The Roses at the End of the Road

Today is the last opportunity you have to win a copy of my book about life on and off the Rose Walk, and Debra Lee Baldwin‘s book, Succulent Container Gardens: Design Eye-Catching Displays with 350 Easy-Care Plants. Click here and leave a comment by midnight tonight, December 6. I will announce the winner, chosen at random tomorrow morning by 9 am.

Four years ago, on December 6, the Feast of St. Nicholas, I gave myself a present that was sweeter than I ever imagined.  I began this blog and began new friendships, found new ideas and resources, and great enjoyment. And all I was looking for really, was a way to document the way my garden grew. I got so much more, including the encouragement to write The Roses at the End of the Road, which gave me a new way of sharing my pleasure in the Rose Walk. And the Rose Bank. And the Shed Bed.

I’ll be sharing that pleasure in front of the Festival of Trees at Tower Square in Springfield, today from noon to 2 pm and 4 to 6 pm where I will be signing my book and chatting with rose gardeners, and potential rose gardeners. Hope to see you there.

Maureen Horn of MHS and me

Yesterday was a gray day at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, but all was sunny in the classroom where I talked about hardy and disease resistant roses to an enthusiastic group of gardeners. Maureen Horn, MHS librarian, introduced me in this, the first of a series of Meet the Author talks.

7 am November 18, 2011

This morning we woke up to snow. Again.

Thomas Affleck

Between the fact that the weather has been so oddly warm, today at 7 am it is 55 degrees, and our efforts to prepare for a kitchen update, I forgot about Bloom Day – not that much is in bloom.  Still, I dashed out into the gray dawn. Certainly it is the end of rose season. Does this Thomas Affleck bloom still hanging on count?

Hardy peach chrysanthemum

An unexpected stop at Wilder Hill Garden in September sent me home with this beautiful mum, identified only as Hardy Peach.  It endured snow and rain, but I think it is still ‘blooming.’

When I timidly began participating in Bloom Day I was assured that ‘buds count.”  Budded now, you can see that this Thanksgiving cactus will be in full bloom on its name day. Unfortunately not much is blooming in Heath in mid-November. I even gave up on my abutilon, defeated by scale.

I look forward with pleasure to seeing other blooms, indoors and out, all over this great land and give thanks to Carol at Maydreamsgardens for giving us this gift every month.

Buckland side entry to Bridge of Flowers

Chrysanthemums were planted in September. We want the Bridge to be full of bloom all season.

I am so happy to see roses still in bloom.

I am also happy to see a quiet river behind these dahlias.

The dahlias are important at this season.

But the weather has been so relatively mild that even the begonias are still blooming.

The gardens will be put to bed and the official garden season ends on Sunday, October 30.  Have a good winter. See you on April 1.

Ann Varner Daylily

In spite of the warm fall, with only one real frost, the garden is beginning to die. Its demise seems to have been hurried by the three days of rain we just had. All these photos were taken in the rain. This is the very last daylily of summer. Ann Varner is a real trooper. Behind her you can see there are a few Buttercream nasturtiums crawling around, and it has been so warm that even the canna foliage isn’t completely fried.

Double Red Knockout roses

The double red Knockouts on the Rose Bank are still putting out a few blooms, as is Pink Grootendorst and ‘The Fairy.’ Too few to photograph.

'Thomas Affleck'

‘Thomas Affleck’ on the other hand is still blooming and budding, right near the entry walk. I got a lot more than I bargained for when I bought this rose.

This chrysanthemum, one of six (only three survived a spring bunny attack) is just beginning to bloom amid a tangle of black netting (against the bunnies) weeds and morning glory vine.

Its sister mums have been blooming for a while and the rain is making them look a bit bedraggled.

Love Lies Bleeding

Most of the potted plants are pretty well gone. I did not get the show I expected from Love Lies Bleeding, but I did not expect it to survive our frost either. You can see the petunias behind are still blooming.

Neither did I expect the lantana to be blooming still. I couldn’t resist that funky, wiry grass, but you can see I have a lot to learn about container planting design.

