Archive for the Category »Summer garden flowers «
If you garden in a cold, northern climate, and like roses, have you considered the Canadian Explorer series? Or if you have some, have you wondered just who these explorers were?
This series of about 22 cultivars was bred from the 1960’s through the 1990’s, at the agriculture research stations first at Ottawa, Ontario and later at l’Assomption, Quebec. They were bred to withstand the cold Canadian winters, with parents either rugosas or Kordesii hybrids (the latter being bred in the late 1940’s in Germany).
Most are variations of reds and pinks. Although most don’t bloom continuously, as the less hardy hybrid teas and some other series, many do have repeat blooms. The following selections from this series can be placed in three main groups-the long cane or climbers, rugosas, and shrub roses.
Among those with long canes that arch, or can be trained as climbers, is William Baffin. Bred in 1983, it has deep pink, double, and fragrant blooms. This British arctic explorer, in expeditions in 1615-16, was sent to find the supposed Northwest Passage across the New World for seafarers to more quickly reach the spice market of the orient.
Henry Kelsey is another long cane rose, bred in 1981, with some disease resistance. It has medium red, semi-double, fragrant flowers that usually repeat bloom.
This rose’s namesake was the first inland explorer for the Hudson’s Bay Company in the late 1600’s. Other long cane selections include Captain Samuel Holland, John Cabot, and John Davis.
The rugosa roses have fairly unique multi-part or compound leaves, usually a rich green, and usually many thorns. David Thompson is a rugosa in this series, bred in 1979 with deep pink, double, and fragrant flowers.
It is one of my favorites as it is one of the few with continuous blooms through the summer. This explorer was a famous fur trader, and geographer, in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Henry Hudson is a name most recognize for the river in New York and bay north of Ontario that he explored in the 1600’s, once again in search of a Northwest Passage. The rose by this name, another rugosa, was bred in 1976 and has white, double, and very fragrant flowers.
Martin Frobisher was another English explorer looking for the Northwest Passage, only in the late 1500’s. The rugosa rose with his name, bred in 1968, has light pink flowers, semi-double, fragrant, and repeats well. Other rugosa roses in this series include Charles Albanel and Jens Munk.
Most of the Explorer roses are classified as shrub types. Champlain is my favorite, although the least hardy. Bred in 1981, its flowers are dark red, semi-double, and fragrant. This famous explorer in the 1600’s of “New France,” now roughly Quebec, has a large lake named after him.
George Vancouver was an Englishman who, in the late 1700’s, explored the coasts of British Columbia and proved there was no Northwest Passage. Most know his name from the large city. This more recent shrub rose, bred in 1994, has good disease resistance. It has medium red flowers that are double and repeat bloom.
Adelaide Hoodless is the only woman honored in this series, and was not actually an explorer. She was a visionary social reformer in Canada during the Victorian period, and established many women’s organizations. The shrub rose by this name was bred in 1973 with medium red, semi-double flowers.
We have the Aztecs to thank for the dahlia, a summer bulb that brightens up the late-season garden.
Dahlias range in color from white and yellow to orange, pale pink, lavender, and red with blooms from half an inch to a foot and a half in size. Flowers may be pompoms or pinwheels with single or double petals that are flat, curved, or rolled into tubes. A long-lasting cut flower, it makes a great addition to any garden.
The dahlia, a relative of the daisy, was first cultivated by Aztec botanists in Mexico. In the early 1500s it was discovered by Spanish explorers who brought this tuberous plant back to Europe.
Interestingly, they had the same problem with storage of the tubers as do many modern-day gardeners. The genus Dahlia gets its name from an 18th-century Swedish botanist, Andreas Dahl.
The dahlia became a favorite in the gardens of working class Europeans after being distained by the upper class as being too flamboyant for their carefully manicured gardens.
However, it gained prominence in the mid-1800s after a devastating blight wiped out the potato crop in France as it was thought to be a good substitute for this starchy vegetable. Unfortunately, it was not, but it soon became popular in gardens both for its flowers and interesting foliage.
Although a perennial plant, in northern climates dahlias are treated as annuals. They are planted in the spring as soon as the soil has warmed up, then lifted and stored in the fall after the first hard frost.
Dahlias do best in a sunny spot with light, fertile, well-drained soil. If you have heavy clay soil, work in a two- to four-inch layer of well-rotted manure or compost a few weeks before planting.
Add fertilizer–about a quarter pound of a balanced fertilizer like 5-10-5 per ten square feet of garden or according to soil test results–incorporating it into the soil well. With a slow release, complete fertilizer no further applications are needed.
Wait until the danger of frost has past before planting the tubers. Plant about four to six inches deep, laying them horizontally on their sides, with roots down and buds facing upward. Cover with two inches of soil, adding more as shoots appear.
Space smaller varieties two to three feet apart, larger ones three to four feet. Larger plants also will require support as they grow. To avoid damage to the roots later on, drive a stake into the ground now, a few inches from where you plan to plant each tuber. As the plants grow, tie the stalks to the stakes.
Most dahlias will bloom in late summer and early fall. Some of the newer and bedding varieties are relatively short, a foot or so high, and generally bloom repeatedly through season. Pinch off spent blooms to encourage continual flowering. Once frost has blackened the foliage, it’s time to dig them up and store until the following spring.
