Summer Solstice Week Roses in Zone 4b

9 years ago

Well time to come out of the shadows to post some images of my roses now that the first flush is in progress. This year is the best ever for my roses. Thanks in large part to the new system I used for winter protection as detailed in a post last November, I brought my roses through the harshest winter in 50 years with less damage than ever before.

Thanks for looking.

Cheers, Rick

I am absolutely swimming in blooms this spring. Without further adieu:

The Faun ( aka, My Granny ) 2nd year band from RVR

Jayne Austing, fabulous and fragrant, one of my favorite scents

Borderer, Polyantha, another 2nd year band from RVR

Octavia Hill, an old fashioned looking Harkness Floribunda

The Reeve, an early English Rose that is suberb here in 4b

Teasing Georgia, hardy, healthy, vigorous and fragrant

Crown Princess Margarita, healthy, hardy and beautiful

Crown Princess Mary, another old fashioned Poulsen bred rose, one of my favorites and unfortunately rare in North America

Treasure Trail, a glorious little shrub by Paul Barden. I have two second year bands from RVR

Thanks for having a look.

Cheers, Rick

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Comments (14)

lori_elf z6b MD
9 years ago
Looking good! Very commendable to have your best flush after the worst winter. We don't bother with winter protection here but I had a lot more damage than usual and lost a couple. It's inspiring to see what you've accomplished in zone 4b!
odyssey3
9 years ago
Beautiful! I especially like Octavia Hill and The Reeve. How is he fragrance on The Reeve?
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boncrow66
9 years ago
Rick all of your roses are to die for gorgeous! The Borderer really stands out for me, I love the color. I also was drawn to the Jane Austin. I can't pick one that's a favorite because they are so pretty! Thanks for sharing your beautiful garden :)
ratdogheads z5b NH
9 years ago
What a beauty Borderer is! Thank you for sharing, I am on the lookout for compact plants to tuck here and there. RVR calls it zone 7, and I would never have tried it. I might need Treasure Trail too. Everything looks wonderful, such a joyous solstice you had!
seil zone 6b MI
9 years ago
Oh, Rick, they all look gorgeous!
AnneCecilia z5 MI
9 years ago
Those are some mighty fine blooms, Rick. I am just loving your beautiful, *perfect* roses - esp. since all of mine are currently under the rose chafer plague and being chewed up faster than they can open. Sigh.
I had a small Borderer gifted to me years ago, but it was barely a rooted cutting and I should have potted it on longer - lost it and never got to see the blooms. After your photos, I may have to think about adding one somewhere or other. Also Crown Princess Mary is beautiful. I'll keep my eyes open for that one, you never know I just might find it somewhere in the States.
Thank you so very much for sharing with us.
Anne
zeffyrose
9 years ago
Your roses are gorgeous !--I love all of them----
Florence
rideauroselad OkanaganBC6a
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the comments everybody.

RDH and Anne; Borderer is small and has amazing colored blooms that some liken to a miniature Abraham Darby. They don't last long, a day or so, but there are lots of them. I grow mine in a pot wintered in a cold room. Not sure if it will winter outdoors in zone 5.

Went out just after the morning sun had a chance to warm the blossoms in order to do some fragrance evaluations, particularly with respect to The Reeve as requested. The Reeve has a moderately strong sweet fragrance with just a hint of myrrh to my nose. It is quite unique and pleasantly soft. It is not a strong myrrh, a mere trace, only a soupÃÂ§on. David Austin describes the fragrance as: "strong old rose"; I would disagree. Claire Martin says: "strong and musky". Neither description is very useful. However, if by musky we mean very pleasant, and sweetly compelling, then I would concur. Hope that helps.

Since I was out and about and there are more roses opening, please forgive me for posting a few more images.

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The Yeoman, a very early Austin, 1969. A 4th year band from RVR. Still small and delicate, requires coddling, but building stature. The flowers are gorgeous and the fragrance delightful. A collector rose.

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The Pilgrim, just opened this morning, strong Tea Rose fragrance and oh so gorgeous.

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And a new spray of Geoff Hamilton; love the petal packed cups, soft pink and sweetly fragrant

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An image of Claire Rose, 1986. The blooms of this rose are oft compared to those of Souvenir de la Malmaison and there is a resemblance, though I like CR better and it is certainly more cold hardy for those like me who can't grow the tender SDLM.

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And finally an old image of Jayne Austin for Boncrow. This is my best image of her. She is like a winter hardy Noisette in my view. Her fragrance is unique, a bit of tar and tobacco infused into Tea Rose, I've also heard it called "phenolic". Sounds awful doesn't it. But its not, Jayne is one I like to carry in my pocket just so I can take the bloom out to stick my nose into.
Joe Moose, Zone 9A
9 years ago
I am now longing for my first Austin. These are beautiful.
User
9 years ago
I love your photos, and the roses are awfully nice as well...

And they all look amazingly healthy- may I suggest that you post a link to the thread about winter protection that you mentioned, so that others who live Up Nawth can find it more easily? (And now that we can all see how well your method worked!)

I'm curious if you've ever grown 'Cordelia'? I have a friend who lives in Ottawa whose daughter is named Cordelia, so I figure you might be a good person to ask about this Austin and its suitability for an Ottawa garden?

Thanks for sharing the great pix,
Virginia
lam702
9 years ago
Yes, please send us the link. I am drooling over your gorgeous roses! I find only the very hardiest make it through my winters, even though I am technically zone 5, I think my location over looking a river with cold winds in the winter makes it more like zone 4. At any rate, only the hardiest have survived for me, such as explorers and rugosas. I've been dying to try an Austin but fear it won't make it over the winter.
boncrow66
9 years ago
Oh my goodness thanks so much for posting another beautiful picture of Jayne Austin for me, very sweet of you! For some reason Jayne has touched my heart with her pretty yellow soft and romantic blooms, that's how they look to me anyways. Thanks again for sharing your pictures and it also nice that you thought of me, it made my day. :). Hope you have a great day!
rideauroselad OkanaganBC6a
Original Author
9 years ago
Since a few of you asked, here's the link to my winter protection thread from last fall. A word of caution; I am very satisfied with the results I got last winter, however, I suspect that the timing of the wrapping and unwrapping is critical. The weather must be below freezing before the plants are wrapped and the protection must be taken off before the days get consistently above freezing. The fact that the straw and leaves are dry means unwrapping before the thaw is actually quite easy.

It took me a 6 or so hours to wrap the 30 plus plants I protected with this method, Less than half that to unwrap them at the end of March.

Cheers, Rick

Here is a link that might be useful: Wrapped for Winter
odyssey3
9 years ago
Thanks for describing The Reeve's fragrance. I have to say I am quite taken by those deep cups of The Pilgrim.

Summer Solstice Week Roses in Zone 4b

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lori_elf z6b MD

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Summer Solstice Week Roses in Zone 4b

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