Sunday, October 6, 2013

My Last Vintage Roses

I have been really busy of late, rushing from one thing to the next. Unfortunately, both my garden and my blog have fallen victim to this chronic lack of time.

Devoniensis. All these are roses from Vintage Gardens
 I feel lucky if I get around to watering in time to prevent the plants from wilting (it still hasn't really rained here). Days when I could spend hours taking pictures and writing up a blog post seem nothing but a memory. I miss my blogging friends a lot too...

Basye's Purple Rose

Interestingly enough, even though I often struggle to do even the most basic chores, I have somehow managed to acquire new roses.

Elie Beauvilain finally showing some fall bloom

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the fall event at the Heritage Rose Garden. This is something I look forward to every year and try not to miss. This time I only stopped by for about an hour, but one (only one!) rose still managed to sneak into my car. It is 'Forest Ranch Pom-pom', a rose found in Northern California, which hopefully means it will do well for me. I am looking forward to seeing it bloom next year.

Taischa

Last week, I received my last boxful of roses from Vintage Gardens, a nursery going out of business. I got four roses they imported from France two years ago.



 Only one of my four choices didn't make it through the quarantine period. I requested instead Renaissance de Fléchère, a Fabien Ducher modern hybrid tea.



 Two of the old garden roses I received, Isabella Ducrot and Beauté de l'Europe, are some of the tiniest cuttings I ever saw (probably because these roses were much in demand), but appear to be well rooted. I have not had a chance to see these roses anywhere and am waiting impatiently for the first blooms on mine.

Left to right, Isabella Ducrot, Beauté de l'Europe (disbudded right after I took the picture), Renaissance de Fléchère, Dr. O'Donel Browne

I was very sad to learn of Vintage closing.

Etoile de Feu

I feel lucky to be able to grow and enjoy some of the unique roses they have collected throughout the years.

'Lykke Dazla'

I hope at least some of them will stay with me for a long long time.

Heinrich Wendland

27 comments:

  1. I hope they stick around in your garden a long time, too, because then we're more likely to see fabulous photos of them here on your blog! Something magic happens when you get behind the lens of your camera and capture photos of Roses! That last one--Heinrich Wendland--is my favorite, because of the color and the form. Wow!

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  2. Thank you, Beth. I am glad you are still reading :)

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  3. You have such beautiful roses. How wonderful to be able to grow so many lovelies. I am sorry to hear Vintage is going out of business.

    It's good to see a post of yours again.

    FlowerLady

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  4. I ordered a couple of the French roses being offered by Vintage Gardens also. I have ordered Frederic II de Prusse and Mme. de Stael. It's still a bit warm here in Texas, so they have not been shipped yet. I am glad the gardens are staying together but sad the business part is ending.

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  5. It's sad that Vintage is closing, but I'm glad that we can still see the beautiful roses in your garden. I have missed your postings. I have learned so much from your pruning tutorials, and rose pruning time will be here before you know it! I hope you are enjoying these autumn days!

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  6. Uwielbiam Twoje róże. Masz ich dużo i ciągle powiększasz ich ilość. Bardzo je kochasz. Podoba mi się kolor przedostatniej róży. Pozdrawiam.
    I love your roses. You have a lot of them and still increases their number. We love them. I like the color of the penultimate rose. Yours.

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  7. Hey, so nice to read you again. LoL, of course there is always time to buy new roses :o). I was stunned how small the roses were you received. Here we get roses much bigger, but you've got the better weather conditions so I guess they will do much better than here and will soon be very big and in lovely flower. Can't wait to see them photographed by you. Hope you will soon find the time to enjoy your garden again and that finally rain will help you watering the plants.
    Take care
    Alex

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  8. Hi Masha, your roses look breathtakingly beautiful! How exciting that you have received your french import roses from Vintage Gardens. Even thought this wasn't your first choice I think 'Renaissance de Fléchère' is lovely. My roses are very neglected right now, very little extra water, no fertilizer and most of them don't bloom for that reason. Thanks for reminding me of the beauty that roses can bring to our lives, I enjoyed seeing your photos very much!
    Christina

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  9. A wonderful ode to Gregg and crew, we at RPN will share your wonderful post on our FB......thanks Masha for the outstanding photography and your preservation efforts of old roses♥

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  10. I too am sorry about ALL the rose nurseries closing....surely there is enough interest in beautiful roses...or is it the enormous publicity machine for Austin and Knockouts that have taken over the business.?

