GardenDesignOnline

Easter Rose -- Happy Easter

Easter Basket Rose
(Rosa 'Meipoten')

A lovely rose for Easter ... Easter Basket from Star Roses.  This floribunda was hybridized by Meilland in 2007, and it's a continuous bloomer. The semi-double ruffled flowers are yellow, edged with pink, giving them a very old fashioned look, but they only have a slight fragrance.   The foliage is medium green, and blooms are on a medium height, bushy shrub. 

A nice spring plant that would make a lovely low hedge or it could be used as an accent plant in the border.  Nice color, as well, for Easter.

 

Happy Thanksgiving

The Pilgrim Rose

If you live in a zone with moderate enough temperatures into November, you might actually be able to bring in a bloom or two of 'The Pilgrim' for the Thanksgiving table.  So, if you haven't got one already, plant one for next year and you'll have the perfect bloom for the centerpiece.

A David Austin rose, 'The Pilgrim' has large, rosette-shaped blooms of a medium yellow color that are paler toward the edges.  The scent is a classic tea fragrance, mixed with a bit of myrrh.  As an upright shrub rose, it's height is about 4 feet high by 3 feet wide, but it can also be trained as a climber, in which case it'll reach about eight feet high.

(image: David Austin Roses)

Ginning Up the Paperwhites

My annual post on Paperwhites ... here it is again, for anyone who missed it in the past.   It takes four to six weeks or thereabouts for paperwhites to bloom, so get them started for Christmas.

image: K.vanBourgondien

Time to get out the Boodle's, Tanqueray, Beefeater or Bombay ... it's not exactly gin & tonic season, but it is the season for paperwhites.  And it's the gin that will make them a spectacular show.

Some years ago, researchers at Cornell University's Flowerbulb Research Program discovered that the addition of gin will stunt the growth of paperwhites and prevent them from that annoying habit of getting too top heavy and flopping over. According to Professor of Horticulture William B. Miller, here's the recipe:

Plant paperwhite bulbs in stones, gravel or whatever else as usual.  Add water, wait until the roots begin to grow, and when the green shoots above the bulb reach 1-2" in height, pour off the water and add an alcohol solution made from gin or almost any other hard liquor, including vodka, tequila, rum, or whiskey.  The solution should be one part hard liquor to 7 parts of water.

The result:  paperwhites that are one-third shorter, but just as fragrant and floriferous as usual.

Miller warns against using beer or wine because the sugars in them will cause a lot of problems.  The higher the alcohol concentration (within reason), he says, the shorter the plants, but don't use a concentration higher than 10 percent.   Rubbing alcohol can also be used to the same effect, but use one part alcohol to 10 or 11 parts water.

Miller says he and his researchers are not sure why the alcohol stunts growth, but he says "we feel it is simply 'water stress,' where the alcohol makes it more difficult for the plant to absorb water...enough to reduce leaf and stem growth, but not enough to affect flower size or flower longevity."

The Cornell website was passed on to me by my good friend Louise Crane, who saw an article about it in the New York Times.

And make sure to order your paperwhites early ... some of the cultivars sell out very fast.

 

Happenings November 2023

Selected Events Around the Country:

EVENTS:

Nov 2, "Tree Talk," Penn Design Lecture, Philadelphia, PA
6pm, Fisher Fine Arts Library, LA Ron Henderson
Nov 2, Dupont Gardens of the Brandywine Valley, ONLINE
2pm-3pm Eastern, Garden Conservancy
Nov 4, Apartment Gardener's Saturday, Bronx, NY
10am-5pm, NY Botanical Garden
Nov 4, Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours, Travis County, TX

Nov 9, Resilient Landscapes Conference, Kennett Square, PA
8:30am-5:30pm, Longwood Gardens, Ecological Landscape Alliance
Nov 9-13, APLD International Design Conference, Tucson, AZ
Nov 9, Regenerative Landscapes Conference, Kennett Square, PA or ONLINE
8:30am-4:30pm Eastern, Ecological Landscape Alliance
Nov 10-15, International Pool, Spa, & Patio Conference, Las Vegas, NV

