Floribunda rose Day Breaker is another rose honored by the All-American Rose Selections committee. I’ve been on this streak with that bunch (the AARS) so I might as well keep it going with another dazzling rose, should you be inclined towards Floribunda roses and their ilk. The blooms themselves are stunners, a light orange-apricot (I remember the heartbreak of Tropicana so well…). To Day Breaker’s credit, the roses last a long time cut or on the shrub, fragrance is a nice Tea rose scent, and flowers come in wave after wave throughout the growing season.

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: All-American Rose Selections

One day, not long ago, my daughter Flynne asked me if I knew how the moon got its name. No, I said, and she replied, then let me tell ya. Well, if your children have something to say then you listen. Thus, the story of how the moon got its name… Many years ago, before humans, Earth was ruled by cows…

Read the rest of this entry »

Balloon Flower emerges late in spring - have faith, Balloon Flower will return if you don’t disturb the soil around it. By the way, if you have Butterfly Weed in your garden - and you should - Butterfly Weed also emerges late. Heat and drought-tolerant, Balloon Flower is tough and children especially seem drawn to Balloon Flower. The most beautiful planting I ever saw was a large mass cascading down a hillside - plant this one in mass (the bigger the better) for a truly memorable sight throughout the summer.

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: Butterfly Weed, Balloon Flower

Grandiflora rose Strike It Rich is an old-fashioned garden rose of the modern era, and by this, I mean it’s the kind of rose that might have been found in the 1950’s or 1960’s when we worried whether our martini’s would be ready after work or whether the Russians were indeed coming (and in that order). A 2007 All-America Rose Selection, Strike It Rich was bred by Tom Carruth, who has a undeniable talent for hybridizing stunning and unusual roses (see Hot Cocoa for more evidence of Carruth’s awesome powers). Strike It Rich has a famous parent, Sutter’s Gold, AARS 1950, and thus the connection to the glory days (for some) of the post-war optimism of that time.

Read the rest of this entry »

Floribunda rose Hot Cocoa is, simply put, one of the most beautiful roses ever. Compared to the beauty of Hot Cocoa in full-bloomed glory, many roses are merely pretenders. Some readers have taken exception to my general coolness to Hybrid Tea and Floribunda roses, and that’s perfectly okay by me. One must remember (note to self) that there is a reason roses stir such passion, and as a rose, Hot Cocoa is staggeringly beautiful. Stunning. Smoldering. Hit me in the chest, take my breath away, can’t think or speak, just as if I laid eyes the first time on a beautiful woman. It happens so rarely, but when the stars align, love truly can be at first sight.

Read the rest of this entry »

Abraham Darby is one of the most widely grown David Austin English roses, and with good reason. Abraham Darby is a shrub with classic flowers that also has the desired qualities of wonderful fragrance, excellent re-bloom, strong growth and disease resistance. Abraham Darby is the kind of result David Austin had in mind when he began his search for the new English Rose. Large blossoms can vary in color from soft peach to pink to apricot, and each perfectly formed flower is truly lovely. More, the fragrance is rich and memorable.

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: Abraham Darby

Sure you do, as she’s beginning to reintroduce herself in our gardens and along our roadsides…a love song for Queen Anne’s Lace… Welcome back, we missed you.

Read the rest of this entry »

Not to be confused with Purple Coneflower, Pale Coneflower is not often seen in the garden. This fact, combined with Pale Coneflower’s many strengths recommends it fully. One might have to search a bit to find a nursery but I’m quite certain that my readers are an astute enough crowd to snuffle around the web and sort it out. Pale Coneflower bears flowers that are similar to Purple Coneflower, enough so that other gardeners in your town will stop, look twice or thrice, and then do one of three things: One, scurry nervously down the street to their own home and begin a frantic search through their catalogs to discover what’s going on with that strange coneflower down the street in their strange neighbor’s garden (you are strange, aren’t you?)…Two, have the nerve to ask you (good on ‘em because we can always learn)…or Three, exclaim with great joy the boldness and great discerning quality of any gardener so marvelous as to include Pale Coneflower in their garden. It is, simply put, a gardener’s garden plant.

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: Pale Coneflower, Purple Coneflower

Knockout roses have been the rage in recent years. Introduced in 1999 by Star Roses, and an AARS winner, Knockout roses have been the subject of some controversy (the ‘why’ in a bit) within the rose community. Truthfully, I had to conduct some soul-searching of my own about this rose. Even my mother started a crusade to get some type of answer out of me with regards to the Knockout rose. After much consideration, I have to (surprisingly to those who know me and even to myself) give the Knockout rose an enthusiastic thumbs up. A little late perhaps, as it seems the market has already spoken. So what exactly is the deal with Knockout roses?

Read the rest of this entry »

Of limited availability, David Austin English rose Sir Walter Raleigh is best suited for experienced gardeners, largely due to the cultural demands required to ensure success. The blossoms, outstanding in form and fragrance, are produced somewhat stingily throughout the season. The blooms are a warm pink, and have been described as being similar to a peony. Watch out for mildew and rust in areas where these maladies are prevalent.

Read the rest of this entry »