Rose – Green Rose

Class:   China

Date of Introduction:   Before 1856

 

At one of our meetings at the Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society, I won a unique rose, Green Rose. It is an oddity and a conversation piece and people either like it or hate it. It is Viridiflora ‘Rosa Monstrosa’ otherwise known as Green Rose. Records say Green Rose has been in cultivation as early as 1743 and is a sport from Rosa Indica.

 

The Green Rose is a small plant that grows to 3’ tall and has few thorns. It can be grown in a pot, and is rarely out of “blooms”. The buds are small, oval, of soft bluish green color and the “blooms” are usually formed in clusters continually throughout the season and look wonderful. The petals of the bloom reverted back to leaves (petals are modified leaves) and it does not have reproductive organs. As you would expect from an Old Garden Rose, this one is fragrant too. It has a spicy fragrance. But unless you know what you’re looking for, it is hard to find the bud since the bush is totally green.

 

For all the Irish in all of us, we can say we have a green rose, not St. Patrick which only has a tint of green, but a real green rose. Plant it and you might like it. It is a wonderful rose to use as a filler material in arrangements or as a landscape rose. But I’m sure some visitors to your garden will undoubtedly say “That’s not a rose!  You got to be kidding!!”

 

Tip #20 – Teach your children the value of money and the importance of saving.

 

Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses.

Rosalinda R Morgan

Author & Garden Writer

 

 

Rose:   Fourth of July

Class:   Climber

Date of Introduction:   1999

Parentage:   R. ‘Roller Coaster’ x R. ‘Altissimo’.

 

 

“Fourth of July” rose has semi-double blooms with white petals boldly striped and splashed with dark, velvety red arranged around an attractive cluster of golden stamens. This gorgeous ruffled petaled climber that looks like a burst of fireworks when in bloom has long, pointed buds and 3″ and 4″ blooms with striped red and white petals and very healthy glossy, dark green foliage. It is a vigorous climber and can grow 10 to 14 ft. high.

 

“Fourth of July” is the first climber to be honored as an All-America Rose Selection (AARS) winner for a long time in 1999. I planted mine next to a palm tree hoping it would climb the palm tree but the canes were growing away from the tree reaching for the sun so I pegged the long cane. Pegging or bending the cane down and pegging it to the ground encourages more lateral stems and more blooms. I planned to dig it up and move it next to the pillar supporting my front terrace and train it to climb the pillar. That somehow never happened and I ended up putting it in a pot next to the wall.

 

“Fourth of July” has strong apple fragrance, a very refreshing scent. Color is dramatic. It is a stunning plant, a real traffic stopper. It is an excellent repeat blooming rose with sensational flowers all season long. It is the best climber around winning awards at rose show around the country.  You can plant it attached to an arch, pergola or trellis for a stunning display of colorful blooms.  Some gardeners use it as a shrub in the entranceway to the garden.  To grow it as a shrub, prune them heavily in the spring.

 

Best grown in medium moisture, slightly acidic, well-drained garden loams in full sun to part shade. Water deeply and regularly (mornings are best). Good air circulation is important because it promotes vigorous and healthy growth and helps prevent diseases. Summer mulch helps retain moisture, keeps roots cool and discourages weeds. Remove spent flowers to encourage rebloom.  Remove and destroy diseased leaves from plants, as practicable, and clean up and destroy dead leaves from the ground around the plants both during the growing season and as part of winterizing your roses in late fall.  It is very disease resistant and winter hardy.  Few roses can command attention like “Fourth of July”. It only has 10-16 petals but when “Fourth of July” is in bloom, it is quite a show like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

 

Fourth of July is a special day for our country. We celebrate our freedom that we cherish and that our veterans fought and died heroically and some are still fighting to preserve what we enjoy today. Won’t it be nice to honor our country by having “Fourth of July” rose in our garden? As a gardener, I designed my front garden in the theme of Red, White and Blue. I have white alyssum, blue pansies and red roses including “Fourth of July”.

 

 

A RED, WHITE & BLUE GARDEN

 

Tip #19 – Spend more time with family and friends rather than spend too much time at the office. No one looks back from their deathbed and wishes they spent more time at the office but they do wish they spent more time with family and friends.

 

Enjoy Fourth of July with your family and friends.

Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses.

