Gardening:
Antique Roses for a Small Garden
"I have a small garden and would very much like to plant some antique roses. Can you recommend some that are fairly small in size?"
--Green Fingers,
North Canterbury
Andrew Schulman replies:
Not every antique rose is a tall-growing shrub. In fact, there are several classes of old garden roses whose members naturally form tidy, compact plants. Many of these smaller types are also repeat bloomers, making them especially suitable for gardeners with limited space.
Among the best of these small shrubs are the ancient Portland roses --low-growing
plants that rarely exceed 3 feet in height or girth. The lilac-pink 'Comte
de Chambord' and the glowing cerise 'Rose de Rescht' are two reliable
and deeply fragrant Portlands that deserve space in any smaller garden.
Both are winter-hardy to at least USDA Hardiness Zone 5.
Similar in habit to the Portland roses is the little moss rose 'Alfred
de Dalmas', known in gardens since 1855 and hardy to Zone 5. Its adorably
fuzzy buds open into scented, 3-inch cups full of silky, flesh-pink petals.
It reblooms somewhat reliably and stays at a very manageable 2 feet tall.
Even smaller, though less cold-hardy, is the little China rose 'Irene
Watts', which dates from 1895. This 18-inch-tall plant covers itself all
season long with fluffy, quartered rosettes in the most delicate shades
of cream-peach and apricot. 'Irene Watts' will overwinter safely as far
north as Zone 6.
When winter hardiness is paramount and repeat bloom less of an issue,
I also recommend two lovely old gallica roses. These generally make dense,
upright shrubs and attain 3 to 4 feet in height. The apothecary's rose
(Rosa gallica var. officinalis) and its striped sport 'Rosa
Mundi' are perhaps the two most famous in the class, but there are many
surviving gallica roses in colors from the palest blush-pink to the deepest
crimson. Many are extravagantly striped or spotted, and almost all are
extremely fragrant. Gallica roses are exceptionally tough as well. They
are bothered by few diseases and will overwinter as far north as Zone
4.
-- Andrew Schulman grows
old garden roses in in Seattle. For photos of many of the roses mentioned
in this story, see Yesterday's Rose at www.country-lane.com/yr/
Illustration: Jennifer
Blume
From FG
#68, p. 72