With a sharp knife, cut the stalks at a height of about a foot. Then carefully dig up the clumps, taking care not to injure or spear the tubers. Trim the stalks to a few inches. Shake off the loose dirt and separate the tubers, allowing them to dry for a few days.
Brush off the remaining dirt, then place in a shallow box containing sand and peat moss. Label and store in a dry, cool place. The ideal storage temperature is 40 degrees F.
Throughout the fall and winter check the stored tubers regularly for signs of rot or mold. Spray soft or shriveled tubers with warm water, then let dry before returning to storage. Bruised or rotted tubers will need to be discarded.
If you’ve tried growing roses in our cold northern climate, only to have them die, you may have given up. But don’t, as there are many varieties that are hardy and will survive with little care.
The most common problem in choosing roses is trying to grow all the latest hybrids you see advertised in the glossy magazines and catalogs. Most of these are modern hybrids, and are only marginally hardy in the warmest parts or warm microclimates on your property.
These small areas of warmer temperatures might be in front of a south facing wall or side of a building, or on a south facing slope.
Of the so-called “modern roses” (those developed since what many consider the first hybrid tea rose ‘La France’ in 1867), the ones most commonly seen in garden centers and through mail order include hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, miniatures, and climbers.
Another five classes of roses are in the “modern” group, of which the shrub and rugosa hybrids are often hardy. Even though these latter ones were first developed in the late 1800s, many selections have been developed since then which are available now.
Of these selections, several series are seen in our area. The Explorers were developed in Ottawa at the Experiment Station and are named after famous Canadian explorers. The Parkland series was developed in western Canada at the Morden Experiment Station and carries names such as Morden Centennial.
The Meidiland series is from France, and usually has “Meidiland” in the name, such as Meidiland Pink. Then there are the David Austin English garden roses, beautiful and fragrant and fairly resistant to diseases, but most in this series are not hardy in most of Vermont.
The 15 or so classes of “old garden roses” mainly were developed prior to 1867. These classes and groupings of old and modern roses may differ slightly with each rosarian (or rose fancier) and reference. Of these, the ones that are most hardy for our area include the albas, gallicas, damasks, and centifolias.
The rose, one of the most elegant of all flowers, is often called the “queen of the flowers.” It is a title richly deserved, both for its long reign as a cultivated plant and for its beauty, versatility in the landscape, and ability to survive…with just a little pampering.
Roses also owe their continued popularity in part to royalty. The French Empress Josephine made roses fashionable for everyone in the 19th century by planting a beautiful palace rose garden of all the varieties available at the time.
Roses do best in full sun and well-drained, slightly acidic (6 to 6.5 pH) soil. The key is to keep them well watered and in well-drained soil as they don’t like waterlogged soils. This is essential for healthy growth. However, once planted, they will survive, and continue to thrive, in the same bed, providing you add fertilizer on a regular basis. The latter is especially critical to the health of the plants.
Adding organic matter to the soil is always beneficial, but in the case of roses it may not be enough. Unless the soil is very fertile, you will need to add rose fertilizer (check your local garden center for this product) per directions on the label. You also may combine organic products such as seaweed or fish emulsion with a controlled release fertilizer (usually non-organic). Hybrid tea roses usually require higher soil fertility than shrub types.
Although early spring is generally the best time to plant roses in cold climates, roses may be successfully planted in late summer or early autumn as long as they are protected over winter. Do not plant roses after the first few weeks of fall as there won’t be enough time for most to get rooted.
Spring, not fall, is the time to plant bare-root roses, just as or before buds are beginning to break. Spring is, in fact, the only time you usually can get them either through mail order from specialty rose catalogs or on-line ordering on the Internet.
For best results, choose hardy varieties. “Modern” hybrids (those developed after 1867) generally aren’t hardy except in warm microclimates , but ask your local garden center experts what they would recommend for your location.
In research trials at the University of Vermont Research Center in S. Burlington (U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 4b), conducted over a three-year period (1998-2000), Leonard Perry took a look at several types of shrub roses. This class of roses is generally more hardy than most hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, miniature, and climbing roses, and thus, more practical for Vermont.
The period of his study included both wet weather and a drought (summer 1999).
To plant roses, dig as large a hole as possible, but at least two times as wide and across as the roots. Amend the backfill with up to half compost, peat moss, or similar organic matter. Add a tablespoon or two of phosphorus depending on the size of the hole at planting. Set the plant in the hole and spread out the roots evenly. Make sure the bud graft (the lower, swollen area on most roses) is covered with at least two inches of soil.
If planting bare root, mound the soil over most of the canes to help prevent buds and canes from drying out and suckers from forming below the bud graft. Staking is generally not needed, but climbing types will need to be trained to travel up a wall or trellis.
To encourage vigor, roses need to be pruned, but wait until spring as pruning in fall may cause dieback or allow diseases to enter wounds with slow, or no, healing of the wounds. Diseased or dead wood should be removed, however. Adding fresh horse manure at this time is a good way to add nutrients to the soil, but the main purpose in fall is to mound over canes to protect overwinter. Mice won’t live in this!
Fall-planted roses will need winter protection their first year, as do less hardy varieties every year. Use rose cones, mounding one foot or more of mulch, such as straw, around the base if rodents aren’t a problem. Otherwise, use soil. Apply late in the season, usually around hanksgiving. Climbing roses, if not hardy, will need to be removed from the supports and laid on the ground and covered as recommended above. Mulches should be removed in the spring as soon as the snow has melted.
