"Rescue' Roses

All of a sudden I have a slew of 'Rescue' potted plants, picked up at some estate sales. 'Mystery' roses, unmarked, and without blooms, for the most part. Will be interesting to see what they turn out to be. One was marked Brandy, and one has a new bloom, it's quite definitely Fourth Of July. They were very dry, and are responding happily to being watered.

There were two Dahlias, one white, one unknown color.

Along with these are a bunch of nice terracotta planters, various sizes, and a super bargain.

Previous 'Rescues' include a white, and a red hydrangea.

They're currently lining the sidewalk, as I get ready to install sod, and then decide what I am doing with plantings.

New plants in the sideyard

Last summer we cleared out all the overgrown berries, Ivy, Clematis, and Jasmine, stripped it all back, even hacking a rhododendron. Started over, basically.

Decided on Hydrangeas as the big structural elements, one blue Endless Summer, one Shooting Star, one Incrediball. Tucked in some white roses, dailyness, dwarf Agapanthus, Sweet Woodruff, Baby's Tears - and some volunteer nasturtiums... keep on it, weeding-wise, nipping blackberries in the bud.

It's looking pretty good. DESPITE the drought, lack of rain. The Shooting Star is blooming like crazy, so are the roses, the Incrediball died back over the winter, but is growing back strong right now.

Further down, its Foxgloves and Hollyhocks, some red daisies, and underplantings with some color. The Foxgloves are blooming, Hollyhocks are growing strong. Added some purple poppies, the BIG kind, today, they're just about to bloom, and will hopefully reseed.

On the other side, a white 'Hawk's head' fuchsia, in the ground, not a planter, in the shadier part, under the tree, next to the fragrant white Rhody. So far, looking perfect. The Hydrangeas will fill in and create a privacy screen.

Debating a second Shooting Star under the tree near the sidewalk entry to the back yard

There's the layout BEFORE the original plantings. Since we stripped it back, pretty much what I started with this time.

Still a bit of work to go, the east side of the sidewalk and the northern end, where there still an evergreen Clematis sending out shoots, some Jasmine, and the Climbing Iceberg is alive and blooming, having survived all this neglect and overgrowth.

The gate needs to be redone... and where was I going with this? Well, fuchsias...Besides the planted Heron's Beak, I had some potted, colored ones...they're on their deathbeds, and one was quite spectacular when I bought it last year. Can they be rejuvenated? I've been looking up how to care for them...

UPDATE 6/27/16: Everything has survived, the roses are blooming, the hydrangeas are blooming, or getting ready to bloom, the rhododendrons are lush and bloomed earlier (the white fragrant one is A-MAZING!), sweet woodruff and baby's tears are filling in the ground. The Shooting Star Hydrangea is PERFECTION. Had to tend to some upstart blackberries trying to re-take the area, but it was an easy weeding job. Progress.

Brand New for 2015: "Icecap" Rose

◼ Rosa‘Meiradena’ PPTBS
Icecap™ displays a dense flush of pure white flowers on a compact, rounded shrub. Excellent repeat-blooming and resistance to many common rose diseases such as black spot, mildew and rust is observed. It has been one of the most consistent performers in our independent trials conducted at trial sites around the country. Icecap™ is the first introduction created from the combined breeding efforts of Will Radler and Meilland International....

Just got one - PROFUSE blooms! Really pretty! No scent to speak of, so far. There were three, side by side, at the nursery - head turning. You have to get one, or two, or three!

◼ link - Cuplike flower form with 25 petals, Very disease resistant, little to no scent, grown on its own root, suitable for mass planting

Clearing

It's deceptive. You can see some of the 'clearing in progress' tools in the background.

Roses

John F. Kennedy. (J&P?) Catalog says it has the strongest fragrance of any white rose - the flourishing scent of fresh fruit, the soft vanilla hues and the play of greens. It's pretty hard to mistake this rose for any other, with its hourglass form, sculpted ivory petals and the way it unfolds as gracefully as a good story, the effect is classic elegance.



Blooms 5-6" (and they weren't kidding, the roses are HUGE!) I bought this January 24, 1998. It's planted by the front window, very healthy, huge blooms, great scent - a definite FAVORITE. I'm thinking a few more in the back yard are in order. If cuttings of this one are as successful as Madame Leonie, it will be great.

(Note: Some online forum discussions question how JFK Rose does, with varied reports. Mine flourishes, tall, at least 6 feet, blooms reliably, huge creamy white blooms, great fragrance, has tolerated this coastal air, fog, cooler temps. Enough that I'm looking for another 1 or 2, and will also propagate by cuttings)

Albertine is another great rambler, planted starts from a friend, always puts on a good show. I still like Madame Leonie better, but Albertine blooms longer and more often.

The Equinox Rose

I call it the Equinox Rose.
Photo source

But it's real name is Souvenir de Madame Leonie Viennot. And it blooms like crazy in late May every year. I took cuttings and it roots like crazy, too, and covers a fence in no time. Absolutely one of the best of all time.Maybe the scent varies by region, I would define it as delicately TEA scented.

It's an Heirloom Tea Rose...Loose tea rose-shaped fragrant flowers are pale yellow shaded with coppery pink. Honey scented flowers cover the entire plant in wild profusion... a vigorous hardy grower...12'-20'...immense flowers of grapefruit pink and gold, such a spectacle in bloom I have heard people say they would give anything to possess it...essentially a once bloomer, occasional rebloom, outstanding fragrance...

Mme Leonie Viennot was the wife of a small breeder, with only one rose credited to his name, a Hybrid Perpetual, Maréchal Vaillant, which he produced in collaboration with Jamain in 1861. Alexandre Bernaix, acknowledged M. Viennot by naming a rose after his wife, a common compliment.

Mme Leonie, is the supreme climbing Tea rose. She is very long lived, vigorous and healthy. Her blooms are sublime, a lovely rich pink with undertones of primrose yellow and copper. She has large loosely shaped blooms, with many petals and is sweetly fragrant. She is one of the first to flower in spring, and repeats sporadically until autumn. Her foliage is often large, plentiful, mid-dark green, long and pointed, very much that of a Tea.

Released in 1898, the parentage is reported as Gloire de Dijon x unknown seedling

Rose cuttings

1. Take pencil sized cuttings from healthy plants at a point where the cane breaks with a snap. If the cane bends, the wood is too tough, or it crushes, it is too green. A point below the sixth set of leaves on a shoot that has just finished blooming (some say, some say the opposite) Remove the two bottom sets of leaves, or most of the leaves, score the base and cut an X with a razor blade to make more area contact with the Rootone, set cuttings in the ground, cover with a cloche, the jar keeps it moist, new shoots should appear in 3-4 weeks. I have had good luck with the ones stuck in the ground, rather than pots, maybe it has something to do with soil micro-organisms.

What's blooming?

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Joseph's Coat Rose, Golden Gate Rhododenron (they go well together)

Apple Trees blooming, Lilacs still blooming but fading, the Taurus Rhodie is done, Watsonias are starting to bloom.

Goldfinches all over the place, burning through the Niger Thistle. Baby birds in the birdhouses clamoring for food...