Rosalinda R Morgan

Author & Garden Writer

 

 

 

Photo Courtesy of Matthew Kyaw of Rose Gardening World

 

Rose:   Falling in Love

Class:   Hybrid Tea

Date of Introduction:   2006

Parentage:   ‘Moonstone’ x ‘Marilyn Monroe’

Hybridizer:   Tom Carruth, 2006

Registration Name: Wekmoomar

 

Falling in Love is a pink blend Hybrid Tea and introduced in the United States by Weeks Roses in 2007. It won the James Alexander Gamble Fragrance Medal from the American Rose Society in 2012. It has a strong, fruity fragrance.

 

This warm pink rose with porcelain white reverse hybrid tea is a bushy, upright and very vigorous with large, semi-glossy, dark green foliage and armed with sharp, large thorns/prickles. Most likely, it will be the thorniest rose in your garden. Use caution when pruning. Bloom size is large, about 4.75” in diameter, full and borne mostly single to a stem. The blooms last a long time and so are good for cutting and bringing in the house. Blooms in flushes throughout the season.

Tip #18 – Be careful when choosing your life’s partner. Ninety percent of your happiness or misery will come from this one fateful decision.

Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses

Rosalinda R Morgan

Author & Garden Writer

 

 

Rose:   Firefighter

Class:   Hybrid Tea

Date of Introduction:   2004

Parentage:   ‘Lasting Love’ x ‘Hidalgo’

Hybridizer:   Orard, 1999

 

Firefighter is a beautiful dark red hybrid tea which is the first of the nine roses to be named for the Remember Me Rose Gardens to honor the 343 firefighters who died on September 11, 2001 while trying to save lives in the World Trade Center. Firefighter also honors those men and women who risk their lives daily to protect ours.

 

Firefighter is a tall hybrid tea about 5-6 ft. tall with a perfect flower form, about 4-6 inches and disease resistant. Petal count is about 40-45 and has a very strong fragrance. Firefighter won the City of Portland Gold Medal Award for 2007. I planted two Firefighter rose bushes, one on each side of my walkway and when they are in bloom, you can smell the sweet fragrance as you walk by.

 

To honor and pay tribute to all the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, an organization was formed by Sue Casey of Portland, Oregon to create three rose gardens on or near the sites of the terrorist attacks in New York, at the Pentagon and at a field in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County in Pennsylvania.

 

Tip #17 – Stand up for yourself. Old people don’t take crap from anyone and neither should you.

 

Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses

Rosalinda R Morgan

Author & Garden Writer

Rose:   Carefree Wonder

Class:   Shrub

Date of Introduction:   1990

Parentage:   (‘Prairie Princess’ x ‘Nirvana’) x (‘Eyepaint’ x ‘Rustica’}

Hybridizer:   Meilland, France

 

This compact, repeat flowering shrub rose bears a profusion of double pink blooms with white reverse. At the first flush in early June, the plant is covered with blooms. The pink bloom is medium size, has 26 petals and has a slight fragrance. It has a white center with yellow stamens. They come singly or in clusters followed by dull red hips. The leaves are small, glossy, deep green and resistant to disease. The plant is low growing reaching a height of 3 ft. It can bloom continuously until winter. I had two plants in my previous garden, both planted at either side of the parterre. Carefree Wonder is an All-America Rose Selection in 1991.

 

Tip #16 – Focus on solution – some people always look for problem in any situation. Do the opposite.

 

Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses

Rosalinda R Morgan

Author & Garden Writer

 

 

Rose Photo Courtesy of Jan Haught Bingham, member of Rose Gardening World.

 

Fragrant Cloud

Registered Name – TANellis

Syns. Duftwolke, Nuage Parfume

Tantau, Germany, 1967

Seedling x ‘Prima Ballerina’

 

Fragrant Cloud rose has extremely fragrant blooms and constantly winning at rose shows across the country for its fragrance. The flowers are an unusual coral-red maturing to geranium red with 30 petals and exhibition-style blooms. The high-centered blooms are borne mostly singly, averaging 5” in diameter on a vigorous upright plant of 3-5 ft in height and 2 ft in width. The large foliage is a rich, glossy dark green on a vigorous bush that is very prolific. I had Fragrant Cloud rose in my first garden in the early ‘70s and then again it was one of the first roses that were planted when we bought our next home in the ‘80s. After 30 years, it was still there when we left.

Fragrant Cloud rose is an excellent rose for bedding and for borders and cut flower. It is very susceptible to mildew in autumn and black spot during damp weather. In spite of those problems, it still remains as one of the most popular roses in the market because of its intense fragrance. There is a climbing Fragrant Cloud propagated by Collin & Sons in England in 1973. It also has that unique coral-red bloom on the long canes, covered with dark, reddish green foliage. The climbing version can reach a height of 12 ft. Fragrant Cloud climbing rose can produce very fragrant blooms during the summer only.

