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Flower Buds Already
The Rosa spinossisima has flower buds on it; and it's only May 7! Obviously, it blooms early in its native Scotland; on
the other hand, spring is already going strong there, unlike our usual weather. This species is very tough; it has survived
both harsh weather and attacks by jackrabbits looking for treats. And, about four feet away, I see another sprout of it coming
up. I marked it with a flag to keep track of its progress. R. setegera and virginiana are growing fast during this unusually
warm and mild month of May.
May 16 - it figures the roses I wasn't ready to plant would show up first. I've been prepping the big rose bed, soaking
it with soil acidifier and fish fertilizer. The small bed, where the R. spinossisima and setegera are located, I'd soaked
but not turned the soil. So here comes the UPS truck with the Knockout roses, which were to go in with the species roses.
I unwrapped them and set them out on the ground while I gathered everything I needed and began to dig. I raked off the bark
and turned the soil and mixed in the manure and granules. Then I mixed a bucket of plant starter and dug the planting holes.
The roses are in their places, soaked well and it's a lovely warm day for them to get going. There are three; the red, pink
and blush Knockout roses.
As I'm working, I notice the sprout I thought to be the R. spinossisima is actually the setegera. Once the leaves opened
out I could see which it was. R. setegera leaves are much larger than the other. There are flower buds all along the stems
of the R. spinossisima and a few coming on the setegera.
The miniatures I've placed on the upper level at the edge of the planting area. Mostly native plants are in this bed;
it may be necessary to move these next season if the watering requirements do not mesh with the other plants.
Shipping Roses
Two of the nurseries I ordered from are using UPS to send their plants: the third is sending by US mail instead. Those
plants have me worried; it sometimes takes weeks for regular mail service packages to arrive in Hillsdale. I don't recall
the shipping options from that nursery but will check it out today. The tracking number for the one still to come on UPS shows
it's on the way. The tracking number for the postal service doesn't show it yet; apparently that means it's not yet shipped.
May 17; the roses from Oregon arrive, wrapped very securely and buried in Styrofoam peanuts. They looked rather pale after
traveling four days like that, so I set the pots out on the front porch to take in some sun until I dug the planting holes.
It was rather windy today, so I waited until late in the evening to put them out in the garden.
May 18; the roses from Canada arrive; this completes the rose purchases and gets all of them into the bed prepped for
them.
Garden Notes
May 20; some of the blossoms on the spinossisima have opened. They're white; semi double with tidy bunches of stamens
in the center. It's supposed to cool down this week; I hope it won't ruin the bloom.
May 23; Some of the roses from Oregon are still looking pale and have yet to produce any new leaves. I've re-spaded the
ground and added some top soil to the mix. The alba rose, Great Maiden's Blush, is looking particularly puny and the Apothecary
Rose is pale as well.
May 27; The R. spinossisima is in bloom and it looks great. Flowers all along the stems make a great display. There are
perhaps half a dozen buds on the setegera, not yet open.
May 28; Today the R. setegera opened its blooms; clear pink and a bit more fragrant than the spinossisima. I was rather
disappointed in the smell of the spinossisima; one thinks all species will be so very fragrant; this one is not. But its floral
display is magnificent.
May 29; Pouring rain all day, thunder and lightning are scaring the dogs. No yard work today, but the plants will all
be well watered.
May 30; rain off and on during the day; after dark, a huge thunderstorm made lots of noise as well as rain.
June 6; Wind! It's been a roaring, tree-flattening force for most of the day. At 8:30 p.m., it is still blowing strong
and the larger plants are bent sideways. The new roses are waving in the wind, but not as bad as if the currant bushes were
not in their place. I watered everything about 5 p.m. and will water early tomorrow, as it is supposed to be windy all day
again. I see new growth on a stem of the Great Maiden’s Blush today, which fills me with hope that it will settle
in and get strong. All of the others show new growth as well. What's that expression; everything is coming up roses? I planted
several of the wild rose seedlings I had in the tray yesterday and there are still perhaps a dozen to plant. Those are scattered
throughout the yard in diverse locations; I'm trying them in all kinds of places just to see how they do. One can do this
with species roses where varieties might not survive.
June 7; Lots more wind and a chilling, half-frozen rain in the afternoon. I haven't seen what the temperature is, but
it's definitely near freezing.
June 8; A layer of frost this morning on the ground is not a welcome sight. Several of my iris blossoms are damaged by
the cold. The rose blossoms on the spinossisima and the setegera both are crumpled with brown edges. The leaves look good,
though. Surprisingly, the leaves on the hackberry trees are badly damaged, and on some of the bur oaks. I'm watering everything
to give a boost to the healing process. A frost this late in the season is not unheard of, but it is unusual and wreaks havoc
in the garden as tender young plants push out new leaves and flowers. The roses seem not to have any damage on the leaves,
indicating it wasn't a hard frost. The protected corner is serving them well.
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