Ramblings on Roses

Some roses are very lush and others are orderly. Each one appeals to a different kind of person. - Victoria Pearson


Zephirine Drouhin climbing rose still blooming in October



A scented garden could never be complete without an abundance of roses.  But there are as many tastes in roses as there are people.  I don’t personally care much for long-stemmed unblemished roses from the florist’s shop.  Their visual perfection and lack of fragrance makes them seem artificial.  Instead, I love wild, rambling roses filling the outdoors with their scent.  If they’re suitable for cutting, very well, but what is on my must-have list is hardiness, easy care, lots of blooms over a long season, and of course, fragrance.  Many of the roses I’ve chosen to plant are landscape or shrub type roses.

One of my particular favorites is Zephirine Drouhin, an old-fashioned scented pink rose from 1868.  Zephirine has almost no thorns and grows vigorously as a climber.   Unlike most roses, it will tolerate a good deal of shade and still bloom profusely. 

Some other roses I’ve grown and liked include:

• Miniature or groundcover roses - Fairy Pink Cushion, Patio
• Landscape or shrub roses - Pink Knock Out, Double Knock Out, Royal Bonica, Scarlet Meideland, Fairy
• Climbing roses - Climbing Blaze, John Cabot, Ginger Syllabub