Seedlings of 2011

At a mere 2 inches tall, this was the first seedling to bloom. The plant promptly died after the bloom was spent.  Since the bloom shape was unattractive and had no scent, it wasn't a big loss.

Here is a picture of the seedlings at about 3 or 4 months old.  You can see that some are more vigorous than others.  We had a relatively cool summer which may have been why the young plants didn't grow more quickly.



More New Roses

Here are four more new additions to the garden this year. 

Sexy Rexy is a beautiful rose.  The form of the flower is classic and it often blooms in sprays of 10 to 12 blossoms.  The flowers are on the small side – 3” to 4” and have no scent but are so beautiful that I give this one a hearty recommendation.

Noble Anthony is a David Austin rose.  It has not been terribly vigorous in its first year, but it has a lovely sweet fragrance.  Perhaps it needs a little time to establish itself.

Grace Abounding is a lovely peachy colored rose with a light fragrance.  The photo I saw on-line showed ten or so flowers blooming at once, so I expect it will be more productive once it gets bigger.  The flowers hold their form for quite a while.  We had a heat wave last week and while most of the other roses in the yard withered and scorched, Grace held her shape and stayed beautiful.

Sight Saver (aka The Oregonian) is a large blossomed rose – 6” to 7” with a nice fruity fragrance.  The plant came as a band and is still fairly small, but shows great promise.



Bill's First Rose

Here's a little montage of the first rose that I grew from seed.  This is the first bloom from the rose this spring in various stages of opening.  The bottom two pics are closest to the true color of the rose - an electric pink.  The first year I attempted to grow a rose from seed, I wasn't convinced it was possible, so I gathered hips from all over the garden, mixed the seeds together, put them in some damp soil in a baggie, and put them in the refrigerator to stratefy for 8 weeks.  Because I mixed all the seeds together, I can't be positive of the parentage, but it looks almost exactly like Miss All American Beauty (except the form is a lot messier), so I'd be willing to bet she's the mama.  It isn't the best rose in the world, but I keep it because it's my first.

First Bloom for Belvedere

This is the first bloom for Belvedere, and I am very pleased with it!  It's growing in a pot until it gets bigger and strong enough to be planted in the garden.  I bought several roses from mail order nurseries this year.  These roses are propagated from cuttings that develop their own roots instead of being grafted onto rootstock.  Own root roses are purported to be stronger and more prolific bloomers.  They are often grown and shipped in "bands" which is a small plastic pot about 3"x3"x8".  When the plants arrive they are often under 12" tall and can be spindly looking.  The first time I got one of these bands in the mail, I thought "I paid $15 for this?!?", but in time it grew into a healthy mature bush.  Belvedere has certainly proven itself to be worth the price.

Seedling Update

The seedlings are about two weeks old now and have a few true leaves.  Grow little roses grow!

Growing Roses From Seed

I've been experimenting with growing roses from seed.  The best article I've found on the web is by Sharon Kardos called "Growing Roses From Seeds" (click on the title to go to the article).  Everything you need to know to get started is in the article, and it's full of great photos.  I've only gotten one plant to grow into a mature bush so far.  It is 2 years old now and should be blooming in a week or two.  I'll post a pic when the flowers open.

In the Fall of 2010, I gathered a number of hips from roses that developed via open pollination.  I cleaned the seeds with hydrogen peroxide, put them in a damp paper towel, placed them in a plastic bag, and put them in the crisper in the refrigerator for 8 to 10 weeks.  The seeds didn't sprout in the fridge, but I planted them anyway in February 2010. I put them in pots and placed them outdoors in a sunny location (that's not too early in Southern California). No sign of germination for weeks and weeks, so I assumed the seeds were bad.  To my surprise, in late April 2011, two months after planting, a seedling popped up, then a second, and then a third. The seedling pictured is from a rose called Honey Bouquet.  I've since planted about 100 more seeds and hope a few will germinate. There are still many perils that may befall my tender seedlings, but I'm hopeful they will mature.  Stay tuned for updates on my babies!

LeAnn Rimes visits Granada

I replaced ten roses in the garden this past January.  One of the new ones is a hybrid tea called LeAnn Rimes which I got through the mail from Edmund's Roses.  It just gave its first bloom which is quite pretty.  No scent though that I can detect.  I was very happy with the quality of the bare root plants I received from Edmund's - good sturdy canes and strong root systems.