Nov 16, The English Gardener's Garden, ONLINE
2pm Eastern, Garden Conservancy, Lecture, British LA Tom Stuart Smith
Nov 28, NDAL Lecture, ONLINE
noon-1:15pm Eastern, British Designer Dan Pearson
"The Bridge between Horticulture & the Environment"
Nov 30, Garden Conservancy Lecture, "Art in Flower," ONLINE
2-3pm Eastern, author & designer Lindsey Taylor

HOLIDAY SHOWS:

Nov 10-Jan 7, Lightscape, Glencoe, IL
Chicago Botanic Garden Holiday Show
Nov 17-Jan 1, Lightscape, Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Holiday Show
Nov 17-Jan 7, A Longwood Christmas, Kennett Square, PA
Longwood Gardens Holiday Show
Nov 17-Jan 15 Holiday Train Show, Bronx, NY
NY Botanical Garden, 32nd show, Indoor & Outdoor
Nov 17-Jan 13 (various dates) NYBG Glow, Bronx, NY
NY Botanical Garden, Outdoor Holiday Light Show

Nov 18-Dec 31, Frost, Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Botanical Garden Holiday Show
Nov 18-Dec 31, Gardens Aglow, Boothbay, ME
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Holiday Show
Nov 18-Jan 6, Garden Glow, St.Louis, MO
Missouri Botanical Garden Holiday Show
Nov 18-Jan 14, Garden Lights, Holiday Nights, Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Botanical Garden Holiday Show

Nov 20-Jan 7, Gardenfest of Lights, Richmond, VA
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Holiday Show
Nov 23-Jan 1, Season's Greenings, Washington DC
US Botanic Garden Holiday Show
Nov 24-Dec 23 Gardens Aglow, Sandwich, MA
Heritage Museum & Gardens Holiday Show
Nov 24-Dec 30 Las Noches de las Luminarias, Phoenix, AZ
Desert Botanical Garden Holiday Show

 

Labor Day Rose

I like to put up rose pictures on holidays ... of namesake roses for the special day. Well, no surprise here ... but maybe you rose growers ought to take notice.  There's no such thing, as far as I know, as a 'Labor Day' rose.  But there are a lot of what I'd call "workhorse" roses.

 'Knockout,' a 2000 All-America Rose Selections  Winner, has been around for some time now, but it truly is a workhorse in the garden, blooming from May until frost. And it now comes in a variety of colors, from pale to deep pink, yellow, white, and probably more. If deadheaded regularly, this rose just keeps on coming.

Since Knockout's appearance, there are some other "workhouse" roses that certainly merit consideration.

The HomeRun rose, introduced by Weeks Roses, now comes in pink (watercolors) and red, and it's another disease-resistant, non-stop bloomer.  I had this rose in my own garden, and I love it because it provide color all season long.  BUT -- do not deadhead this rose if you want it to keep blooming ... it does best if you leave it alone.

Finally, consider the Drift Rose -- introduced by Conard-Pyle, and it, too, is another workhorse.  It's a great groundcover that keeps on coming ... this one is Apricot Drift, but it comes in a wide array of colors, from pale pink to red, as well as peach, coral, and even white.

None of these roses are known for fragrance, but who needs scent when you're looking for disease resistance along with steady color. 

(photo: AARS)

Memorial Day Rose

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

And what better way to celebrate than with a Memorial Day  Rose? This orchid pink hybrid tea was an All-America Rose Selections  winner in 2004. One bloom is said to be enough to fill an entire room with its strong damask scent.  It's a medium-tall, upright shrub, about five feet tall and four feet wide. Long stems, low thorns, and clear green leaves make it a good candidate for the cutting garden.  The blooms are about five inches in diameter, with a petal count of 50-plus.

