Everything's Coming Up Roses, Part One

'Crepuscule' (1904), front arbor;
Click to view in all her glory

My blog post for yesterday's blog hop generated a lot of comments about my garden.  I grow over 200 varieties of roses, from merely 'old' to truly ancient.  I grow some roses that predate Christianity.  I love everything about them, but mostly their rich history.  They have stories.  And they smell really really REALLY good.  :-)

It's early yet for garden pics, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite rose garden photos, this time looking at it through my artist's eye. Inspiration strikes when it chooses, but it certainly helps to invite it in.  

I've posted my reference diagram for those who like this sort of thing. Most of these photos were taken in June of 2009, with a few from 2007. There have been a few changes since then; roses added, some deaths, some moved, but the overall effect is the same.  When first flush (May - July) is on you can smell my garden from blocks away, and everybody under the sun walks their dogs past my house.  I feel honored every time someone stops to smell the roses.

In the interest of loading times, I am splitting this tour into two blog posts - Front and Back.

We begin in the front, including the front parking strip and corner and down the sides - in short, everything that is outside of the fenced back yard.

Largely accurate, with a few additions, deaths and relocations.
I really need to update this.

The best shot I have, although it is older, before the new paint.
Those upper windows are my workroom.

From the kitty-corner neighbor's yard

Down the side; that second story window is our bedroom

'Mutabilis' dominates the corner

Closeup of 'Mutabilis', aka 'The Butterfly Rose'.

'Aloha' and 'Abraham Darby' against the front porch

'Aloha' & 'Abraham Darby' against porch; 'Golden Wings' front R.
The red was in a pot; I think it is 'Zulu Queen'.

Between the house and the front sidewalk, left side.
'Graham Thomas' (yellow), with 'Coupe d'Hebe' (pink) to the right

Front parking strip; 'Pat Austin'

Between front porch and sidewalk

To the left of the front steps; 'Eden' (aka 'Pierre de Ronsard')

Front arbor; 'Crepuscule' (foreground) & 'Jaune Desprez'

 

Front arbor: 'Crepuscule' on left, 'Jaune Desprez' on the right.

Front parking strip, Golden Chain tree in full bloom

Golden Chain tree

Headed down the side - the pink rose is 'Bewitched'

The side patch in 2005 - the red climber is 'Don Juan'

The same bed in 2009.  Yikes!!!

The pink rose is 'Zepherine Drouhin'

An old musk rose propagated from a cutting I snitched from
a historical garden in Port Townsend, WA (The Rothschild House).

'Roseraie de l'Hay', my most ambitious rose rescue to date.  It's a great story and I took lots of photos; perhaps I'll blog about it one day.

My next blog post, in a day or two, will be of the back garden retreat.  We eat out there as often as not during the summer; food and wine are even better when enveloped in the heady aroma of heirloom roses.

Until next time,

Robin Delargy

LooLoos Box