Jul
10
Mrs. B.R. Cant
The Mrs. B.R. Cant is a tea rose that was introduced in England in 1901. Can you imagine? This rose has been handed down by cutting (asexual reproduction) for over 100 years!
Mrs. B.R. Cant has an ARS rating of 8.7, which is very good. It is very disease and pest resistant. It also seems to love the heat.
This rose blooms continuously. It starts producing 3 inch blooms in the spring and continues until the first frost. As far as foliage goes, it is pretty much an evergreen in my garden, as are most of my roses. I just doesn’t stay cold enough long enough for them to go dormant.
Especially when the light is right, the petals look like they are dusted in silver. They are not the most fragrant blooms, but they do have a nice moderate tea rose scent.
I got this one as a cutting from a friend and it has a permanent place in my garden.
Jun
10
The DayBreaker Rose
Day Breaker Rose
This is one of those roses that when it’s good, it’s gorgeous! But when it’s bad, it’s pretty bad. It has a small problem with black spot in my garden. If I can stay ahead of it, it’s better, but it will still get it no matter it seems. But I think this rose, unlike some of the others, may be worth the extra effort. In its defense, it does have to deal with a lot of shade where it is currently at. That may make a difference.
The Day Breaker rose is a floribunda rose and AARS Winner for 2004. This is a fairly new rose that was hybridized in the UK in 2004 and introduced to the US in 2004. The large buds are offset by dark green glossy foliage and are good for cutting. The blending colors of white, apricot, and peach will almost glow in the cooler fall weather. It also seems to change color in different lighting.
Day Breaker roses are an upright, bushy floribunda with bright, multi-shade blooms. The blooms are nestled among dark, glossy green foliage on a plant that reaches a medium height. Day Breaker has a wonderful moderate tea fragrance and continuous bloom.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 84°F;
- Humidity: 62%;
- Heat Index: 88°F;
- Wind Chill: 84°F;
- Pressure: 29.84 in.;
Jun
01
"Nearly Wild" Rose
I have a beautiful rose that someone had given me a couple of years ago that is just now mature enough to bloom and I have no idea what it is. It looks like “Nearly Wild” but it has a climbing habit rather than bush. It is incredibly disease resistant and has a lovely sweet fruity scent.
If you know what rose this is, please drop a line in the comments and let me know!
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 84°F;
- Humidity: 42%;
- Heat Index: 84°F;
- Wind Chill: 84°F;
- Pressure: 29.86 in.;
May
19
Scepter’d Isle
This is another David Austin rose that was introduced in 1996. We actually got this one for Samantha for her third birthday. Now, before you think we are awful parents for getting her a rose instead of toys, just know that she picked it out and really wanted it at the time.
The Scepter’d Isle makes a gorgeous shrub that is very disease resistant. Ours is by the grapevines and Samantha’s garden. It is about 5 foot by 5 foot and is loaded with big pink blossoms in the spring that, to me, have the strong scent of baby powder. It has a big flush of flowers in the spring and then just keeps putting them out about a dozen at a time until another big flush in the fall.
The name comes from Shakespeare’s play “Richard II” amd was named for the organization “Council for the Protection of Rural England”.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 81°F;
- Humidity: 27%;
- Heat Index: 81°F;
- Wind Chill: 81°F;
- Pressure: 30.15 in.;
May
14
The kids gave me a book for Mother’s Day called “The Little Big Book of Roses”. It is a collection of recipes, tips, literary excerpts, facts, lore… a little bit of everything. I love it!
One of the recipes in it is for candied rose petals. Here it is…
Candied Rose Petals
Candied rose petals should be stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place with each layer separated by both wax paper and a paper towel. Moisture is your enemy!
2 Egg whites, beaten
1 Cup granulated sugar
24 Organic rose petals
- Begin by inspecting your rose petals carefully. They should be clean and unblemished.
- Beat egg whites in a shallow bowl until they are frothy.
- Place sugar in a separate shallow bowl.