Fragrant Cloud rose has won the National Rose Society President’s International Trophy in 1964, Portland Gold Medal in 1966, James Alexander Gamble for Fragrance Award in 1970 and World Favorite Rose in 1981 and still winning awards today for fragrance.

 

Tip #15 – Learn to disagree without being disagreeable.

 

Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses

Rosalinda R Morgan

Author & Garden Writer

 

 

 

MEMORIAL DAY ROSE

Hybridizer – Tom Carruth

Parentage: ‘Blueberry Hill’ x ‘New Zealand’

Introduced by Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower, Upland, CA

 

What better way to celebrate Memorial Day than with a rose called Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a beautiful hybrid tea rose with orchid pink blossoms. Pointed oval buds unfurl into very large, ruffled blooms about 5-6 inches across with more than 50 petals count on long stems with very little prickles. It has a strong old rose fragrance that only one bloom is needed to perfume an entire room with intense strong damask scent. The growth habit is upright and bushy, growing to medium to tall in height, about five feet tall and four feet wide. Foliage is bright green and clean on a continuous blooming plant.

 

Memorial Day was an All-America Rose Selections winner in 2004. Memorial Day is Weeks Roses’ hybridizer, Tom Carruth’s fifth AARS winner. Disease resistance is very good and the plant especially enjoys hot summer weather and produces darker blooms as the weather cools off in the fall.

 

To remember those who served, plant and dedicate a beautiful Memorial Day hybrid tea for them.

 

Tip # 14 – Stop imitating someone to impress people. They will find out later who you really are. Be yourself.

 

Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses

Rosalinda R Morgan

Author & Garden Writer

 

 

Rose:   The McCartney Rose

Class:   Hybrid Tea

Date of Introduction:   1995

Parentage:   (‘Nirvana’ x ‘Papa Meilland’) x ‘First Prize’

Hybridizer – Meilland, France, 1991

 

This heavily scented rose was originally named for Paul McCartney of “The Beatles” but Paul wanted it to be named in honor of his entire family whose favourite flower is the Rose.

 

The bloom is a very deep pink, starts high centered and then cupped as they mature. The blooms repeat very well all through the summer and into autumn. Its petal count is about 40. It has very dark, large and glossy leaves. It is a very vigorous plant and tall – reaching about 6- 7 ft. If left untamed, it will encroach on the neighboring plant – the canes will grow sideways. The best place to grow it is in the corner of a bed where it can have more elbow room. I have two “The McCartney Rose” in my previous garden and they were very healthy.

 

“The McCartney Rose” has a strong fragrance and has garnered so many awards:

• Bagatelle Fragrance Prize 1988
• Geneva Gold Medal 1988
• Le Roeuix Gold Medal and Fragrance Prize 1988
• Madrid Fragrance Prize 1988
• Monza Gold Medal and Fragrance Prize 1988
• Paris Gold Medal 1988
• Belfast Fragrance Prize 1993
• Durbanville Fragrance Prize 1993
• Paris Fragrance Prize 1993

 

Tip #13 – When you find yourself getting worked into a tizzy over something you know to be easy, back off, turn around, breathe, calm down or do nothing.

 

Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses

Rosalinda R Morgan

Author & Garden Writer

Rose:   Dick Clark

Class:   Grandiflora

Date of Introduction:   2009

Parentage:   ‘Fourth of July’ x unknown

Introduced by:   Weeks Roses

The American Rose Society Members’ Choice Award honors a rose receiving one of the highest national garden ratings in the annual Roses in Review survey, one that is widely grown, and one that does well in most parts of the country. ‘Dick Clark’ won the 2015 ARS Members’ Choice award.

‘Dick Clark’, a red blend grandiflora, hybridized in 2009 by Tom Carruth & Christian Bedard has white flowers with a cherry pink edges blushing to all dark red. Blooms are 4-5 inches, borne mostly singly on long cutting stems with large, very clean, dark green, glossy foliage. It has moderate cinnamon fragrance. Prickles are almost straight, moderate, and golden tan. It is easy to grow, broadly rounded and the bushy plants have great vigor, disease resistance and quick repeat. It’s a great garden plant. ‘Dick Clark’ is an award winner: AllAmerican Rose Selection 2011 and Rose Hills Rose Trials Gold Medal HT 2012. The 2014 Roses in Review gives it a garden rating of 7.8 and a show rating of 7.5.

