Ahh, there’s nothing like the rose

THE GARDEN FANATIC

“Long ago. Far away ... “

--Harry Nilsson

“The rose represents love, magic, hope and the mystery of life

itself.”

--Diana Wells

The rose has held a mystical relationship with man since the

earliest times.

For the ancient western civilizations across the Atlantic, the

rose came to symbolize love and passion. The Romans featured roses in

their many feasts and gatherings, mainly to mask unpleasant odors.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, the inscrutable Chinese

preferred to honor roses a bit more poetically -- one rose was named

“Yu-go-tain-tsing” (“Clear Shining after Rain”).

The rose advanced from a ceremonial constituent of paganism to

serious usage by practitioners of health. Rosa gallica, the

Apothecary rose, became a cure all for almost any ailment. The Dog

Rose, Rosa canina, was reputed to combat rabies, and the Damask rose,

thought to have originated in Damascus, was used to make rosewater.

Roses are approaching their blooming peak in August and can be

inspected for their bloom and delightful fragrance -- something you

can’t do during bareroot season. Your favorite nursery should still

have ample variety for your collection -- from the antique roses of

yesterday to today’s disease resistant English, hybrid tea,

floribunda and shrub roses.

Roses bought in containers can be planted in the garden at any

time of the year, but this is a great time to establish roses prior

to the predicted mild winter rains. The “perfect” hole for your rose

should be one and a half times as deep and two times wider than the

container in which the rose is growing. Create a backfill mixture

beneath and beside the root ball with a combination of 1/2 native

soil mixed with 1/2 Nurseryman’s planter mix, 4 tablespoons of

Gro-power, and the rose cocktail (see below).

Avoid disturbing the root ball during transplanting. I recommend

that you cut and remove the bottom of the container and place the

rose in the hole. The bud union should be about two inches above the

ground. Cut the sides of the container and fill the hole loosely with

soil. Remove the sides of the container carefully and the root ball

will remain intact. Water thoroughly with a solution of 1 tablespoon

of Vitamin B1 (further insurance against transplant shock) to a

gallon of water to settle the soil. Check for settling, add more soil

if necessary, then water again.

Catharine’s Rose cocktail

1 cup of gypsite 1 tablespoon soil sulfur

1 table spoon chelated iron

1 tablespoon Epsom salts

In compiling yet another list of favorite roses, I have selected

roses that have been particularly fragrant, disease resistant and

easy to grow this challenging summer.

Easy to Grow: A vigorous and bushy plant, Heritage is a perfect

rose. The blooms are a lovely soft pink with a nice fragrance. Not

fussy, it requires very little care.

The nonstop bloomer, Iceberg, is a climber and bush that doesn’t

quite reach pure white in our coastal clime. Very fragrant and nearly

disease resistant; if you only have space for one rose, this is the

one.

Olympiad is the red rose for your garden. Named in honor of the

Los Angeles Olympic Games, it is pure red, long stemmed and deserves

a place in your garden and vase.

Disease resistant: One of the most rewarding of all roses is the

single, blood-red blooms of the climber, Altissimo. Very fragrant and

excellent as a cut flower, this rose blooms freely throughout the

year. This is the strongest growing red climbing rose for Laguna

gardens.

Royal Bonica continues the trend of modern roses -- free blooming,

disease resistant and not fussy about pruning. Pale pink blooms cover

very green and shiny foliage.

In my mind, Mutabilis might be the perfect rose. I have never had

to spray for either insect or disease in a 10-year relationship! This

China rose’s multi-colored single blooms seem almost never ending.

Especially fragrant roses: The English will take the top three

spots this summer. Possessing an old rose perfume, Orthello is a

standout rose. It produces large, cupped blooms of crimson fading to

purple.

David Austin, the English rose hybridizer, holds the shrub rose,

Gruss an Aachen, in high esteem. He has even adopted it as one of his

roses. The deeply cupped blooms have a pleasing fragrance which turn

a pearl-pink to creamy-white.

English Garden completes the sweep for David Austin. His roses

attract great interest in Laguna and beyond. It’s flowers are soft

apricot with the form and character of an antique rose. Wonderfully

fragrant!

The rose reigns supreme in our garden -- descendants of species

from times long past. I hold a special affection for roses, as it

represents the love I share with my wife. That is why, in our

personal Malmaison, Catharine and I will always have space for one

more rose. See you next time.

* STEVE KAWARATANI is the owner of Landscapes by Laguna Nursery,

1540 S. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. He is married to local artist,

Catharine Cooper, and has three cats. He can be reached at (949)

497-2438, or E-mail to [email protected].