Roses are work
Roses have done pretty well in my new garden. It was about ten years ago when I made a commitment to put in the effort to grow roses. Some roses, like the old varieties that my grandmother grew are easy. The new hybrid teas and even the floribundas take more effort. In the first place, they need lots of fertilizer to support the flower production and in the second, they get pests.
It started with a committment
In Socal, I started to care for the inherited roses in my front yard. They had survived for fifteen years with little care but I decided to start treating them right and even planted some new ones. I experimented with feeding programs but never sprayed. It worked pretty well. I felt like I had a handle on growing roses.
I brought the commitment to Nocal
In my Nocal garden, I asked the landscape designer for a place to grow roses. He set aside three circles on the north side of the yard, I filled those with shrub roses, but I wanted more. I found places in the beds for more with mixed success. Even with rigorous fertilization and spraying, I have lost at least half of the roses I planted. Unlike my experience with kniphofia, I seem to have a committeemen to roses and I keep at it. One reason is that the homeowners association uses roses in their landscaping and I am constantly reminded that they do grow and thrive here when treated right. Another seems to be that I have developed a feeling that growing roses is what I do. It is like blogging. I may not be good at it but doggone it, someday I will get it right.
Climbers are the stars so far
My most spectacular roses are in the front courtyard where I have two climbing roses on the bell tower and north wall. Right now one is in full flower with billows of creamy pink, white and gold flowers. It has taken three years to get it to cover the tower. I am hoping that some of my backyard roses will approach the exuberance of the bell tower rose. So far, one or two are showing promise. When it comes to roses, I am not giving up.
