Types

It is often difficult for rosarians with limited space to plant a rose that blooms only once, especially if it gets rather large. In the case of ‘Complicata’ it is worth it! In The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book, Thomas says of ‘Complicata’, “In the light sandy soil in my garden, in close competition with […]

This rose is special to me because it bears the name of one of my family ancestors on my father’s side, the French part. The rose was given to me by Gail Trimble, and that makes it even more special. It is a hybrid perpetual and retains the old rose form. It has large, globular

‘Just Joey’ rose is a beautiful hybrid tea rose with orange – copper blossoms. The elegantly, pointed orange buds open into large blooms that are four to six inches across. The wavy-edged petals are a rich apricot color when new, softening to a light peach at the outer edges as blooms mature. The foliage is

Looking to add some new roses to the garden? In addition to their beautiful blossoms, and delectable fragrance, go for disease-resistant varieties.  A careful selection now can make your rose growing easier, and gentler on the environment. What’s disease resistance? It’s a plants ability to fend off infection. In our climate the diseases of concern

Gray squirrels busily gathered plump acorns as browning elm leaves swirled across the Marin Art & Garden lawn, the Rose Garden now in the lengthening shadows of an Indian summer afternoon. I had come for inspiration for our last Rose of the Month column. The difficulty is not to be influenced by favoritism or personal

Most of us know ‘Ballerina’ as it is a favorite of most rosarians given its dainty flowers, nonstop bloom and multiple awards on the exhibition table with an incredible American Rose Society rating of 8.5. This rose is a single flowered one with five petals shading from the pink bud to open white/pink and healthy

In 1999, ‘Fourth of July’ was the first climber to be awarded the All-America Rose Selection in more than 23 years. True to its name, ‘Fourth of July’ welcomes the Independence Day festivities with an explosion of red and white blooms just in time for the backyard picnic. The foliage is bright green, very disease

I was a little before the Beatles, but that doesn’t keep me from appreciating a rose named for one of them, ‘The McCartney Rose’. Also found under the names of ‘Paul McCartney’, ‘Sweet Lady’ and ‘The MacCartney Rose’. This is a hybrid tea, in a rich medium clear pink that was hybridized by Meilland and

‘Sombreuil’, sold in Europe as ‘Mlle de Sombreuil’, dates back to 1850. It is sometimes found as ‘Colonial White’ as well. Legend has it that it was named after a heroine of the French Revolution who is reputed to have drunk the blood of an aristocrat to prove her father’s non-aristocratic status. (Wonder why they

Bareroot season is in full swing, and nurseries, big box stores and on-line suppliers have a great selection. It’s also when new varieties are being introduced so be ready to be dazzled by the gorgeous photos and provocative descriptions. Keep in mind that as these varieties are brand new to the gardening public, there’s not