"A profusion of pink roses bending ragged in the rain speaks to me of all gentleness and its enduring".
William Cullen Bryant
That is certainly a beautiful quote but the truth is Roses don't like to be in the rain for a long time...I know this from bitter experience. This winter was extremly rainy and warm, then spring began with yet more rain and warmer days: the recipe for Rose disaster... rose rust, blackspot, powdery mildew and the most feared disease: Rose dieback.... I had to cut some roses to the ground because their stems turned black from the tip and the blackness almost reached the trunk.. I hope they survive but usually they don't. Growing roses in this climate is like tilting at windmills... a mug's game I can't win I have been trying to stablish a rose garden for more than 20 years and I still face the same failure every year..most of the time my roses look like a bunch of thorny branches with a few diseased leaves holding on for dear life, It's not that I am doing something bad or I ignore some trick because all roses in all gardens in this area look very bad (it's the climate stupid!) I should give up on them but I love roses too much! ¿why is it so hard to accept the limitations of the climate? I confess I live in severe zone denial. English and German books were my introduction to Gardening and defined my taste; I looked to English and Germans gardens as models of what my small suburban garden in central East Argentina should look like. I was defeated before I even began! please excuse my rant but I have this frustration gnawing at my gardener heart right now and needed to vent and clear it out ! Now some pictures of the survivors...
Honoré de Balzac, gorgeous with lovely perfume
Unidentified yellow Rose
Ena Harkness, very pretty but has a weak neck and blooms often hang down
Charles Aznavour
I was told that this hot pink might be Electron,, she is one of the toughest roses in my garden and withstand humid conditions and diseases better than others.
Unidentified rose
Unidentified rose (it turns orange after some days)
¿Electron? Since she is so resistant I have many of them, her cuttings root very easily.
Unidentified rose
Unidentified rose
Unidentified once-blooming climbing rose
Undentified rose (I was told she might be Landora)
Parure d'Or.. one of my all time favourites: lovely color, great fragrance and overall good resistance to almost all diseases.
Unidentified rose
Unidentified yellow climber rose
¿Electron? Again
Parure d'Or again
Unidentified rose
Unidentified rose.. a sentimental favourit of mine, the oldest rose in my garden, She's been with me for 22 years, very tough and never gets sick. My grandfather planted it, I love it so much.
Tourmaline, very pretty
Unidentified climbing rose, I call her granny's rose since she came from her house
Unidentified rose, another tough lady: she never gets sick.
Parure d'Or and unidentified rose
Unidentified yellow rose
yes it's ¿Electron? again..
Unidentified rose..
Eminence
Unidentified rose..I was told she might be "Kabuki" her tips turn orange after some days.
Tourmaline again
Eminence fully open
Climber Peace, I love her so much!
Snow Queen .. a well choosen name! she literally melts in the sun, the flower gets scorched very quickly.
My grandpa's rose again
Unidentified yellow rose
Bonica 82 a though Lady, she never gets sick
Parure D'or ... her flowers often look somewhat untidy
Undentified red rose, shy bloomer.
See you next time!
Wow, MDN, you have so many nice roses! I also heard that Bonica 82 is a very good rose.
ResponderEliminarHello Sigrid!Bonica 82 is one of the best cultivars, free blooming, beautiful and disease resistant.
EliminarAfter your introduction, I was prepared to see a few sad roses but instead was treated to an explosion of glorious blooms. Congratulations on such delightful success with roses in your climate. Your roses are spectacular MDN!
ResponderEliminarHello Peter! Well, these roses may look pretty but the truth is there are 60 or so rosebushes in my garden and only the ones in these pictures have good looking blooms, not a complete succes but I a stubborn gardener! Have a wonderful day!
EliminarDear MDN, I'm so sorry your roses have diseases, it's a great problem in your climate. What to do? May be 3 steps:
ResponderEliminar1. to grow roses in big tubs and move them if the weather gets rainy
2. to built a Conservatory and plant there your favorite and weak varieties
3. to choose the hardy roses (as Bonica and climbers) and throw away all others
I decided to do the last one and plant only hardy to our climate roses, no tea hybrids, no floribunda
Dear Nadezda thanks for your suggestions! I move under some of my potted roses and succulents under the porch when it rains too much, my garden has no room for more roses, there are 60 or so planted in the ground and some more in containers, all sunny spots in my garden are occupied by roses, I love them with a passion but sadly the fanciest varieties most hybrid teas and floribundas dislike the warm humid conditions of the local climate. There are some varieties that withstand the climate well like Bonica 82 or Parure D'or and climber like Zephiryne Drouhin but I want a big variety of colors and shapes in my roses...I should grow Hibiscus instead of roses but I am not ready to give up on them as I did with other temperate climate beloved plants like Tulips and Peonies. Have a nice Friday!
EliminarYou have a glorious collection of roses, MDN, despite the trials and tribulations of your climate. I love that unidentified rose from your grandfather. We all fight against the limits Mother Nature tries to impose - that fight comes with the genes that make us gardeners I think.
ResponderEliminarThanks Kris! The truth is these roses are a meager crop if I consider the number of rosebushes in the garden but I am ready to give up on Roses yet. I think I should move south where cold winters and mild summers would allow me to have the english style garden of my dreams... maybe one day!
EliminarThey do look happy, and plenty to pick for vases too.
ResponderEliminarHello Diana! There was a storm last night and the wind broke many branches of the roses, I cut the flowers and put them in vases. Thanks for visiting!
EliminarHi MDN! I hope next winter won't be so wet and your great rose collection will be safe!
ResponderEliminarI don't have many roses. They grow far from each other and have good air circulation around them. It helps to keep them healthy.
I love the great variety of your roses. Wow!!!
Hello Tatyana! It rained again last night, big thunderstorm and some roses got their branches broken. This area in central east Argentina is always humid and rainy but this year is being especially wet! The summer heat will temper the humidity by means of evaporation and diseases on roses will subside but then I have another problem: harsh sun scorching the flowers.
EliminarOh my, you have so many different roses MDN, all so very beautiful! I too love your oldest unamed pink rose.
ResponderEliminarEnjoy your blooms and your weekend :)
Prunella, thanks for visiting! I love roses with a passion I only wish the climate were more conducive to grow them! Have a wonderful week!
EliminarLindas as Rosas.
ResponderEliminarjanicce.