Susan Harris over at Garden Rant did her usual exemplary job in an article on garden roses. Tons of information in the Rant’s direct style, of which I am a huge fan. Susan took the time to recommend roses that have a bit of shade tolerance. So…here’s a recommendation in homage to Susan’s article. Shrub rose Scarlet Meidiland is somewhat shade tolerant (all things being relative). It would be accurate to say that Scarlet Meidiland is more tolerant of shade than many of its brothers and sisters, but this should not be received as a recommendation to plant it in the middle of one’s fern garden. Oh, and it’s almost infallibly disease resistant.

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Salvia Indigo Spires is a Salvia among Salvias. How fully can I sing its praises? As a disclaimer, I tend to love the big floppy Salvias (Mexican Salvia, Bog Sage), while remaining relatively cool towards the smaller, more formal Salvias. I love the spicy scent of Salvia foliage; perhaps it’s an acquired love, I don’t really know since I loved it from the first time I said hello. At the very least, I’d say that a gardener’s attitude towards the scent of Salvia would reveal something about their character to me, although I would be the first to admit that I have some strange methods for evaluating these things in other human beings. Anyways, back to Salvia Indigo Spires. Flowers are blue…really really blue. Indigo Spires is ridunkulous in how easy it is to grow, and then of course, there’s the indisputable fact that butterflies love this plant. (And who could ever accuse a butterfly of lacking character?)

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There’s a destination a little up the road
From the habitations and the towns we know. (Beck, 1996)
Before getting back to gardening, a few words after driving 4000 miles. Drive through America, preferably on a Triumph motorcycle, but whatever ride will do. Everyone should move across the country, across back roads and alleys. With the people. Muskogee, Oklahoma… “I’m just an Okie from Muscogee”. I don’t know what I expected, but it was the same as it ever was. The constant, whether it be Moscow or Muscogee, is the innate goodness of people. Thank you America. Barrie

I’ll be on the road through September 24, so posts to Garden Mob may be sparse or non-existent. To everyone that has posted or visited, I give you my sincerest thanks. Traveling alone gives one the opportunity for perspective and clarity and is important. A pilgrimage every so often matters. Since I may not post for a week or so, I leave you with this:

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Hybrid Tea rose Blue Girl is a fairly crap rose. If it were not for the lavender color of the flowers, Blue Girl would surely have been dropped from the commercial rose market years ago. Blue Girl is one of those roses that does poorly in many situations, yet, from those gardeners who are fortunate enough to succeed with her, she earns rave reviews. Unfortunately, I have never been one of the lucky ones.

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Introduced in 1931, Etoile de Hollande is a classic dark red climbing rose that is still considered among the finest. Seductive dark crimson roses are set off well from the dark green foliage. Etoile de Hollande has strong flushes of bloom both in spring and early fall, with sporadic repeats during summer. Fragrance is generally brilliant, a heady Damask. Interestingly, the climbing version of Etoile de Hollande is considered far superior to the shrub form. This is somewhat unusual, as the climbing versions of roses, Souvenir de la Malmaison for example, are often inferior as garden plants.

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Named in honor of the 100th anniversary of Sunset Magazine, Hybrid Tea rose Sunset Celebration is a reasonable choice for a cutting rose. Large, well-formed blooms may reach five inches across and are held aloft long stems. Color is variable according to the climate and weather. On warm sunny days the blooms intensify to amber-orange, while cool days or cool climates will result in blooms that are a warm, rich peach. Growth habit is upright to four or five feet. The upright nature of Sunset Celebration ensures long stems and a lanky constitution in the garden. Thus, as per my usual recommendations regarding Hybrid Tea roses, plant Sunset Celebration where it is hidden from the general public view. The blooms are the thing, not the plant.

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Coreopsis Moonbeam is most notable for the quality of the color of bloom, a soft butter yellow that glows in the afternoon and early evening. Pale yellow. Dark green thin foliage (Coreopsis verticillata is also known as Threadleaf Coreopsis) sets off the flowers beautifully. Drought-tolerant, but Coreopsis is very appreciative indeed of well-drained soil. Well-drained soil is especially important in the winter. Many people find that the perennials that handled wettish places in the summer are nowhere to be found the next spring. The combination of winter and wet soil I reckon are when most perennials are lost.

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David Austin rose Perdita bears clusters of flowers which move through a range of color as they mature, starting as creamy buff buds which change to soft peach or apricot as they open. Repeat bloom is good. David Austin’s penchant for focusing on fragrant roses is borne out with Perdita. Fragrance is excellent indeed, as Perdita was awarded the Royal National Rose Society’s Henry Edland Medal for Fragrance in 1984.

Perdita takes a couple of years to become well established in the garden, maintaining an open habit until the center of the shrub begins to fill in. Growth habit is slightly arching.

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Damask rose Kazanlik is named for the Kazanlik valley in the Balkan mountains of Bulgaria, famous for the production of attar. As one might expect, given the origin of its name, Kazanlik has exceptional fragrance. Despite having excellent fragrance, Kazanlik is not necessarily recommended for a place in the garden. It’s not that it is a poor garden subject; it’s just that there are many more worthy subjects. Flowers are pink and fade quickly, and growth habit is awkward. Blooming once, in spring, Kazanlik will reach four to six feet in height.

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