THE ROSES ARE BLOOMING IN DECEMBER FOR YOU AND ME

                    All photographs are taken with a digital camera in December, 1997
 
                                                                 by Gay Klok

 
            It is very handy to have the roses at hand to decorate and perfume our houses
            at Christmas time.   The repeat bloomers will cheer the gardens in Autumn
            which comes in March.   Some useful roses may have odd blooms until pruning
            June.

            This red rose will be used in a vase in the dining room.   The rose was in the
            garden when we came to Sandy Bay and I have not been able to name it.   If
            any rosarian can help me identify it, I would be grateful.   The colour is deeper
            than in the photo and the rose has a strong nutmeg scent.   I would think that it would
            date back to the 1930s

            Rosa "Duchesse de Brabant", a Tea rose.   Large, full bloom in a strong rose pink.
            Very fragrant, unfortunately it is inclined to brown after rain
 

            This is the small hedge of "Duchesse de Brabant".   The formally cut outside hedge
            is a square of Myrtus luma, a myrtle that comes from Chile that surrounds several
            bushes of old fashioned roses.   Many areas of the whole garden are controlled
            wilderness in design so in a few areas I have created a more formal design

            The "Claire Rose" - a David Austin English rose - a superb rose with large
            blooms and good formation.   The colour is a delicate blush pink that fades
            to almost white as it ages.   It is fragrant but will also develop brown spots
            after rain, the only fault in this beautiful Austin rose that was named after
            David Austins daughter.   Height approx. 4 ft and width 3 ft

            "Constance Spry" losing the battle against the marauding possums and peafowl.
            You can see the eaten twigs along the cross beam.   This rose was an ancestor
            of many of the David Austin English roses.   It has enormous flowers but they
            are blowzy and have the most wonderful perfume.   The colour is a soft pink
            with a deep English rose formation.   It can reach 7 ft in height and width so
            is a good rose to use as fence climber or a pillar rose, except when you have
            nasty creatures who love to eat roses.

            "Chaucer" is light pink, fading to white on the outside with strong fragrance.
            The growth is rather upright and it can be repeat flowering.  In the background
            you may see the rambler with small sized scarlet flower "Bloomfield Courage"
            growing along the picket fence.   The day lily picks up the shades of the rose.

            Two views of the Town House verandah climbers.   Above. On the left pillar
            [viewers' left] is "Wedding Day" and the other white [perhaps "Little Pet"?]
            and the pink had just begun to climb the columns when we moved here, 25
            years ago, remain unnamed.   On our return from the Christmas exodus these
            roses always had to have an early trim so we could use the front door.

            A closer view of the world wide popular rose "Wedding Day" which is very
            easy to grow from cuttings.   The building is our swimming pool shed to keep
            the machinery and garden tools.   The more "Wedding Day" covers the better
            especially the electricity meter!   We found the small paned, old window at
            a junk shop.

            The first rose to bloom in the myrtle hedge square, a lovely pale yellow
            rugosa rose "Agnes" has a graceful way of growing with long canes that stay
            upright.   It has a delicate and unusual scent, it grows to about 7 ft and 5 ft across.
            It stays full of flowers for a long period from late spring and can have a
            second flowering the next year.  It is very thorny but needs very little training

            The rugosa roses - in front is the strong  "Scabrosa" with purple-crimson
            flowers, 5 inches across and that show lovely stamens.   The rugosa roses
            give you and the birds wonderful hips for Winter decorations.    "Scabrosa"
            has enormous, scarlet hips that are too big for the birds.   Behind, in the paler
            is the more commonly grown "Frau Dagmar Hastrup" that also has brilliant
            red hips to delight you in the depth of Winter

          Had to include the famous "Iceberg" grown in many gardens world wide.   There
          could not be an easier rose, easy to strike cuttings, good health, length of flowering
          time, repeat flowering quite often 3 times a year, it's no wonder that it must be the
          most popular rose ever grown.   A Tasmanian gardener is exciting the world with
          a pink "Iceberg" that has just been introduced this year, 1997.   The violet rose
          rose next to "Iceberg" is "Roseraie de L'Hay", 8 ft high, colour a rich crimson-
          purple
 

                     If you have enjoyed smelling the roses and would like to tell me about it,
                     or have any questions to ask me, e-mail me or join the discussions on the                                                                 main page