Ambridge Rose is Off to a Good Start!

David Austin's Ambridge Rose is one of my Chamblees purchases from  last year. It was planted in spring of 2011. I am pleased to have roses to photograph on November first; it has been an unusually mild fall.

She is planted near Climbing America, and I love the colors together.

Climbing America

They should make a lovely, melodious duo by next season when Ambridge Rose puts on a little more bulk.

Already a full little bush

As it is, I am so pleased with her progress. With her alluring color and fragrance, she is a delightful, sensually stimulating addition to my garden pleasures.

A charming round bud is filled with promise

Sweet little twins

Her weak stems detract somewhat from her beauty, making her a shy little creature. If she realized how beautiful she is, she would surely hold her head proudly to the sky.

She shares her loveliness reluctantly; I mush prop her up on a driftwood log to photograph her.

So pretty together! Climbing  America and Ambridge Rose

 The temperature goes down to 21F tonight; this will be our last vase of cut roses for the season.

A previous post describes my purchases for spring of 2010:

Roses Ordered for Next Spring

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Double Delight ~ Exquisite Color and Fragrance

My little cutting of Double Delight has produced few but marvelous blossoms this summer. This rose opened in early October, its deep crimson petals revealing a rich, pastel treat.

Soft pink, cream and buttery yellow petals are revealed as the rose slowly wakens, unfolding with a broad, friendly smiling face.

The fragrance is as rich and complex as its colorful display; deeply inhaling the center of the rose provides an initial draught of deep old rose. A soft, sweet finish reminiscent of vanilla French buttercream lingers for an almost imaginary moment.

The winter will freeze the ground to as much as four feet deep. I will keep all my new babies, including this little Double Delight, watered and mulched until the distant spring reveals their survival or demise.

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The Summer Folds Behind Us, Leaving Lovely, Rosy Memories

Sonia continued to delight us throughout the busy summer. I adore the Sonia rose.

Toward August, she sent up a magnificent cane nearly 6 feet tall, topped with a cluster of perfect florist-quality roses.

Dew patterned like pave-set diamonds illuminated the garden one rare morning.

Peace, sparkling discretely, is always serene and lovely.

Quietness smiles rather thinly as the summer wears down.

Aunt Honey, new this spring, blooms with lovely form and garish color, like a desperate spinster's lavishly applied lipstick. Her name seems to fit.

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Minis from Cuttings

We begin with the proud parents:

The roses above were acquired from the local grocery store 10 or 12 years ago. The pink, white and red minis thrive in our garden and reward us with cheery blooms all season long.

This little white offspring was planted in spring 2010. The plant is happy and healthy in the garden. The photo above and below were taken in June 2011.

The individual flowers are small, perfectly formed  pure white roses.

The above photo was taken in June. The pink mini is darling. This was the first of my cutting batch from last fall that rated a pot. I documented its progress in a previous post:

Potting Up a Brand New Rose Bush!

It struggled a bit when it was first planted out, but it has recouped admirably.

I adore the pink variations on this rose. Flowers may be dark or light at any stage, giving the bush a festive appearance. 

Now shown above in August, its already of a respectable size. I hope it begins to rival its mother across the front walk by next year.

The mother plant (above)  is a real blooming machine!

Belinda's Dream and Royal Wedding Blooming

Belinda's Dream from Chamblee's Rose Nursery arrived this spring.

Now in the full summer season, I am THRILLED with this rose!

It is fulfilling my expectations in a grand way.

A little cutting from Royal Wedding.

I wonder if the root system will be able to cope with our serious winter season?

The original grafted plant thrives here.

                                                                                 

My decade-old bush is a favorite.

The summer monsoons have given us some lovely moments

Delightful hikes in Canyon de Chelly have supplemented our summer workouts.

In Loving Memory of Our Dear Sparky

In Loving Memory of I Am Spartacus "Sparky"

February 5, 1998 - July 12, 2011

Sparky with his friends, Sueno and Rocky

Sparky slipped from life as sweetly, obediently and uncomplaining as he had lived it.

He will be sorely missed.

Double Delight

Double Delight from the rooted cutting opened its first flower beautifully. 

I thought I'd share the event with you!

I do love the color variations in Double Delight. Its phototropic qualities are a wonderful visual addition to its intoxicating fragrance.

 I enjoyed preparing a couple of articles about rose color for eHow:

My White Roses Are Turning Pink

How Do Roses Get Their Color?

Use your browser's back arrow to return to Roses, Color and Light.

(You may click to enlarge the above photos.)

The Character of Our Garden

Every garden is its own entity. Our journeys through picture books and trips to the nursery come together differently than our vision of perfection.

An errant carrot seed from last year produced this lovely bunch of 'summer snowflakes.'

Our own garden exists differently in my imagination than in actuality. Weed seeds, opportunists that they are, find respite from the surrounding desert in our yard. Every crack between stones, every bare slice of earth is fair game.

Prairie Star is happy in an untidy bed.

Our front walk with Dream Weaver and minis.

Our garden is a mish-mash of this-and-that from impulse buys and  opportunity purchases.

Peppermint Twist phlox is pretty and sweetly scented.

Our front walk is made of local stones.

Alliums and Shasta daisies

These alliums were a parting gift from a dear friend who moved away. They have multiplied with gusto. 

Baby's breath and germander.

I am attached to baby's breath. We used it extensively in the flower shop throughout the '70s. 

Minis and yarrow

All the yarrow in our yard came form one or two plants. It is shallow-rooted, tough and forgiving. I can pull it out where I don't want it, and stick a small rooted stem where I do want it. It grows to 3 feet high or flowers at less than a foot high if I shear it short. Its delicate, ferny leaves belie its tremendous durability and utility. I am fond of yarrow.
Our garden is filled with local rocks including some lovely petrified wood. It is rustic in the extreme, without tidy edges or smooth walkways. It is a never-finished garden to busy ourselves with and dream over.

Double Delight from one of my rooted cuttings!



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What is so Rare as a Day in June?

Sonia

June is dissolving like sugar water, creating and leaving behind sweet visions in the same moment. Roses bud, open and are gone before they can be properly captured on film. Choosing the camera when the ambiance of the garden is so delightful without the artificial filter of its lens is difficult, but the gardener is driven to share. 

Sonia is a remarkably lovely rose. I remember her well from my florist days in the 1970s, when California was the main provider and a perfect rose was still rare. When bunches and bundles of perfectly formed roses, each on its long, straight stem arriving at the wholesaler's from South America were still a future away, Sonia was a delight to work with. I still love her classically beautiful form.

Angel Face is a favorite, though she does not thrive in my garden. The grafted plants I have faithfully produce  but a few flowers each season. I would like to try her on her own root.

Angel Face is forever charming. The lovely scent is worth every fleeting moment I have with her.

Chicago Peace is paler this year. He is producing like a brave convalescent recovering from a harsh virus, but the winter certainly took its toll, and the plant is smaller than it has been for years due to winter die back.

Chicago Peace is a brave soldier

Chicago Peace is beautiful and bright though slightly pale from the harsh winter.

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