Yesterday afternoon, my friend Sheila came by for a visit. She was the first live visitor since the beginning of the Pandemic. I served lemonade with ice and sliced strawberries on the courtyard . . .

. . . and we talked about gardens — what else, with mine spread out behind us? Here a rhododendron is coming into full bloom.

She and her husband are incorporating more perennials and roses into their back yard landscape. I steered her to peonies and the Old Roses for their stability and endurance in our harsh winters, such as the Rose of Castile, r. damasceno bifera. Cicero’s favorite at his villa on the Via Appia, it’s my oldest rose, dated c. 50 B.C.E.

Next is the “Red Rose of Lancaster,” a gallica dated c. 1370, sometimes referred to as the apothecary’s rose, r. gallica officianalis. This red rose was first adopted as a heraldic badge by John of Gaunt, first Duke of Lancaster and father of King Henry IV, the first Lancastrian king. I grow this cultivar in my herb garden in honor of my English ancestors who were loyal Lancastrians in the Wars of the Roses.

A couple of French roses round out my old rose collection, one of which is also part of the herb garden, the Empress Josephine. This cultivar is descended from a pink gallica stock at Malmaison, dated prior to 1815, and developed by David Austin.

The second French rose in my garden (in a separate location) is “Queen of the Bourbons.” Bred by Mauget (France, 1834), it is considered one of the heirloom roses. When in full bloom, the bush is covered with rounded pink cups packed with 26-40 petals.

These are a few of my favorite May bloomers showcased in this week’s “Six on Saturday.” Only the rhododendron is in full bloom, but all the roses have sprouted buds, some showing color already. Next week, I’ll feature the Old-Fashioned roses. Be sure to tune in then!
Just lovely Jo! Love the pinks.
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Pinks with lavenders and blues comprise my favorite garden dues, Joni. Maybe that’s because my childhood gardens had pinks and purples — pink roses and purple azaleas — and multiple colors of petunias.
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What beautiful flowers, i love roses
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Thank you! I do, too.
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About the growing roses in wine boxes….do you just cut off the top of the box and make a drainage hole then fill with soil? What is it about the wine box that makes it different from just using any old cardboard box? Curious!
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Did I mention wine boxes in my post? Sorry — I grow my roses directly in garden soil well amended with compost and nutrients. The oldest roses were delivered in boxes, one bush per box, with instructions to soak in cool water, then to cut away the cardboard from the bottom and position in the prepared planting hole. Of course, that was some 35 years or so ago. The newer varieties were in black plastic nursery containers, and I just dumped them out very gently before planting.
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Queen of the Bourbons – sublime!
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Lovely to meet another old rose fan, even if you are a red rose Lancastrian! I am white rose Yorkshire woman, but married to a Lancastrian, so I am broad minded. Lovely roses, I can’t wait for mine to bloom.
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Beautiful pictures! Love your rose pictures, will stay tuned for next week!
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I would love to visit your garden, Jo. Gorgeous!
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