Rose History at White Birch Road
            (or “Learning that it’s not having what you want, but wanting what you have.”)
                                                                                                                                             - Bonnie Desaulnier

When my husband Bob and I moved into our current house ten years ago, we both wanted to get rid of as much lawn as possible. With almost an acre of lawn, neither of us wanted to put down chemicals just to maintain a carpet of green. While my husband proceeded to plant some small trees, several major decorative shrubs and, most recently, a small 6-vine vineyard, I decided to supplement my new perennial gardens with rose gardens.

 Reading that David Austin English roses were a little more resistant to disease than hybrid teas, I started out with his “Eglantyne”, “Graham Thomas” and the little “Fair Bianca”. They were planted in an area between my back door and detached garage; which was a western exposure and got a fair amount of direct sun. Our rocky soil was amended with plenty of well-composted manure; and since I could keep an eye on them almost daily, they did well.

Within the next couple of years, “L.D. Braithwaite”, “Pat Austin”, “Glamis Castle”, “Ambridge Rose”, and “Abraham Darby” were added to the bed. I also mixed in an “Iceberg”, “Fragrant Plum” and a “Medallion”, thinking I would try my luck with some teas. To date, all the teas there (plus, surprisingly, the “Graham Thomas”) have bit the dust. However, the “Eglantyne” (which every year gives me great joy) and the others English roses have done well.

 A couple of years ago after I joined the CT Rose Society, the rose fever grew and I started another rose garden on the south side of my home which gets a lot of sun. My mother-in-law was selling her home, and trying to save roses that were suffering there, so I transplanted her “Heritage”, “Double Delight”, “Marmalade Skies” and an older unidentified red shrub rose. I added in some cheap teas: “Mr. Lincoln”, “Queen Elizabeth”, “Tiffany”, another “Medallion”, and three “Intrigues”. Again I amended the soil well, mulched them with compost and kept up with watering. All did well that summer but that winter the transplanted (and probably doomed) “Double Delight” and “Marmalade Skies” did not make it. 

The next year I added my “tower garden” on the Southwest side. My husband built a large wooden obelisk and I planted a “New Dawn” and a clematis to grow up it. In a circle around that four generosa roses, “Martine Guillot” were planted. These had been Internet mail orders at the end of Arena Roses’ selling season where they offered groups of bare-roots for a discounted price. Five bare-roots arrived in amazingly good condition. I trimmed the roots and soaked them for a couple of days in the “Wilt-pruf” and water solution they recommended. I gave one to a friend and the other four were planted in well-amended soil. 

These generosa roses have become my favorites. They have to be trimmed back hard in the Spring; and this year I even tied them up loosely as the canes seemed to want to become climbers. They were filled with blush flowers, with two especially big flushes during the growing season. The only problem is that the Japanese and Oriental beetles love them. (Probably due to the pale color and/or fragrance.) This year, the first big bloom came before the beetles. When we left for vacation in early July, the shrubs were gorgeous. Of course when we came back, it was another story. However, shortly after the beetles died off, another large bloom came out and they were again as beautiful as the first, except the color of that bloom is always a little paler. Note: Unfortunately, Arena Roses closed its retail garden center and website on May 31, 2006. I had wanted to order a darker red bare-root Renaissance shrub rose, “Isabel Renaissance” after my good luck with them.

 This summer after saying I would buy no more roses, I inherited another “Heritage”, a “Graham Thomas” (to replace the one that I lost) and an unidentified red climber (hopefully, not “Doctor Huey!”). My daughter-in-law’s neighbor’s garden was being dug out by the new tenant who only wanted a lawn. The gardens there had languished without care for over a year, but I knew they had been well-cared for by the previous owner. And, besides, I had to save them! Also, at Ballek's garden center, during the worst weather this summer when even their roses were dying from too much rain and no sun, I found a Rugosa hybrid “Polar Sun” that called to me. She still had a few good blooms and almost no black spot on the leaves!

Looking out on my roses now in November, going into dormancy, I’m reassured that the genrosas, the floribundas and shrubs (“Bonica”, “The Fairy”, “Carefree Wonder” and the hardy little “Europeana”), the English roses, Dave Berg’s wonderful “Claire Matin” and some of the teas will make it through the winter. As usual I finally have one Climbing Peace bud getting ready to blossom. She DEFINITELY has to be moved next spring since waiting for a bloom this long each year is ridiculous! (I blame it on the stone dust my husband put in under the patio that this climber is planted next to.)  

In the coming years, a few climbers or ramblers may be added around the posts of the wire fence that now runs the length of the south garden (which has a vegetable garden and strawberry patch at the other end). However, with over three dozen roses, there are enough to keep me and my friends happy with bouquets and arrangements throughout the blooming season. I know that without chemicals I’ll never have prize winning long-stemmed teas, but enjoying those bouquets is what’s most important to me. Even if some have to be floaters!

  Elizabeth Park Centennial Arrangement converted to kaleidoscope by Bonnie D.