Greenwood Cemetery Roses

14 years ago

We took a trip to the Greenwood Cemetery in Jackson, Ms this morning. It was cool, cloudy and misty with our visit being cut short by a rain shower. I was very proud to see that someone had been doing lots of work at the cemetery and the roses looked better than I'd ever seen them. Here are a few of the pics I took.

I now know why some call Monsieur Tillier 'Monster' Tillier. This bush was about 8 feet tall and had fallen apart in the middle to give the appearance of two separate roses.

Most of the roses at the cemetery aren't nearly as large as you'd normally expect them to be due to the lack of care but Mr. "T" was an exception.

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Someone had pruned Carefree Beauty and it responded with the most beautiful display I've ever seen.

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La Marne in front of one of the prettier statues.

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One rose that does exceptionally well at the cemetery with no care is Natchitoches Noisette. Here are two.

So if anyone thinks they can't grow roses I suggest they visit this cemetery.

Here is a link that might be useful: Greenwood Cemetery, Jackson, MS

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Comments (12)

sherryocala
14 years ago
Wow, Hamp, and again I say WOW! Impressive roses in an impressive cemetery. One day I'll have to visit.

Sherry
berndoodle
14 years ago
Thank you so much for this. This is how cemeteries should look.
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Hi - What era is your cemetery? Is it still active? I volunteer in the Sacramento City Cemetery, active in 1850-1915. We try to focus on roses from that era. Georgia Drennan wrote about "Everblooming Roses" to be planted in southern cemeteries in 1910. I think she was in New Orleans. I would be tempted to follow her suggestions, to a large degree. The book is not readily available, although you can purchase a CD of it through Heritage Rose Foundation. I ran a copy of the section about the cemeteries, and if you (or anyone else) would like for me to copy and mail it, I'd be glad to do so. It may be possible to scan it in, too, but my scanner isn't great. Drennan's point was that you should plant roses that are repeat-blooming, rather than ones that bloom once, such as Mme Plantier or wichurana, which was touted as the "Memorial Rose" and planted widely as a ground-covering rose. She lists a lot of this forum's favorites. I wouldn't go for Lavender Lassie because it's way too modern. Some of the HMs may fit your time period. You probably would be wise to start with a definition of "antique" rose, as it pertains to your site. Lamarque was really popular back then, but Mme Alfred Carriere is wonderful, so I'm not recommending that you grow Lamarque instead. I'm not so sure about pink climbers - if Maman Cochet works for you, that's a good choice. How does New Dawn do in your area? It's 1930, so again, may not be "antique" enough. Cornelia is 1925. Lady Waterlow is a very popular rose in our cemetery, and is 1902. However, don't know how it would perform in the south. For your large spot, another thought would be a banksiae. We often find them in our old cemeteries, grown in a heap, with the added advantage of no prickles. Fortune's Double Yellow is a prickly beast, if you ever need to trim it. Some of the teas get very big, if you let them build on themselves. Blush Noisette would be lovely, too - we have one that is ten feet around and seven feet tall, and the constant bloom and lovely fragrance is a great advantage. We find it in old cemeteries everywhere, along with "St. Leonard's" and others. As for the height - I'm assuming it's a rail fence - the one in Wooster's Roses of Legend and Romance garden has two heights of fence. The bigger one is about 4 1/2 feet high, with four rails, and goes along the garden perimeter. Interior fences have three rails, about 3 1/2 feet high. Here are some photos to help you visualize. I don't think you'd want to go higher, because it's better not to have to go onto a ladder to reach the top of the fence. New Dawn on fence Lower fence Anita
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ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
14 years ago
I can't say enough about how beautiful and impressive these roses are. And I can't thank you enough for posting these pictures. What a wonderful treat!

Ingrid
mashamcl
14 years ago
Thank you for these beautiful pictures. What a Mons. Tillier! He seems bigger than my entire house...

Masha
Krista_5NY
14 years ago
Hamp, they are really beautiful roses, and iris. Thank you for the lovely tour.

I love the look of the Noisettes.

Mons. Tillier is magnificent!
cemeteryrose
14 years ago
It's lovely. When were the roses planted there? How many are original?

It's got much the same look as the Sacramento cemetery, but predates it by 27 years. I'd love to see it. How nice that it's getting care.

I'm a little surprised at their statement that they have "the largest collection of everblooming "own root" roses in a cemetery in the country," but don't see any reason to disagree. We've got about 500 roses in the Historic Rose Garden, and at least a couple hundred more throughout Sacramento cemetery, but not all of our roses are everblooming - lots of banksiae, albas, species, etc - and not all (although nearly all in the Historic Rose Garden) are own root. In any case, a debate over whose rose collection is the biggest, or the best, isn't useful. I'm thrilled that another beautiful, historic garden cemetery exists. Lynchburg, VA, is also a treasure, and I'd love to see it, too.

Eudora Welty is buried there, I see, along with many other notables.
Anita
monarda_gw
14 years ago
This is unbelievably inspiring. Thank you.
oldblush
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you everyone. I do enjoy visiting the cemetery at least once a year.

Krista, those blue flowers are not irises but rather spidorwort. Spiderwort is pretty but reeeaaall invasive.

Anita, I don't think any of the roses are over about 20 years old, maybe even younger. I think all but a few were donated by Mike Shoup (ARE) and were planted by the Master Gardeners and other rose enthusiasts of the area. I helped plant the last 100 or so about 4-5 years ago.
I don't know who made the statement on the web site, "the largest collection of everblooming "own root" roses in a cemetery in the country", but they obviously didn't know what they were talking about. This might not even be the largest collection and certainly not the oldest in a cemetery even in Mississippi. The Natchez cemetery has lots of old roses with some estimated at being over 100 years old. I have not been there yet but plan to visit later this spring. The Greenwood Cemetery is in a, let's say, not the best neighborhood in Jackson. Normally the only upkeep to the cemetery is grass cutting and fallen limb removal.
cemeteryrose
14 years ago
I'd love to hear about the Natchez cemetery, too. Please post photos when you visit!
Anita
zeffyrose
14 years ago
Hamp I really love these pictures----the roses are amazing---
I live near Trenton N.J. and our family plots are in Trenton's Greenwood Cemetery----however it has Perpetual Care and not a rose in sight---I sure wish it looked like "YOUR" Greenwood Cemetery----

Florence
oldblush
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you Florence. I don't know why more cemeteries don't have roses.
harborrose_pnw
14 years ago
You're making me homesick, Hamp. Love the pictures and love roses in old cemeteries. Doesn't take too much to make those old roses sing, does it?

Gean

Greenwood Cemetery Roses

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