I love this annual salvia, my faux lavender hedge around the roses in the Shed Bed. The photo might be slightly out of focus, but I am going to blame the softness of focus on the rain.

The cascade of morning glories was still blooming in the dim showery light yesterday morning. ‘Granpa OttI’ is one tough old guy. I am really going to miss him, and they cannot go on much longer.

The rains were torrential yesterday afternoon, but it looks like we might have some sun today.  It is trying to peek out the patches of blue sky.

To see what else is bloom around the country be sure and visit our gracious hostess at May Dreams Gardens.  When I first began participating around three years ago I never dreamed that I would be creating a wonderful, and useful, record of what the garden was doing in every season. I send grateful thoughts to Carol every month.

Color may be all gone from the garden, but the last few days have finally started bringing a vivid blush to our woodlands. I had to drive to Springfield and even in the rain, on the highway, the drive was a pleasure.

Rosa glauca hips

Rose blossoms come in many shapes and forms. Rose hips are more limited is form, but have their own beauty and use. I planted Rosa glauca nearly 30 years ago because the catalog description said that it looked like a Pompeian wall painting and the black hips were beautiful. I had never thought about the appearance of rose hips before, but the description intrigued on all counts. The hips are ripening right now and though they will never get really black they are very handsome and can be used at all stages in flower arrangements.

These hips are on my ‘mystery rose.’ I have no idea of its name but it is a spreader. The hips are still ripening and will eventually be red.

Scabriosa hips

“Scabriosa” has the traditional chubby rose hips that are used to make rose hip jelly and rose hip tea. Lots of vitamin C. A young friend and I made rose hip jelly one year. Once was enough. Its a lot of work, for very little return as far as I was concerned.

Pink Grootendorst

There is lots of activity in the area as roads are cleared, stranded wedding parties released, MREs (the military’s Meals Ready to Eat) delivered by helicopter by FEMA, and damage assessed but all is quiet here at the End of the Road. The roses enjoyed their deep drink,  fatten their buds and bloom. The goldenrod is happy too.

I cannot help it. It is the roses that catch my eye first.

This rose cluster was so heavy it would have been on the ground in my garden, but Lorene whipped up a support.

My question is – did she have this loopy metal thing hanging around, or did she have someone do the twisting intentionally?

Lorene was very offhand about having this gabion at the entry of her garden whipped up by a welder. I just learned this word ‘gabion’.

She used other gabions to provide the seating around a firepit. And a place for firewood. Many of her ideas will be available for us all to ponder when her book, Handmade Garden Projects comes out soon from Timber Press. Do you think if I gave this to my husband for Christmas he would take it in the proper spirit?

We bloggers swarmed through the garden, oooing and ahhhhing, taking photos, making notes, and sometimes just sitting and taking it all in.

Many Seattle area gardens had succulents in a pot, as did Lorene.

Nobody else had succulents AND a bowling ball.

I love sweet peas which must not have any trouble in the cool climate.

These edible peas certainly got everyone’s attention.  Did anyone get the name written down? Please let me know.

This little deck on  the hill drew a crowd. What a viewing post.

I have dozens of photos but what I felt in this garden was Love. Love of plants, of the garden, of her friends, of the community, and of all of us. She, and the other organizers, made this trip a perfect delight.

Thomas Affleck

Thomas Affleck was hybridized at the Antique Rose Emporium in 1998, so it is a new rose. In my garden it is about 4 feet tall and loaded with roses all season. It begins early and continues all summer. Its hardiness is a reminder that hardiness is built into a rose, and is not dependent on the climate of the nursery where it was grown.

It is nearly thornless as promised, but it is not fragrant for me. That might possibly be a result of my soil or climate because the ARE recommends planting it where you will pass often so you can enjoy its scent. I have planted it at the end of the Herb Bed in front of the house so I pass it, and admire it, dozens of times a day, but alas, no fragrance. Its beauty and persistence make up for it though.