For several years, one of the big mail order nurseries has touted a lovely combination of climbing plants: the stalwart, yellow-flowered rose, \u2018Golden Showers,\u2019 and the purple clematis, \u2018Etoile Violette.\u2019\u00a0 The two make a lovely color combination when they grow together; the buttery color of the rose contrasting with its color wheel opposite, dark purple.\u00a0 When the two do not bloom simultaneously, each holds its own, supplying strong color while the other rests.<\/p>\n
I have always loved blues and yellows paired in beds, pots and window boxes.\u00a0 Since many \u201cblue\u201d flowers are actually blue-purple, I have already combined yellow and purple many times. Still, I would love to do more of it, especially with roses.\u00a0 I have been considering possible combinations<\/p>\n
One of the best that I can think of involves a romantic-looking match-up of a relatively new golden rose and an older lavender one.\u00a0 \u2018Julia Child,\u2019 introduced in 2004 and named after the great cook, is the \u201cgolden girl,\u201d with licorice-scented, medium yellow petals.\u00a0 \u2018Angel Face,\u2019 introduced in 1968, features ruffled, deep lavender blooms with a slight rosy blush.\u00a0 Both shrubs are floribunda roses, with large flowers, borne singly or in small clusters at the tops of elegant stems.\u00a0 Floribundas bloom in flushes, so choosing \u2018Julia Child\u2019 and \u2018Angel Face\u2019 might mean having both of them in bloom at roughly the same times during the growing season.\u00a0 To keep the floral show going in mixed borders, surround them with complementary sun-loving annuals, like white California poppies; or interesting perennials, such as lavender.<\/p>\n
If you have plenty of space, try heirloom, \u2018Reine des Violettes,\u2019 which bears appropriately old-fashioned, cupped and quartered flowers, with 50 to 75 rosy violet petals apiece.\u00a0 Virtually thornless, the shrub can grow four to eight feet tall and three to six feet wide, but can be kept on the small end of that range with regular pruning.\u00a0 Bred and introduced in France in 1860, on the eve of the American Civil War, \u2018Reine des Violettes\u2019 means \u2018Queen of the Violets.\u2019\u00a0 It is still in commerce today, as is a slightly younger, yellow-flowered companion, \u2018Buff Beauty,\u2019 introduced in England in 1939.<\/p>\n
\u2018Buff Beauty\u2019 and \u2018Reine des Violettes\u2019 share the relatively rare rose trait of being able to thrive in light shade.\u00a0 The two varieties are also similar in size and bloom in companionable flushes throughout the season.\u00a0 \u2018Buff Beauty\u2019s flowers are borne in clusters and are slightly smaller than those of \u2018Reine,\u2019 but make up for their size with great profusion.\u00a0 The scent is an intoxicating old rose or tea rose fragrance.\u00a0 Because they are old-fashioned shrub roses, these two varieties have a more relaxed growth habit than some of their modern counterparts.\u00a0 They are perfect for large mixed borders, where they might socialize with other species that feature purple or golden flowers or leaves.<\/p>\n
For those who love the classic, high-centered hybrid tea form, the lavender-mauve \u2018Blue Moon\u2019 is an excellent choice.\u00a0 Introduced in Germany in 1964, the reblooming bushes grow two to five feet tall and about two feet wide, suitable for both beds and large containers.\u00a0 The blooms make excellent cut flowers and bear a strong fragrance.\u00a0 Make an international rose marriage by matching it with David Austin\u2019s English rose, \u2018Charlotte,\u2019 which is butter-yellow with a tea rose fragrance.\u00a0 Loaded with petals, the yellow rose blooms are not as sleek and elegant as \u2018Blue Moon\u2019s, but make a nice contrast of both color and form.\u00a0 The Austin rose is also a comparable size, growing four feet tall by three feet wide.\u00a0 Both varieties rebloom throughout the season.<\/p>\n
If you decide on these purple\/yellow pairs, or any roses, don\u2019t be discouraged by all the nonsense out there about the fussiness of roses.\u00a0 It is most often promulgated by people who have purchased diseased plants or companies that want to sell you something.\u00a0 A good, hardy rose plant in the right situation does not need to be pampered like a Persian cat.\u00a0 Plant your roses in well-drained soil in spots that receive at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.\u00a0 A few, like \u2018Buff Beauty\u2019 and \u2018Reine des Violettes\u2019 can take a bit less.\u00a0 Make sure to leave enough room to accommodate the mature size of the shrubs, so that they will always have the good air circulation that helps deter fungal diseases.\u00a0 Mulch well with at least two inches of organic material to conserve soil moisture and provide added water during very dry spells.<\/p>\n
Purple and yellow roses are often more genetically susceptible than other roses to fungal diseases like black spot and powdery mildew.\u00a0 Fight these organically by spraying the leaves regularly with a solution of one tablespoon baking soda, two tablespoons vegetable oil and a few drops of dishwashing liquid dissolved in one gallon of water.\u00a0 Mix this, pour it into a sprayer and spray on the roses once or twice a week.\u00a0 If the weather is very hot and sticky or it rains every other day, apply more often.\u00a0 Remove and destroy any diseases leaves that you see.<\/p>\n
In the spring, large nurseries and garden centers usually carry at least one variety of purple rose and sometimes more than one yellow-flowered cultivar.\u00a0 For wider selection, try, David Austin Roses, 15059 State Hwy 64 West, Tyler TX 75704, (800) 328 8893, www.davidaustinroses.com<\/a>.\u00a0 Free catalog.\u00a0 To find older varieties, try online-only retailer Rogue Valley Roses, (541) 535-1307, www.roguevalleyroses.com<\/a>.\u00a0 Free online newsletter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For several years, one of the big mail order nurseries has touted a lovely combination of climbing plants: the stalwart, yellow-flowered rose, \u2018Golden Showers,\u2019 and the purple clematis, \u2018Etoile Violette.\u2019\u00a0 The two make a lovely color combination when they grow together; the buttery color of the rose contrasting with its color wheel opposite, dark purple.\u00a0 … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,2,3],"tags":[420,922,924,1101,1100,859,709,1102,729],"class_list":["post-1262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fall","category-general-interest","category-spring","category-summer","tag-climbing-roses","tag-english-roses","tag-garden-color-combinations","tag-garden-planning","tag-golden-roses","tag-heirloom-roses","tag-purple-roses","tag-rose-care","tag-yellow-roses"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1262"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1262\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1263,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1262\/revisions\/1263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}