My Roses in Bloom
I love this time of year when I can walk through my flower gardens and see all the wonderful blooms. Everything looks so amazing this season, especially the roses.
As many of you know, I adore roses and have grown them for more than 25-years. Many of the rose cultivars growing at my Bedford, New York farm were transplanted from the gardens at Lily Pond, my former home in East Hampton. Here in Bedford, I have a large collection planted along both sides of my lilac allée and a newer rose bed planted behind my main greenhouse, but most of the roses are in the perennial flower cutting garden and they're thriving.
Here are some photos, enjoy. And remember to stream "Martha Gardens" - it's free on The Roku Channel. In my latest episode, I share lots of tips for planning and planting a beautiful garden of roses.
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- At my farm, I have thousands of roses growing in my perennial flower garden. Most are climbing on all four of the garden fence sides, while some varieties fill obelisk trellises in the center. All the roses are so beautiful this year.
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- A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae. There are more than a hundred species and thousands of cultivars.
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- Rose stems are often armed with sharp prickles – they aren’t thorns at all. Unlike a thorn, a prickle can be easily broken off the plant because it is really a feature of the outer layers rather than part of the wood, like a thorn.
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- Roses have alternate leaves, which vary from simple to trifoliate, palmate, or pinnate. The whole leaves or smaller leaflets are frequently more or less oval-shaped with serrated edges.
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- Many of my roses are old fashioned and antique varieties. They include: ‘Alchymist’, ‘Boule de Neige’, ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’, ‘Charles de Mills’, ‘Constance Spry’, ‘Dainty Bess’, ‘Pierre de Ronsard’, ‘Ferdinand Pichard’, Konigin von Danemark’, Louise Odier’, Madame Alfred Carriere’, ‘the Reeve’, ‘Pearlie Mae’, and ‘Sweet Juliet’.
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- Over the years, I’ve also added ‘Night Owl’, Poseidon’, ‘Quick Silver’, ‘Colette’, ‘Cecile Brunner’, ‘Ebb Tide’, ‘Jeannie Lajoie’, Lykkefund’, ‘Veilchenblau’, and ‘Geschwind’s Most Beautiful’.
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- I also have a selection from David Austin – ‘Abraham Darby’, Graham Thomas’, ‘Heritage’, ‘Lady of Shallot’, ‘Golden Celebration’, ‘Snow Goose’, ‘St. Swithun’, ‘Benjamin Britten’, ‘Brother Cadfael’, ‘James Galway’, ’Teasing Georgia’, ‘The Generous Gardener’, ‘Wolverton Old Hall’, ‘Malvern Hills’, and ‘Jude the Obscure’.
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- Roses come in many different colors, such as pink, peach, white, red, magenta, yellow, copper, vermilion, purple, and apricot.
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- When selecting a location, plant roses in a sunny spot with good drainage. Fertilize them regularly and water them evenly to keep the soil moist.
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- The flowers of most rose species have at least five petals. Each petal is divided into two distinct lobes and is usually white or pink.
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- Rose plants range in size from compact, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach several feet in height.
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- Climbers always do best when well supported by a trellis or fence – one that is the appropriate height, width, and strength for the climber. And always consider plants at maturity. The support should be strong enough to hold the weight of a full-grown rose plant in both wet and windy weather.
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- When watering roses, give them the equivalent to one-inch of rainfall per week during the growing season. Water at the soil level to avoid getting the foliage wet. Wet leaves encourage diseases such as black spot and powdery mildew.
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- This rose is a lovely white variety. It has full-petalled, rosette-shaped flowers with a button eye and a strong fragrance.
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- And here is one in pink. The best way to prevent rose diseases is to choose disease-resistant varieties. Many roses are bred and selected to resist the most common rose problems.
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- Rose bushes need six to eight hours of sunlight daily. In hot climates, roses do best when they are protected from the hot afternoon sun. In cold climates, planting a rose bush next to a south or west-facing fence or wall can help minimize winter freeze damage.
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- Here are two smaller roses in soft light pink.
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- The flat bloom is just as it sounds, with petals generally flaring out.
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- I also have a large collection planted along both sides of my lilac allée, just past my chicken coops and vegetable garden. During late spring and summer, this area is filled with various shades of pink, fragrant rose blooms.
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- Single blooms are fully opened and almost flat, consisting of one to seven petals per bloom.
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- Some blooms are very interesting. This is the swirled ‘Variegata di Bologna’ with its large, cupped flowers and petals of creamy white cleanly striped with purple crimson. It is one of the most striking of the striped roses providing a fantastic display in any garden.
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- This light pink rose is opening perfectly.
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- To produce an impressive show of flowers, always use nutrient-rich compost, composted manure, and other organic and natural fertilizers, such as fish emulsion. Organic amendments also help to encourage beneficial soil microbes and a well-balanced soil pH.
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- I am just so pleased with how well all the roses are doing, especially this year – they all look amazing.
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- And here is just the first of many rose arrangements I’ll enjoy in my home this year. Different shades of beautiful pink. Don’t forget to watch “Martha Gardens” exclusively on The Roku Channel for lots of useful information and tips for growing roses. It’s available to stream right now!
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