Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The Rose Season is Open!

The race is on, and the first rose to open in my garden, surprisingly, is a small potted plant of a found rose called 'Benny Lopez'. It is a Damask Perpetual with a muddled bloom form and a heavy, sweet damask fragrance.



Benny Lopez is the person who found this rose growing among the citrus trees in the yard of the house he bought in the 1960s. This variety is, unfortunately, not in commerce now, and I owe my plant to a dear rosarian friend who generously shared a cutting.


This rose has hundreds of petals, and my little plant had trouble pushing them open during our recent cold spell, so the bloom does not look perfect, but I wish I could photograph the fragrance! The bloom color of an established plant is a deeper, "madder" pink, and I plan to grow mine next to the pale lemon-yellow Marechal Niel. I can't wait to see them blooming together.





I am so happy to have finally joined the ranks of bloggers from warmer climates who have been posting pictures of their rose blooms for weeks making me green with envy:). No more. I do enjoy looking at pictures of roses very much, but it is nice to finally have real roses to look at too!

43 comments:

  1. So beautiful. I can't wait for my roses to bloom. You're so lucky!

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  2. There is nothing so beautiful as a rose with a sweet damask fragrance. :)

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  3. Thank you, Shannon, I had a long wait too. Spring will come to you also, and I am looking forward to your pictures of it.

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  4. Sweetbay, you are right, rose fragrance is something I have missed the most in winter. I am glad to be able to enjoy it again.

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  5. Congratulations to your first rose of the season! It is always such a special moment, when the first bloom opens and smells after the long winter rest. I wish, I could inhale 'Benny Lopez' damask fragrance. It is sad to me that such a beautiful rose is not in commerce, but maybe through people like you, Masha, posting about it, the demand will rise and it will have a comeback. You can always hope, right?
    Christina

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  6. My roses are leafing out nice and shiny...shouldn't be long before I can post a bloom or two. Yours is beautiful.

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  7. Your Benny Lopez is beautiful! Lucky girl!!

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  8. Thank you, Christina! I will always share with you if you want it:). Let me know.

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  9. Darla, thank you. Don't roses look so gorgeous with brand new foliage still unmarked by disease or heat stress? This is the best time.

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  10. Thank you, The GardeningBlog. I am glad you liked it.

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  11. Can almost smell the lovely rose Masha with your great shots of them! I wish I could for real though!

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  12. You are so lucky to have them blooming now. Our foliage is out but now blooms as of yet.

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  13. So pretty, always a joy to come here on a cloudy and gray day.

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  14. Thank you, p3chandan! I know you have a lot going on in your garden too.

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  15. Yes, MNGE, I feel lucky too. I also mostly have foliage now, and even that makes me happy already.

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  16. Thank you, Donna. I am glad to have cheered you up a bit.

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  17. Roses already! I'm so jealous! :) I've been looking at mine, but I don't think they'll be blooming for another month or so. Beautiful rose! It's as if that hot pink cries out to say "hey, look at me! I'm blooming!". Loved this post.

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  18. Thank you, HolleyGarden, for such true rosarian's enthusiasm. Most of my roses are also a month away from blooming. It is coming though!

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  19. I znowu się nawąchałam . Na zapachy moich muszę poczekać. Pozdrawiam

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  20. Hi Masha, Thank you for stopping by my blog today. I've enjoyed looking over yours. Your rose is especially lovely as it was gifted by a friend and it was your first bloomer!

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  21. Beautiful!! Thanks for the update!
    Take a whiff for me
    Julie

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  22. Thank you, Cat, for such a nice comment. You are right, it is a very special rose.

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  23. Absolutely beautiful! It reminds me of Charles de Mills, a rose I once grew.

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  24. Quelle chance d'avoir déjà des roses en fleur ! En belgique, il faut encore attendre le mois de juin... Heureusement, il y a des blogs comme le tien où on peut admirer de si belles photos ! Merci !

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  25. Thank you, Phillip. It is not so deeply colored as Charles de Mills, but the shape of the bloom is very similar.

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  26. Merci, Laurence. Nous devons attendre aussi, j'ai juste un fleur...

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  27. The color of that rose is beautiful! Carla

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  28. Masha, your first rose and a perfumed Damask, does it get any better.We are still celebrating the arrival of the Snowdrops and Crocus, wont see the first Rose until June. You may well be instrumental in the resurrection of Benny Lopez.

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  29. Thank you, Carla. I am glad you liked it.

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  30. Thank you, Alistair. Our main flush is in April, so mostly we are waiting here too. Teas begin in March though, so almost there...

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  31. From you have I been absent in the spring
    When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim,
    Hath put a spirit of youth in everything,
    That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him....

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  32. What a beautiful and unique rose! I love your photographs!

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  33. Thank you, Olga. I am glad you like it, spring is almost here!

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  34. that is a gorgeous rose...I am now green or pink with envy...I have nothing growing...just snow...

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  35. Thank you, Donna. I mostly have nothing too, just this one bloom...

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  36. What a gorgeous start to the spring season! I adore deep pink roses.

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  37. Wow! That is one gorgeous rose. You're off to a great start, Masha. 'Benny Lopez' is one I'd love to try. The color and the Damask fragrance have to be on top of my list. He'll be spectacular with Marechal Niel.

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  38. Thank you, Sherry, maybe I can send you a cutting when mine grows a little.

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  39. Thank you, heph, and nice to meet you.

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I am so glad you have stopped by!