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  11. Àngel Guimerà is still in commerce in Deuchland, at 16-Eichen-Rosenschätze. Thanks so much for your interest in Dot's roses! Some that are not in commerce, but are still grown in public or particular gardens. There is a Rose Garden (in works) at Sant Feliu de Llobregat (20 km South Barcelona) where it will be grown all Dot's amb Camprubí roses. Barcelona's Rose Garden is called "Cervantes Rose Garden", there is a good collection as well. We wait for you to come and photograph them! Mercè Vallès, Barcelona.

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  12. Thank you very much for your comments!

    Anonymous, thank you for the welcome

    Lorraine, thank you, and I hope you are doing well. I need to stop by.

    Sherrieboberry, those are lovely roses, I hope they do well for you.

    Dorothy, thank you, I am glad to have been of help. I am not really an expert, there is something new to learn all the time.

    Giga, thank you.

    Alex, I knew you would understand :) These roses are just rooted cuttings from someone's garden, there are not really commercial grade mass-produced roses that regular nurseries sell here. Those would be much bigger here too.

    Christina, it is nice to hear from you again. I guess both of us are quite busy... I hope you find time to take care of your garden and enjoy your roses.

    Cydney, thank you. I have not done nearly enough...

    Anonymous, it seems that roses, like everything else, go in and out of fashion, and that could be part of it. It could also be that fewer people have time or an interest in, gardening these days. Knockouts, for one, are probably considered more landscape shrubs than roses per se, so there would be more of them in those gardens where owners do not take an active interest in gardening.

    Anonymous, thank you for this informative comment. I apologize about Àngel Guimerà, I meant it was not in commerce in the US. Sorry for such a narrow view. It is wonderful to know about these gardens! I wish I could see them, I admire Dot's color wonders very much. Maybe one day...

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  13. I found your blog through the Antique Roses FB page, and I'm happy I did. Thank you! :D

    I'm not one to pine over old timey things, but when I moved from Europe to the U.S., I realized I can't get any of my grandmothers' cottage garden fixtures, let alone anything resembling them from ordinary nurseries. So as a complete beginner in the world of roses, I'm trying to slowly make a list of varieties that look familiar, and start compiling a wish list for my garden. :)

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  14. Penny, it is very nice to meet you. Thank you for leaving a comment. I know how you feel: I moved here from Russia and am still coming to grips with a way of gardening that is very different from what I used to do. I hope you find many roses that will please you and give you joy.

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  15. Masha, glad you're back to blogging! It's lucky you have new roses before this nursery is closed. Hope all your purchases will grow and bloom well!

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  16. Nadezhda, I am glad to hear from you again, and thank you for your good wishes!

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  17. Old roses can persevere and grow very well. Roses planted in the year 1965 are still doing well behind our house, and we're not avid rose tenders, usually.

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  18. Very true! I grow a few roses that have survived in abandoned homesteads since the California gold rush. They are among the very best.

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  19. I love, love your beautiful photographs. Is Vintage still taking orders do you know?

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  20. Chintzgirl, I think they said they will be selling until they run out of inventory, but I think there is also a firm closing date at the end of this year. All the info should be on their website www.vintagegardens.com

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  21. hi, Very nice blog:)
    I am a new gardner and a new blogger myself, check out me blog.

    http://seedgerminator.wordpress.com/2013/10/09/cabbage/

    Any suggestions and feedback will be appreciative.

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  22. Ah, Masha - don't let your blog weigh you down - we take breaks when we need them and come back refreshed. Beautiful roses, as always!

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  23. Blogging should never be a job or a chore. We'll be here when you have time to post. :o) I really love that last rose. So gorgeous!

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  24. I've ordered four "Frenchies" too. I'm excited have them, but so sad that VG is closing. They have so many roses that aren't available any where else. And I need them all! ;)

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  25. Beautiful roses photos!
    Greetings, RW & SK

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  26. Masha, we do get snowed under at times when there just isn't enough hours in the day. On the bright side, your photos are always stunning regardless.

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I am so glad you have stopped by!