Saturday, January 1, 2011

Have Pittosporum and Viburnum really stolen your heart?

Descriptions of roses often include the term 'good garden rose'. My interpretation of a 'good garden rose' is one that has a handsome shape, foliage that stays healthy and abundant, and is an attractive addition to the garden in its own right. To me it is pretty much the highest praise that can be given to a rose bush. How much more can be said than that a plant is good in the garden? But when we think of shrubbery for our landscape, do we think of roses? When we want to add some privacy to our yard, does a rose bush come to mind? When we want to accent the foundation of a building, we often think of azaleas but why not Old Garden Roses? When we want to plant a hedge, do we think of a line of beautiful vase-shaped tea roses that repeat their luscious blooms over and over from spring until after frost? Are we so fond of ligustrum that we wouldn't trade it for fragrant roses? When we want to hide an old chain link fence, does the picture of a lovely climbing rose draping that fence with blooms come to mind? There is a rose, in fact, a multitude of roses that will fit the bill for each instance I just proposed. Chinas, Teas, Polyanthas, or Noisette shrubs and climbers...there are literally hundreds from which to choose of all shapes, sizes and growth habits. 
Roses aren't just for cutting, you know. A rose is a rose is a rose is a bush. 


3 comments:

  1. You really have a gift for words! Love the last line!
    If your photo is current, I am depressed.

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  2. When I purchased my very first rose, Belinda's Dream, the nursery owner sold me by showing me her pool cage screened by BD's lovely pink roses. I've never seen a pool cage surrounded on all sides by roses before. I could just imagine the fragrance and it was quite the privacy hedge.

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