Six Roses for Your Garden
Several years ago, as a landscape architect, I visited the historic Bellamy Ferriday House in Bethlehem, Connecticut, to assist with restoration of an ancient garden by producing measured plans and creating an inventory of plants. Many of the roses in the garden I had never heard of. This was my introduction to old-fashioned roses, full of fragrance and beauty, easy to care for, and long lasting. The ghost that haunts the property is another story.
A couple of years ago, at our home in Holliston, I dug up a good garden patch of soil with a backdrop fence, plenty of sun, and visibility for a wild rose garden. This adventure garnered a little knowledge and a love of roses.
Described briefly here for the gardener’s delight are six roses. Recommended companion plants include Foxglove, Iris, Allium, and Lupine.
1. Rosa alba Mademoiselle Plantier is a vigorous 4’ rose bush, heavy with
thorns, but flowering with hundreds of bright, heavily scented, white
flowers in June, with dark olive, small leaves.
2. Rosa Cardinal de Richelieu is a deep purple violet flowering Gallica 4’ rose
with upright, chartreuse, thorn-less stems. The fragrance is powerful!
3. Rosa mundi, Fair Rosamund Rose (Mistress of Henry II), is a 16th century 4’
Gallica bush with pink/white striped flowers, resulting from a cross
between Rose of Lancaster and Rose of York from the War of the Roses.
4. Rosa Pat Austin is a stunning Davis Austin Rose, recently introduced, with
copper colored, pale orange, large flowers on a modest 3’ high, bright green
bush. Planted with Fall blooming Cardinal Flower, it is a sight to behold!
5. Rosa Tuscany Superb (Old Velvet Rose) was Vita Sackville West’s favorite
rose at Sissinghurst garden in England. A small, olive green plant, 12” high,
carries dark crimson red flowers with yellow stamens and heavy perfume.
6. Rosa Constance Spry, as David Austin’s first hybrid introduction, is a huge
climbing rose reaching thirty feet, with billowy, fragrant, light pink, dinner
plate size once blooming abundant flowers and lovely bright green foliage
Fine roses may be ordered from http://www.heirloomroses.com/,
www.whiteflowerfarm.com, or www.starroses.com
Richard Kattman
Artist/ Landscape Architect/ Photographer