I will offer a sampling of our roses :) I have over 100 very good rose photos that I uploaded to Flickr, so I think I'll make separate posts over the next couple of weeks as I have the time.
We live in an area where our bushes can bloom for 10 months. Their only down time is late December to early February, with late January being our time to chop them back to stumps. Well, not that far down, but it's a severe pruning so they will grow the preferred directions during the year (not towards the inside).
A couple of posts ago, I posted a pic saying goodbye for the season to the roses. Here's a companion shot of that red rose.
I don't know what it's name is, but I think it has to do with Texas or Oklahoma. Someone once told me. It's a large bush that will easily surpass 6' in one growing season. The leaves are somewhat resistant to blackspot and powdery mildew, but require thinning out. Their thorns are humongous and painful :)
This is a shot of me looking up at it to get the perfectly blue sky behind it while trying to keep the sun out of the lens. A more normal angle would get either the fence or our neighbors roofline or big juniper in the view.
Even though it has painful thorns, it makes for an amazing long-stemmed cut rose. At it's best, it can rival a nursery's rose. It also has a wonderful fruity/spicy rose smell.
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6 comments:
It is really nice how long your growing seasons are in California. Every time I visit in January or February, there is always something bluming. That's really special. My favourite rose photo is your bottom one. I like the angle that the you took the shot.
I like the last one best too Red.
I left a nose smudge on my monitor from trying to sniff it!
:)
Lovely photos. You must have a real talent with roses. They are beautiful!
Thank you Bernie :) It didn't take much forethought. It was just below my eye level and coming out at that angle from the bush, so it was an easy image to envision.
ROFL Lynne! Someday we'll have scratch 'n' sniff screens :D I keep leaving prints on mine trying to touch fuzzy critters or the velvety feel of the flower petals.
Thanks Vickie :) Roses are almost fool-proof. Before we moved into this house, I, like so many others, thought roses would be tough to deal with. On the contrary, all they require are a few simple rules to keep them looking great. 1) Cut them back in the winter prior to spring growth. 2) keep enough air circulation around the leaves. 3) deadhead fairly often to promote more blooms. Other than that, they require hardly anything and can be drought tolerant after a few years of growth. We don't water ours much at all and in the summer - well spring through fall - we barely get any rain.
California's climate seems to be a good match for roses. And that must be why southern California hosts a Rose Parade and Rose Bowl every year! ;o)
I only have one rose bush. Red...it is frozen today. 12 this morning, and hasn't warmed up much.
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