To The Garden We Go

How did the Monkees put it song?  “See Mrs. Gray she's proud today because her roses are in bloom.”

I am a rose fanatic.  I never met a rose that I didn’t like.  I do prefer floribundas and grand floribundas as well as old English varieties over Hybrid teas.  I have planted roses in every place I have been.  I even began a massive rose garden at my parent’s place that got put on hold when my dad died.  So I finally installed the latest varieties at my home.  I put in three pink floribundas called “Our Lady of Guadalupe” (I am comfortable in my Protestant skin), and three yellow floribundas called “Southern Belle”.  These measure a ten on the aromatic scale of the National Rose Society, which is sort of like Johnny Cash wearing black (very cool).  I staggered these beauties every other to give it a pink/yellow/pink/yellow look and planted some English lavender between the plants.  But alas I forgot my pattern, and planted two plants of the same variety together. 

Here is “Our Lady of Guadalupe”

Here is “Southern Belle”

Roses are heavy feeders, but I haven’t applied a lot of fertilizer in this first year.  I did put surface cotton hull compost in the bed, and I spray every two weeks with an organic, foliar feeding.  Roses are notorious for black spot, and with the heavy deluges of rain, I have been fighting that, but so far I am winning that war.