Rose Baron Girod de l'Ain

Baron Girod de l'Ain is a hybrid perpetual discovered in 1897. It's estimated to get up to 5 feet high and 4 wide. The flowers are amazing, a deep blood red with white, ruffled edges. For me the fragrance is nice but not powerful. It's been healthy so far. No rebloom yet. We had some record-breaking lows this year (several nights of -10), and I think this contributed to quite a bit of cane death. This surprises me as I assumed HPs were hardy. The Baron is down to two 5-foot-tall canes this spring but otherwise looks fine.

Purchased from Pickering in spring of 2009.

First bud of 2011, April 29

Baron Girod de l'Ain, May 2010

Rose Zephirine Drouhin

Zephirine Drouhin is a thornless, climbing bourbon bred in France in 1868 and alleged to attain a height and width of 10-15 feet by 6-8 feet. Pics below are of a 3-year-old plant. It has a gorgeous spring flush, but I've yet to experience any rebloom. The flowers are a hot pink. They're supposed to be extremely fragrant, but I don't detect that strong of a fragrance. I've heard ZD is a blackspot magnet but has remained healthy here in SW Missouri with just a bit of blackspot in late summer.

It succumbs to Japanese beetles each year.

Zephirine buds, April 2011

Baron Giraud de l'Ain on left corner, Zephirine Drouhin in middle, The Fairy on right corner. April 2011.

Three-year-old Zephirine Drouhin, April 2011

The above picture is to display the growth habit and size. One of my biggest pet peeves is images of plants that don't include full shrub shots.

Rose Paul Neyron

Paul Neyron is a hybrid perpetual bred in 1869. It's supposed to bloom in flushes, and as with Madame Pierre Oger, I hope it does so I'll see some blooms after the annual Japanese beetle plague. And the blooms are supposed to be six inches across! I'd love to see that just once.

I purchased and planted Paul Neyron in May of 2010. It was a tiny band I got from Rogue Valley Roses out of Oregon.

Paul Neyron, April 2011

Paul Neyron is the 4th from the left below.

Rogue Valley Roses bands, May 2010

Rose Madame Pierre Oger

Madame Pierre Oger is a bourbon discovered in 1878. It is supposed to bloom in flushes and attain a height of 4-8 feet and about 3 feet wide. Again, why did I put this at the front of the bed? I think I wanted it to be in scale to the massive butterfly bush it's next to.

I just hope this does bloom in flushes as I'm sure the spring flush will be destroyed by Japanese beetles. I'm dying to see the first blooms as I adore cupped, pink/white blooms.

First bud, April 2011

Madame Pierre Oger, April 2011

I purchased this rose as a band from Rogue Valley Roses in May of 2010. She's on the far right in the pic below. RVR was having a sale on "split-stem" roses and this was one of them.

Rogue Valley Roses, May 2010

Rose Schneezwerg

Schneezwerg is German for White Dwarf. I think I prefer the German.  It's a hybrid rugosa originally bred in 1911. Estimated height and width is 4-6 feet, which makes me question why I planted it at the front of the bed. It has a gorgeous spring flush and is perfectly disease free. The leaves are typical lovely rugosa leaves.

Schneezwerg looking a little gawky, spring 2010

Schneezwerg filling out, April 2010

Schneezwerg buds and blooms, spring 2010

North Garden Bed

North bed - Before pic

North bed - After pic

This garden was created in spring of 2009 then professionally mulched/edged in April of 2011. The Hubby and I did put down mulch originally, which kept the weeds suppressed for the most part. It includes:

• Weigela
• Mystery evergreen
• Two pink spireas
• Maiden grass, Miscanthus sinensis
• A purple crape myrtle
• Roses - Hansa, The Dark Lady, Sixteen Candles, Schneezewerg, Westerland, three Knockouts, and Clair Austin.

The South Garden Bed

South garden bed - Before pic

South garden bed - After pic

I originally created this bed in the spring of 2010 then had it professionally mulched/edged in April of 2011. I worked very, very hard. It was beautiful. Unfortunately I procrastinated when it came to mulching, which would have held back the crabgrass quite a bit. And so the crabgrass sprouted. The crabgrass grew. The crabgrass expanded. Then one day it attacked my wiener dog. I needed to do something.

I've resorted to chemical warfare. So far this year I’ve used a pre-emergent and am going to Round-Up anything that pops up through or on top of the mulch. So be it.

Below is a list of plants in this bed. Considering how bare this garden looks, this is a mighty long list.

• Nine bark
• Weigela
• Purple butterfly bush
• Buddleia davidii 'Silver Anniversary,' a white-flowered butterfly bush with gorgeous silver leaves. Compact habit.
• Mystery viburnum
  
• Bee balm 'Jacob Cline'
• Yarrow 'Angel's Breath,' Achillea ptarmica
• Mystery lavender (Spanish I think)
• Purple salvia
• Mock orange that seems to truly be "mock" as I smell nothing. It may be shovel pruned this year.
• Roses are Double Pink Knockout, White Koster, La Belle Sultane, Madame Pierre Oger, Paul Neyron, Joyce Barden, and the climber Tausendschon.