for tending to be somewhat destructive and for not being the smartest birds in the tree. It isn't unusual to see large flocks on the ground by the side of the road, eating grass seeds; or, in full flight, a mass of white in the sky while their high pitched screeches fill the air. Sulphur Crested Cockatoos are often breed and kept in captivity. Those that are "hand raised" often become very tame and they can be taught how to "speak", although sometimes their vocabulary of learned words and phrases is not totally suited for polite company. These birds can be quite long lived, with birds in captivity living 20 years or more.

Their mid air acrobatics frequently involve dips and dives from television aerials, a boon for those in the business of replacing and/or repairing the damage. The finial you can see on the top of birdfeeder is no longer there, courtesy of a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo.

The Galah is also a cockatoo, a cousin to the Sulphur Crested, except a little smaller, without the coloured comb and blessed with greater intellect.

I have always thought that the pretty colours of the Galah match the colour scheme of my home so well.


Perhaps the shyest of our avian visitors is the Eastern Rosella.

Much smaller than the Crimson Rosella, this bird is very timid and particularly flighty. Photographing the Eastern is quite challenging and only achieved by stealth. You can see this one is quite watchful, any sudden movement and they are gone. The feathers of their extended wings are quite beautiful when seen from beneath, perhaps one day I'll manage to capture this fleeting vision  on camera.

We situated our birdfeeder in the garden below our kitchen window and in this way the birds can be seen almost at eye level. The birdbath is in the same garden so we can also enjoy seeing the birds use this from a similar vantage point.
 

Occasionally we have very  unexpected visitors, like the Fairy Blue Wren. This tiny little bird flitted around the garden, fast as quicksilver. And as quickly as he had come, he had gone!

I spotted this brown tree frog resting inside a flower pot. I try to maintain my garden using as few chemicals and pesticides as possible in the hope that it will remain ecologically sound and able to support native wildlife of many kinds.

This evening, on dusk, I could hear the song of more than half a dozen frogs in my garden. As I walked around the different places, they would momentarily fall silent upon hearing or feeling my footsteps, before again resuming their chirping sounds, thankful for the recent rain. It was interesting to hear the different pitches and rhythms of their "voices" as they sang their happy courting songs.

 

Then of course there is the representation from the reptile family.Although I must admit that lizards give me the creeps, I do welcome Blue Tongue Lizards as they help keep the snail population in check somewhat. I think this guy lives in the neighbour's yard as he/she only visits infrequently.

Of course I can't forget our inside bird, Pippin, who is a cockatiel (or quarrion), although Pippin isn't really a visitor, she is a resident. Pippin has chosen my husband to be her person and she greets him loudly every evening when he arrives home from work. She hears the sound of his garage door being raised and starts her welcome cries. Cockatiels can also be trained to speak and whistle. Pippin, however, has chosen not to adopt our language nor whistle on command. 

We bought Pippin as a "hand raised" bird but I don't think she was properly socialised and she doesn't like being handled, so much as we'd like to be able to take her out of the cage, we have to respect that she isn't comfortable doing so.

Crimson Rosellas are fairly frequent visitors, I love their vivid red and blue colouring. You can see them below devouring my tiny immature apples as if I only grow them for their dining pleasure. I have thought about buying a fruit net for my tree to keep the birds away from the fruit but apples are only $2-4 per kg so maybe I really am growing them just for the birds!

 

What??? Oh ok, it's just Izzy the cat-bird and she's not a visitor, she's one of the garden supervisors!

Summer Roses - What's Looking Good This Week

This year, summer has seemed never ending, perhaps because of the unseasonably hot weather we experienced from October onwards, with just a small reprieve before summer really began in earnest in late November/December, and we still have all of February ahead, a month that is notorious for throwing lots of hot days our way.

With the hot and steamy days comes the humidity and with humidity comes the unwelcome pest-guest, Black Spot, on many of the roses.

I'm now feeding my roses every month and they are responding with lots of new red growth and many new flowers. Many of my roses are living a nomadic existence at the moment whilst they await completion of the new rose garden.

