The summer for roses

STEVE KAWARATANI

“To decide... [is] to be in control of your life.”

-- Abbie M. Dale

“‘More!’ is as effective a revolutionary slogan as was ever

invented ... “

-- Eric Hoffer

One of the great challenges in being a garden columnist is

deciding what plants to write about. I often ask Catharine, who not

only possesses exquisite taste, but is attuned to the pulse of the

garden, her opinion. She unequivocally told me recently, “This is the

summer for roses!”

It is simply not true that roses should only be planted during the

winter and spring. Roses are at their peak during the summer and

fall, and can be selected for their bloom and delightful fragrance

(something you can’t do during bare root season). Your favorite

nursery should still have ample variety: David Austin’s English

roses, antique roses of yesterday, and today’s disease-resistant

hybrid tea, floribunda and shrub roses.

Given the opportunity to share my summer favorites, I am hard

pressed to choose. There are simply so many wonderful roses now

blooming. However, I admit that beauty, fragrance, and resistance to

disease, brought on by the recent overcast weather, have influenced

my latest selections.

One of the most rewarding of the climbers is the single, blood red

bloom of Altissimo. Very fragrant and excellent as a cut flower, this

rose blooms freely throughout the summer. Its dark green foliage is

particularly resistant to disease. This is the strongest-growing,

red, climbing rose for Laguna gardens.

I’m not a big fan of multicolored roses, but the hybrid tea, Color

Magic, is an exception. It’s colors of apricot, pink and deep rose

appear in an ever-changing blend. The blossoms reach 6 to 7 inches

across and are fragrant.

It is a favorite of rose lovers.

David Austin’s English Garden is, of course, an English rose. His

hybrids attract great interest in Laguna and beyond. Its flowers are

soft apricot with the form and character of an antique rose.

Wonderfully fragrant!

The China rose, Hermosa, is one of the finest of antique roses.

Cupped lilac pink flowers are fragrant as well. Its compact size

makes it a perfect choice for small gardens or in pots.

The nonstop bloomer, Iceberg, is a floribunda that doesn’t quite

reach pure white in our coastal clime. Very fragrant and nearly

disease resistant; if you only have space for one rose, this is the

one you should select. Look for climbers and tree forms too!

If pink is your color, the Portland rose, Jacques Cartier displays

3- to 4-inch puffy blooms that are very fragrant. This is a great

rose for the garden and is fabulous in a long-lasting bouquet.

Reine des violettes is a beautiful, velvety purple rose that fades

to soft violet. This hybrid perpetual is richly perfumed and nearly

without thorns.

The grandiflora Sonia is pink suffused with coral and salmon. The

sweetly scented blooms are complemented by glossy foliage. A vigorous

bloomer, the tree forms are particularly striking.

I recall when I first introduced Winifred Coulter into my garden.

That was nearly two decades past, and it’s glossy green leaves have

yet to be sprayed for either insect or disease! This floribunda’s

rose pink blooms seem almost never ending.

Zepherine drouhin (zeff-REEN DROO-han) is a climbing bourbon with

perfect semidouble deep rose flowers that are fragrant. As a bonus,

this rose has no thorns and can tolerate some shade. Although

sometimes difficult to locate, it is worth the search.

One of my great pleasures is sharing my passion for gardening with

friends. Recently, I spent nearly an entire morning extolling the

virtues of roses with my friend, Annie.

Her enthusiasm for roses is only exceeded by her desire to add

more to her considerable collection. She reaffirms my belief that our

favorite national pastime is indeed gardening.

See you next time.

* STEVE KAWARATANI is happily married to local writer Catharine

Cooper and has two cats. He can be reached at (949) 497-2438, or

e-mail to plantman2@mac.com.