In addition, it's said to have very good disease resistance and it's also quite heat-tolerant.

This rose was developed by Tom Carruth, then of Weeks Roses of Upland, CA. Memorial Day is a cross between Blueberry Hill and New Zealand, and it was Carruth's fifth AARS winner.

You should be able to buy the rose at most garden centers or from mail-order sources.  If not, you can check Weeks website by clicking on the link above to find a nursery that carries it. 

(photo: Gene Sasse (c) 2007 courtesy Weeks Roses)

 

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year

Rosa 'Peace'

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year
from Garden Design Online

The Peace Rose was bred in France by Meilland International in 1942, and it has long been associated with the end of World War II.

It was named the day that Berlin fell to the Allies, and won honors from All-America Rose Selections on the day that a peace agreement was signed with Japan.  That same day, members of the United Nations were presented with its blooms.

'Peace' is a hybrid tea about four to six feet high, three feet wide; pale golden blooms with pink edges, and a strong fragrance. Zone 6 and higher.  Requires winter protection if the wind chill factor drops below 20 degrees F.  A wonderful rose, well worth growing. Available from Jackson & Perkins.

Garden Design Online will return in late December with January Happenings.

(image: Jackson & Perkins)

4th of July Rose

I think this rose is supposed to look like 4th of July fireworks.  Red and white striped is certainly appropriate, and it's a vigorous climber with canes of 12 to 14 feet that would stand out in any garden.  A 1999 All-America Rose Selection, 'Fourth of July' was the first climber to make the AARS award in more than 20 years.  Judge John Mattia called 'Fourth of July' "the best garden rose introduced in the last decade," and he said it's "an eye-catcher" in all parts of the country.  Fragrant as well, and it re-blooms after the first flush.  This firecracker was developed by Weeks Roses.(photo: Gene Sasse (c) courtesy of Weeks Roses)

Happenings January 2022

SELECTED EVENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY:

Exhibitions:

thru Jan 9, Rich Soil: Sculptures by Kristine Mays
Hillwood Museum & Gardens, Washington DC 202-686-58
thru May 16, A Garden of Words,
The Huntington, San Marino, CA
thru June 19, Chihuly in the Desert, Phoenix, AZ
Desert Botanical Garden, 480-941-1225

Holiday Shows:

thru Jan 1, Gardens Aglow, Boothbay, ME
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, 207-633-8000
thru Jan 2, Lightscape, Glencoe, IL
Chicago Botanic Garden 847-835-5440
thru Jan 8, Garden Glow, St. Louis, MO
Missouri Botanical Garden 314-577-5100
thru Jan 9,  A Longwood Christmas, Kennett Square, PA
Longwood Gardens 610-388-1000
thru Jan 9, Lightscape, Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 718-623-7200
thru Jan 9, Gardenfest of Lights, Richmond, VA
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden 804-262-9887

thru Jan 15, Garden Lights, Holiday Nights, Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Botanical Garden 404-876-5859
thru Jan 23, Holiday Train Show, Bronx, NY
NY Botanical Garden 718-817-8700

Events:

Jan 5-7 MANTS, Mid-Atlantic Trade Show, Baltimore, MD
Baltimore Convention Center
Jan 7-9 Maricopa County Home Show, Phoenix, AZ
Arizona State Fairgrounds

Jan 18, The Modern Cottage Garden, ONLINE
1pm, EDT, Lecture, UK Author Greg Loades, NY Botanical Garden
Jan 20-21, 27-28, NDAL 33rd Annual Landscape Symposium, ONLINE
1pm-4:30pm EST, New Directions in the American Landscape
Jan 21-13, Oklahoma City Home & Garden Show, Oklahoma City, OK
OKC Fairgrounds, Bennett Event Center
Jan 22, Wildflowers in Winter. New Hope, PA
10am-1pm Eastern, Workshop, Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve

