Heirloom's Fragrant Masterpiece

Scentimental

Abraham Darby

Our Lady of Guadalupe

I hope you all have some pretty sights in your October gardens as well

Thank you, Kitty, for such healthy and vibrant pictures of your October roses. They are a celebration of life, and sniffing rose is a temporary passport to heaven.

"Stop and smell the roses" is quite affordable. Burlington Roses in CA sell them for $11 own-root, like 400+ varieties of fragrant roses, and mini-roses are only $7.50 each. They are own-root plants delivered to your house band-size, but grow quickly in a pot.

There's Roses Unlimited in SC: gallon-size roses for sale after mid-June, for $10 each, big plants, delivered to your door, with blooms. There's Heirloom roses' sale after mid-July, for 1/2 price off, shipped to your door. Plus one has a huge selection to choose from: thornless and fragrant, old garden roses, drought-tolerant, etc...

The above rose nursery are reputable, high-ranked, and I'm pleased with them. Forget to mention High Country Roses for $16 own-root, they deliver with 2 to 3 days, with a vast selection of fragrant roses to choose. I got roses from them with deep-root, and many blooms as band-size. They are honest folks and great customer service.

I'll post pics. of my roses in fall later. Here in Chicagoland we get down to low 32 F tomorrow. The buds can't open, not enough sun, and too cold. I'm thankful that Kitty post her pics for me to enjoy.

This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Fri, Oct 18, 13 at 20:40

Below is Christopher Marlow Austin rose, pic. taken today Oct. 14. My tall house shades it in late fall ... no sun thus no blooms. It's healthy after I dumped my alkaline clay, pH 7.7 on top. I successfully reverse its black spots which I induced earlier by mulching with cocoa mulch (pH 5.8).

This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Fri, Nov 22, 13 at 8:52

Here are the blooms picked on Oct 11: the top pale pink is Austin rose Eglantyne, behind it is a cluster of Annie L. McDowell (thornless rose). Sonia Rykiel is the small pink in the middle. Bolero roses are white. Oranges are Crown Princess Magareta and Pat Austin. Stephen Big Purple is at bottom, plus Angle Face (mauve), Pink Peace, and Liv Tyler rose is pink on lowest left.

Paul Neyron rose is healthy in my alkaline clay, picture taken today, Oct. 19. He doesn't bloom since my tall house shades him completely in late fall. Next year I'll move my bed forward so he'll get more sun.

Below is William Shakespeare 2000 rose, picture taken today Oct. 19. We have non-stop rain and gloomy weather for the past 2 weeks, so the bloom gets whitish in the middle. My other blooms also become faded due to lack of sun.

Pat Austin form many buds since I gave it sulfate of potash, but the buds won't make it ... it will drop down to 26 degrees in 2 more days. Below is Pat Austin rose, 3rd year own-root, always healthy. Picture taken today, Oct. 19.

This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Fri, Nov 22, 13 at 8:53

Knock-outs bloom well in my cold and shady garden. Below is single red Knock-out rose, picture taken today, Oct. 19. It's fertilized yearly with leaves, and nothing else.

Agreed with Strawberryhill, dealt with High Country & Rose unlimited, SC, another one, Chamblee's Rose Nursery, TX, Kitty's roses are so healthy & beautiful, admire them all, wish I were there to take a deep breath & that will be a reward for me.
Here is the recent rose of Liebeszauber, slightly fragrant, but it is 6", and re bloom is often, 6 to 7ft tall, do not fertilize much, it is a well adapted happy rose in my backyard.

Agreed with Strawberryhill, dealt with High Country & Rose unlimited, SC, another one, Chamblee's Rose Nursery, TX, Kitty's roses are so healthy & beautiful, admire them all, wish I were there to take a deep breath & that will be a reward for me.
Here is the recent rose of Liebeszauber, slightly fragrant, but it is 6", and re bloom is often, 6 to 7ft tall, do not fertilize much, it is a well adapted happy rose in my backyard.

sorry I did not realize post twice, here is Rainbow Sorbet early morning.

few minutes ago, photo taken & post it now, bright orange, VooDoo, 2 barely open Heritage, but it is soft to keep in the vase, and white Pretty Lady left side. Love to share the roses.

Hi Seaweed: Thanks for reminding me of Chamblee's Rose Nursery in Texas .. nice folks with BIG root gallon-size, come to your door with many blooms. Great price ...

