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| Fragrant Cloud rose: Duftwolke in German. |
Today I went outside to see the progress of the bare-root roses, which are just starting to bloom. What a bargain. They cost $8 each, including shipping. We are getting yellow, red, orange-yellow, and lavender roses.
The first thing I noticed was rose perfume. I was not expecting it and certainly not bending down to check for aroma. One or more of those roses must be an aromatic. Perhaps more. I know visitors will like that.
When I first planted roses in Midland, Fragrant Cloud was my choice for the aromatic. Although the rosarians voted it a world favorite, most people did not talk up FC the way they did Peace or Abe Lincoln. I planted mine near a downspout and got an abundance of beautiful blooms. FC never got the glamor award, but I always thought it looked spectacular, a slightly darker pink.
Here are some put-downs by rosarians--who can be snotty--and my answers.
Fragrant Cloud - "brick colored." Perfect blooms, productive plant, a unique color of pink, more perfume than anyone could ever expect.
Tropicana - "A great rose if you like one that can be spotted from 200 yards away." The color is radioactive - a crime? Tropicana lasts longer as a cut flower than any other rose. The bushes and blooms can be quite large.
Hybrid tea roses - "Spindly, with too much emphasis on long-stems." Sure, we would much rather cut roses on short stems and put them in shot glasses filled with water.
On gardens - "Every garden is unique. Few are original." That is true, but do we really need to make the cover of Architectural Digest?
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| Double Delight rose. Perfumed, with varying colors, from white to yellow to madder. I learned madder is one color of pink. |