Jan 24-25, Plant-O-Rama, Zoom & Brooklyn, NY
24 6-8pm, Eastern, Zoom Lectures;
25: 9am-4pm, Brooklyn Botanic Gdn: Speakers, Trade Show, More
Jan 25, The Olmsted Legacy, ONLINE
11am-noon central, Lecture, MO Botanical Garden
Jan 27, Mending the Landscape, Bronx, NY
10:30-11:30am EDT, Lecture, LA Kate Orff, NY Botanical Garden
(Part of "Adapting to a New Climate" Lecture Series
NY Botanical Garden, Jan-March)

LOOKAHEAD:

April 28-May 1, 75th Colonial Williamsburg Garden Symposium
Williamsburg, VA
May 24-28, Chelsea Flower Show, London, UK
June 11-19, Philadelphia Flower Show, Philadelphia, PA

Happenings November 2021

SELECTED EVENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY:

Exhibitions:

thru Jan 9, Rich Soil: Sculptures by Kristine Mays
Hillwood Museum & Gardens, Washington DC 202-686-58
thru May 16, 2022, A Garden of Words,
The Huntington, San Marino, CA
Dec 3-June 19, Chihuly in the Desert, Phoenix, AZ
Desert Botanical Garden, 480-941-1225

Events:

Nov 4, "Flower Flash," Lecture, Garden Conservancy ONLINE
2pm Eastern, Floral Designer Lewis Miller
Nov 6, 13, 20  Native Plant Saturday ONLINE
9:30-11:30am Eastern, NY Botanical Garden

Nov 8-11 Cities Alive Annual Conference, ONLINE
Nov 11, Resilient Landscapes Conference, ONLINE
8:30am-4:30pm Eastern, Ecological Landscape Alliance

Nov 16-18, International Pool, Spa, Patio Expo, Dallas, TX
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center
Nov 18, "Sleepy Cat Farm," Lecture, Garden Conservancy
2pm Eastern, Gardener & Designer Fred Landman & LA Charles Stick
Also: Nov 16,1-2pm, NY Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY
Nov 19-22, ASLA Annual Conference, Nashville, TN

HOLIDAY SHOWS:

Nov 10-Dec 31, Holiday at the Arboretum, Dallas, TX
Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden 214-515-6615
Nov 12-Jan 2, Lightscape, Glencoe, IL
Chicago Botanic Garden 847-835-5440
Nov 13-Jan 8, Garden Glow, St. Louis, MO
Missouri Botanical Garden 314-577-5100
Nov 13-Jan 15, Garden Lights, Holiday Nights, Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Botanical Garden 404-876-5859

Nov 19-Jan 9,  A Longwood Christmas, Kennett Square, PA
Longwood Gardens 610-388-1000
Nov 19-Jan 9, Lightscape, Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 718-623-7200
Nov 20-Jan 1, Gardens Aglow, Boothbay, ME
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, 2-7-633-8000
Nov 20-Jan 23, Holiday Train Show, Bronx, NY
NY Botanical Garden 718-817-8700

Nov 22-Jan 9, Gardenfest of Lights, Richmond, VA
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden 804-262-9887
Nov 26-Dec 26 Gardens Aglow, Sandwich, MA
Heritage Museum & Gardens, 508-888-3300
Dec 3-Dec 31, Las Noches de las Luminarias, Phoenix, AZ
Desert Botanical Garden, 480-941-1225

LOOKAHEAD:

DEC 1-4 APLD International Design Conference, ONLINE
Dec 2, "Beyond Wild," Lecture, Garden Conservancy, ONLINE
2pm Eastern, LA Raymond Jungles
Dec 2, LA in the early 20th Century, Race & Gender, Philadelphia, PA
6pm, Lecture, LA Thaisa Way, Penn Design
Dec 3, Ecological Plant Conference, ONLINE
8:30am-4:30pm Eastern, Ecological Landscape Alliance