Rose lovers owe a lot to English breeder, David Austin, who over the past several decades has led a movement among breeders that has re-introduced fragrance into the world of garden roses. For several decades after World War II, rose growers focused on other traits, especially the long stems and large, high-centered blooms that characterized … Read more
I have just done battle with a formidable opponent—one that is tenacious, heavily armed and fully equipped to go on fighting for decades. This enemy of civilized horticulture has no scruples, guiding ethos or any closet-bound skeletons that would make it susceptible to blackmail. It is, in short, Rosa multiflora, occasionally known as “the Japanese … Read more
The more I know of the shrub rose, Rosa ‘Mutabilis’, the more I believe it is a metaphor for life. Think of it–the tightly furled buds are a saucy peach shade that speaks of the flirtatiousness of youth. Those racy young things open into sensible pink blooms, in a bow to the combination of vigor … Read more