- Using a clean pastry brush or soft tweezers, gently coat a single rose petal, first in egg white, then in sugar, on both sides.
- Lay each finished rose petal on wax paper and allow to dry.
I can’t wait to try this one! I wish I had had this when I made Samantha’s “Rose Geranium Italian Cream Cake”. I bet they would be great with brandied fruit, sorbet or ice cream also!
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 85°F;
- Humidity: 54%;
- Heat Index: 86°F;
- Wind Chill: 85°F;
- Pressure: 29.96 in.;
May
14
Glowing Peace Rose
Look at this rose! It does almost seem to glow doesn’t it?
The “Glowing Peace” was introduced by Meilland in France in 1999. It is a hybrid tea and won the ‘All-American Rose Selection’ in 2001. This rose is very disease resistant and will grow on a tall bush to about 4 feet. Each 3-inch bloom has about 26 to 42 petals with a light tea fragrance.
I recently had to move mine because of the shade that had grown up around it. Thankfully, it is coming around. I see a lot of new growth finally!
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 85°F;
- Humidity: 54%;
- Heat Index: 86°F;
- Wind Chill: 85°F;
- Pressure: 29.96 in.;
May
05
Red Cascade Rose
This is another one of the many wonderful roses that I got from a gardening friend, Dita. It is called Red Cascade and it is a miniature climbing rose that was introduced in 1976.
The Red Cascade has an ARS rating of 7.1 and it has an excellent rating in my garden! It will stay loaded with tons of blooms all summer long. It doesn’t have any problems with disease or pests at all and seems to do well no matter what conditions we seem to throw at it – drought of flood.
My ONLY complaint about this gorgeous rose is that the blooms have absolutely no smell at all but it is so pretty and care-free that I can forgive it that.
Apr
24
Traviata Rose
This is the Traviata rose. This is another one of the roses that I have gotten from my “Texas Garden Fairies” friend Dita. It is an absolutely gorgeous large flowered hybrid tea rose with a strong fruity smell. It does, however, come equipped with some wicked thorns! That is why it is at the very back of our yard. It has a big flush of blooms in the spring and another in the fall, but it always seems to keep one or two going at all times (except the middle of the winter.)
This rose definitely loves the heat. It is not rated for climates below zone five. Mine is suffering a little bit from black spot this year but is normally very disease resistant. I just treated with corn gluten meal and sprayed it with a baking soda mixture, so it should be coming around soon. This is one of the few roses I still have left to prune (it scares me). The pruning really should have been done in February. Oh well… onward.
Apr
14
Teasing Georgia Rose
This is the ‘Teasing Georgia’ rose. It took us a while to identify it. I got it from another gardening friend that couldn’t remember what she had given me, but we are certain now that it really is the ‘Teasing Georgia’ and NOT a ‘Generous Gardener’.
The ‘Teasing Georgia’ is an English rose introduced by David Austin in 1998. It has an ARS rating of 7.3. This is a very tall rose and has arching canes with flower buds coming off the top, which makes it great for pegging. It is loaded with blooms all season long and has a beautiful scent. Mine was getting so out of hand that I had to prun it way back this year. I hope to get an arbor up sometime soon for it to go over.
Apr
10
Belinda's Dream Rose
This is the rose that began it all. John and the kids gave it to me for Mother’s Day 2005. He asked the lady at Lantana Gardens nursery for a rose that would be easy, beautiful and smell wonderful. She hit the mark on all accounts.
The Belinda’s Dream is a shrub rose that was introduced in 1992. It has now been rated by the ARS (American Rose Society) with an 8.4 rating, which is excellent. Our bush is now approximately 6′ by 6′ and loaded with blooms. It is wider than I thought it would be and I have had to slowly move things out from under it as it takes over. This is a VERY disease resistant rose. The only problem I have with this rose is that the blooms are so numerous and heavy that they can bend the branches all they way to the ground or even break them.
This rose has been designated as both an ‘Earthkind Rose and a Texas Superstar.