I got Chamblee's catalog today: non-patented roses for $8.95, patented roses for $9.95, and Austin English roses for $11.95. I got 4 Austin roses from them and the root-balls are bigger than gallon-size from HomeDepot & Mernards or Lowe's. I love shopping for roses on-line: save time, save money, and no-viruse either.

I love your red Liebenszauer against the white-picket fence. Rainbow Sorbet is a pretty color, and Heritage is my favorite always.

more of this afternoon's rose, striped George Burn, light yellow Cabana (should have cut in the morning before sun fads the contrast color of yellow & pink), 2 colors of Donna Darlin' (med pink & white), coffee color, Koko Loco, Rainbow Sorbet is on the far right.

This is the better photo of Cabana, before it opens. The strong myrrh is the plus to this lovely one.

Dear Kitty
Love your gorgeous Lady Guadalupe, there are so healthy & all over the bush. How do you keep them so good looking & blooms so much?
Last spring, I got the grafted 5 gal rose from Home Depot, pleased with this floribunda scented one, lately bloomed smaller, and not a lot of roses. My photo was taken back in July. Please advise! Thanks.

Hi Seaweed: I love your rare roses ... .I have never seen such pretty bi-colors roses! Thank you for sharing those exotic beauties.

Potassium make the blooms larger. I watered Annie L. McDowell with sulfate of potash, plus put gypsum (calcium sulfate) around Annie. The petunia next to Annie get HUGE, much bigger and deeper color than the ones not fertilized. Below are petunias and a vase of roses: Eglantyne, Stephen Big Purple, Bolero, and Angel Face. Picture taken October 11:

This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Fri, Nov 22, 13 at 8:54

Since it will drop down to 27 degrees tonight, plus rain and snow tomorrow, I cut roses for the vase. The middle rasp. mauve is Stephen Big Purple rose, next to it is orange Sweet Promise Romantica 2007 (thornless). Left yellow is Golden Celebration. Middle pink is Radio times rose (wonderful damask scent), and right orange is Crown Princess Margareta Austin rose.

Winter hits 1 month earlier, so this might be my last bouquet for the year, pic. taken today, Oct. 21:

Marie Daly still look good despite the frost ... it's planted next to the garage. The bush is smaller than Marie Pavie. It's always blooming, but I have to fix my pH 8 tap water with molasses (to deepen the color), calcium sulfate (gypsum), and sulfate of potash ... all mix together in a bottle. I use 1 teaspoon per bucket of water.

Below picture of Marie Daly rose is taken after frost last night. Now it's 29 degrees here Chicagoland, Oct. 22.

Below is Gruss an Teplitz, bought as a tiny band mid-April. I gave it corn meal once in late fall. It's healthy going into frost, no mildew and only 2 leaves with black spots. Picture taken Oct 21, the day of 1st frost:

During last year's drought, I watered Marie frequently with my alkaline tap water .. she had 10% of black spots last year, compared with cleaner Austins, not watered in shade.

Knowing that my pH 8 tap water drives down potassium (for disease-prevention) ... I watered Marie only 3 times this year, but I fixed the water with a bit of sulfate of potash and calcium sulfate. Marie is very clean this year, no blackspots. The snapdragons flowers are cold-hardy, they come back every year from self-seeding in my zone 5a. Below is Marie Pavie, taken before frost hits, Oct 21.

Since I already put gypsum into the planting hole to break up rock-hard clay .. I only need to bring down the pH of my tap water with sulfate of potash (has 23% sulfur). Too much calcium drives down potassium, and vice versa, so if gypsum is used, potassium should be supplied.

Below is Liv Tyler rose ... still look good after the 1st frost. Picture taken Oct. 21.

This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Fri, Nov 22, 13 at 8:55

Here's a bouquet by my kitchen sink, Annie L. McDowell's pink clusters has the strongest scent of lilac and lavender. The lower bouquet: yellow Golden Celebration, Stephen Big Purple, Angel Face, Pink Peace, and Bolero (pinkish white).

Picture was taken October 14. I don't miss a bouquet next to my sink, I only miss the scents. I miss Mary Magadalene frankincense/myrrh scent the most. She still has buds on today, Oct. 25, after several frosts.

Bump up for reference. Now I have lots more blooms in my garden with the 6 rain-barrels, but more black spots !! it's good to see Seaweed's roses.