Date: Fri 18-Apr-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Illustration: C

Location: A10

Quick Words:

Gardener-roses-

Full Text:

(Gardener on old & new roses for gardens, 4/18/97)

Suburban Gardener-

Old Roses For Small Gardens

By Anthony C. Bleach

I have been researching for weeks to try to get together a piece on old roses

suitable for a small suburban garden. I remember the Pink Grootendorst that

grew to six feet and forever needed thinning out. It is fine to be curling up

in a Forsythia bush manipulating the pruners, but in this ferociously thorny

rose it was somewhat painful. In the end we had to grub it out.

I was so pleased to find an article by Dave Dunn in Fine Gardening describing

which roses he likes and grows in his garden in New Britain.

Most of the old roses are hardy in Connecticut. Few of the modern ones are and

need much more care to survive. There are hundreds of old roses, but these

belong in any rose garden.

First, the 1840 Gallica, "Cardinal de Richeliue," which is extremely hardy.

Gallicas are short and spreading and have incredibly rich colors. The bush I

grew in England had purple flowers that matured to a deep blue.

One of the finest white roses is the Damask "Madame Hardy," first known in

1832. Whites are needed to cool the intensity of others. The most dazzling is

the "Rosa Mundi," a very fragrant Gallica with light pink petals streaked with

dark pink. There are four feet tall and flower prolifically in the spring.

Other outstanding roses are "Fantin Latour" and "The Bishop." Both are

Centifolias, with very tightly packed petals and intensely fragrant. "Fantin

Latour" is light pink; "The Bishop" is magenta-to-purple.

Some old roses bloom only once but about half of the species are repeat

bloomers. The plants flower heavily in spring, rest for about two months, and

then make new growth through fall. Many flower for about only three weeks but

make up for this by the number of their blooms. Once you have seen an old rose

you will agree.

There are old roses with simple flowers, just five petals that are lovely too.

Rosa palustris , the Swamp Rose, blooms late in the season, sweetly fragrant,

and can spread 12 feet.

"Complicata" is pink as well, but with blooms twice as large, at four inches.

It spreads to five feet and is equally hardy. When I grew old roses I had them

in one bed, so it was either feast or famine. But I was more botanist than

gardener then, and just wanted to enjoy them. We will discuss how to care for

them next time.

An Afternoon Of Gardening

"An Afternoon of Gardening" will be held at the Glebe House in Woodbury on

Saturday, April 19, from 1 to 4 pm. It is part of the program for the Glebe

House Restoration Show that weekend.

The exciting program includes "18th Century Container Gardening" by Tom

Erickson of Pine Meadows Gardens, a horticulturist, lecturer and landscape

designer; "Herbs" by Jack Donahue from White Flower Farm, who is also editor

of the Connecticut Herb Society Newsletter ; and "Tussies Mussies" by Tovah

Martin, an author, lecturer and garden editor of Victoria magazine.

There is an entry fee of $8, payable at the Glebe House. Two-day admission

includes demonstrations and lectures on old house restoration.

Each paid attendee will receive a show guide which will list exhibitors with

pertinent information. The guide will also include the program of speeches and

demonstrations, and highlight products and experts in the field of old house

restoration. Special articles will include "Dating Old Houses," "Early

American Paints" and "Herbs."

Phone 263-2855 for more information.

(Anthony C. Bleach coordinates and teaches the horticulture degree program at

Naugatuck Valley Community-Technical College in Waterbury.)