The Rose Garden April 25, 2015

Below, I have two Ballerina roses growing in boxes along the arobor in the Rose Garden.  They always make a pretty show in the spring.  The one on the left side of the picture almost died three years ago.  I'm pretty sure that a vole family had taken up residence around the root ball and feasted on it until it was on the brink of death.  I flooded it with water one day and mushed the dirt around it.  That seemed to delay the dying process, but it was years before it started looking good again.  And it is much smaller than the Ballerina on the right side of the picture.  Smaller, but healthy-looking at last.  In the front of the photo, protected by a wire cage, are some Hyacinth Bean seedlings that I am training up the arbor with some string.  The rainy April has really helped them along because this area does not get any irrigation.  It's just me and my watering can.

 Below, Ballerina rose again.

 Below, Ballerina rose flower cluster up close.

 The next three photos below, waterlogged from rain the night before but still pretty is Duchess de Brabant.  Last fall I planted Madame Joseph Schwartz which is a white sport of Duchess.  She is still pretty small.  I planted her where Pearlie Mae used to be. 

 The two photos below are Mrs Dudley Cross.  She also almost died the same year as Ballerina.  She was very large and just tanked.  I flooded the roots with water, mushed the dirt around the roots, and it took years before she came back strong.  She isn't as healthy looking as she was before, but she is making a come-back.  I would not call the flower shape extremely pretty, they are kind of messy-looking, but they are a pretty pink and yellow blend which is nice.  Last fall I purchased Marie van Houtte and planted her at the far end of the Long Border.  She is said to quite similar to Mrs. Dudley Cross, but larger. 

 Above and below, this is Dame de Couer.  I love the red roses.

 The last three photos are Monsieur Tillier.