Tip #12 – Live a really authentic life.

 

Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses

Rosalinda R Morgan

Author & Garden Writer

Rose:   Cinco de Mayo

Class:   Floribunda

Date of Introduction:   2009

Hybridizer:   Tom Carruth

Parentage:   “Topsy Turvy” x “Julia Child”

 

A unique floribunda with indescribable coloration, “Cinco de Mayo” was honored with the American Rose Society Member’s Choice Award for 2011 which was awarded to a rose with the highest garden rating in the Roses in Review, a survey among the members of the ARS.  “Cinco de Mayo” is also an AARS Winner in 2009.  What is so remarkable about this rose is the unique color of smokey lavender and rusty red-orange.  It gets smokier when the temperature is cool.  Some called it russet but whatever you call it, it is different and striking in the garden among other plants.  The flowers come in large clusters and continue blooming throughout the season.  Bloom size is large and ruffled, about 25 petals with mild sweet apple scent.  The foliage is medium, dark green semi-glossy on a clean growth that is bushy; rounded and of medium height.

This seedling of Julia Child is a novel welcome to any garden for its unique color, floriferousness and excellent disease resistance.  What more can you ask for in a rose?

 

Tip #11 – Evaluate yourself by your own standard, not by someone else’s.

 

Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses

Rosalinda R Morgan

Author & Garden Writer

Rose:   Mme Plantier

Class:   Alba

Date of Introduction:   1835

Fragrant:   Yes

Hybridizer: Plantier

 

Mme Plantier was introduced by Plantier in 1835 after his wife and for that reason you can only assume that it is his best shot.  Parentage is unknown and the consensus is it is an alba/moschata cross.  The buds are creamy white with a tinge of pink on the outside which then disappear as the flowers open into pure white, cupped, flat and multi-petaled blooms with a green button eye.  Foliage is very healthy, light green at first, then turns into olive green.  It forms a mounding shrub, has a very lax habit and can grow up to 20 ft into an open tree.  It has arching canes, almost thornless and can spread to 12 ft across.

I planted Mme Plantier on the west side of my front porch and this bush has grown so big.  I trim it every two years and it grows more vigorous year after year.  Few years ago, I decided to tie the plant to the railing of my front porch.  It is the only way I can control its growth and keep the plant upright.  It is so huge that in early May, it covers half the width of my driveway.  It is even winding its canes into the wicker of the porch furniture.  When it is in bloom, the bush is covered with thousands of 2” white blooms.  The fragrance is so strong that you can smell it from a distance.

Mme Plantier only blooms once and when they do, they bloom their hearts out.  It’s a very disease-resistant plant, does not get blackspot, does not need spraying and Japanese beetles do not bother it since they arrive when Mme Plantier has finished blooming.  If you want a fragrant rose, try Mme Plantier.  You will not be disappointed.

 

Tip #10 – Set specific goals. You need to be very clear about what you want to achieve and work hard to achieve it.

 

Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses

Rosalinda R Morgan

Author & Garden Writer

 

 

Rose:   Hot Princess

Class:   Hybrid Tea

Date of Introduction:   2000

Fragrant:   Yes

Hybridizer:   Hans Jurgen Evers

Hot Princess rose is a very rich deep pink Hybrid Tea hybridized by Hans Jurgen Evers and introduced by Rosen-Tantau/Tantau Roses of Germany in 2000. The blooms are hot pink, exhibition form, high-centered borne mostly singly on long stems. The petal substance is so thick, it can withstand an occasional hot weather though it fares better in early spring and fall. It blooms in flushes throughout the season. Foliage is dark green, shiny and leathery.

 

Hot Princess rose is a tall plant, can grow 4’-6’ ft and bushy, very vigorous usually sending up a basal or two every year. It is an excellent garden rose and florists love them too for its perfect form and long stems. Hot Princess rose has slight fragrance.

 

Hot Princess rose is a must have for rose show exhibitors. It has everything a top exhibitor could wish for – its deep pink blooms with lovely spiral centers on long stems.  The color of the blooms is stunning.   Hot Princess rose has won plenty of Queens of Show awards. Hot Princess rose is an excellent candidate for most sought after “Queen of Show” and is now ranked among the top 10 in the nation’s show roses.

 

 

Tip #9 – Start small, proceed at a comfortable pace and do a really thorough job of organizing.

 

 

Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses

Rosalinda R Morgan

Author & Garden Writer