I love each of my roses. They are all different and each has been chosen because of some special appeal, such as an unusual growth habit, etc. One of my main criteria for selecting a rose for my garden is its fragrance and if it isn't fragrant, it needs to be very special in some other way.

Long Tall Sally, as the name suggests, has an unusually tall and upright growth habit. I believe ours is only about 3 years old and already she is delightful.

The sweetly scented single flowers grow in bouquets. The buds start a light apricot colour then fade as they open, first to a delicate pink and then finally a creamy white.

The centre or each is dotted with rich yellow stamens.


When I first saw this rose in a nursery, the mature display bush had somewhere between 20 and 30 blooms on each bouquet, and this was when I decided my garden needed a "Sally". Ours is a potted specimen and she lives in a wooden half barrel.



















I also have a couple of twin grafted patio roses. A patio rose is, like a standard, grafted onto a stem. The difference is only the height, a patio being approximately 60cm and a standard being approximately 90cm high.

With this twin patio rose, there have been 2 different kinds of roses grafted onto the stem, in this case the twins are Burgandy and Blushing Pink Icebergs. This combination works particularly well because the grafts are both colour variants of the Iceberg rose, with the same foliage and same growth habit and the branches from both grafts appear to become intertwined, creating a very eye-catching effect of two different flowers being produced by the one rose.

Generally speaking both colours usually bloom fairly equally, although the Blushing Pink side is flowering a little more proficiently at the moment.

Being so happy with the Blushing Pink and Burgandy Pink Iceberg patio twins, last year I decided to buy another twin patio, this time selecting the Iceberg (white) rose grafted with Bonica.. I thought this would be another wonderful rose but unfortunately this combination is not as successful as my other other twin rose. The foliage on the Iceberg and the Bonica are so different that the two parts do not meld well together. Whilst the Iceberg unceasingly throws out long and luxurious canes, the Bonica's growth habit appears almost cramped by comparison. So far Bonica has produced far fewer blooms than Iceberg and frequently the two parts have been badly out of sync, with them each appearing to be taking it in turns to flower. Also, so much strong growth on the Iceberg side does tend to make the rose a list to one side. All this being said, it does still have its own quirky appeal.

By the time mid spring arrived, I had vowed not to buy any more roses, at least not until the new rose garden had been completed and the poor nomadic pot roses had been settled into their new permanent home. That was until one of my local nurseries, a rose specialist, advertised  very intriguing "Rose Duets", which then necessitated a visit, if only to satisfy my curiosity. The Duets turned out to be two roses, planted very closely side by side in the same pot.

Needless to say, I did weaken and bought the combination of Neptune (right) and My Hero (below). These two roses make excellent companions, the foliage and growth habits are very similar and the flowers are also similar both in size, shape and even fragrance. These two roses will never join together and will live happily side by side for many years.

Another favourite is Love Potion.

I adore the beautiful colour and the slight ruffles of her petals. Not to mention the gorgeous fragrance. This little rose survived many years of neglect before I moved her into a more favourable position and gave her a little TLC. Although she was a little quiet last year (in recovery mode I think), this year, with the benefit of better pruning techniques learned last July, she has produced new canes from the crown and has already had two or three flowering flushes.

As an early Christmas present this year I bought my mother half a dozen or so Smooth Touch roses (much less likely to "attack" her) to add to her rose garden and at the same time I weakened and bought Smooth Moonlight for myself.

The Smooth Touch range is 99% thornless and the majority of them have a good fragrance, making them an ideal rose to grow around children or more mature people, or just because you want to.

At the moment Smooth Moonlight is in temporary (pot) accommodation, she will be moving into the new rose garden once it is completed.

Last year I also added Pope John Paul II to my collection. This is an outstanding white, very fragrant, very free flowering with a strong growth habit and lush green leaves.

Although I am not usually a fan of orange or yellow roses, Chicago Peace convinced me to break this rule. The soft yellow and pink are delightful and the fragrance is very pleasing.

Brilliant Pink Iceberg is a great rose to have in your garden. The growth habit is vigorous, without being rampant, the fragrance is moderate and the flowers produced by my bush interestingly cover a wide range of hues, from a brilliant to a pale pink.