Last night I finally got the fountain up and running. It needed a new hose. And I have to sort of emotionally prepare myself to work in the yucky water that accumulates. Algae and birds do a number on still water. In the midst of doing that dirty little chore I learned that Callie the Calico had been using the oriental rug in the guest room for purposes other than intended. It’s now sitting in the driveway. I hosed it down last night, and hoped I’d gotten most of the stink out. Nope. Next step. Vinegar. If that doesn’t work, I’m tossing it. Too bad. It’s a nice rug. Note to self. Don’t put a good rug in that room. Note to other self. Board the cat when you’re away. Or, cover the rugs with plastic. Ugh.
But the roses are blooming! They smell far better than that rug. The bluish purple rose in the bottom left is Rhapsody in Blue, a shrub rose. It’s blossoms get bluer as they age. The flowers are semi double and very fragrant.
The scene stealers in the rose medallion are the Hansa Roses. They are huge, even though I constantly chop them back. These rugosa shrub roses are very hardy and tolerant. They bloom throughout the summer and develop large red hips in the fall. They are practically black spot proof. In fact, I’ve never seen any black spot on them at all, even when the other shrub roses in the bed struggle with it every stinkin’ year. Hansas were developed in the Netherlands in the early 1900’s. These are one of the few rose bushes that thrive along the shore of Lake Michigan. They can stand up to the rough weather and bitter winds that come off the lake. In the picture above, the Hansas are the white and red blooms in the upper left, center, and right
The David Austin roses are also beginning to bloom. I have Falstaff and Golden Celebration in the rose medallion. Abraham Derby sits in the Secret Garden. These, too, are wonderfully fragrant. The hansas are spicey. The David Austins have that sweet rose scent that is so intoxicating. David Austins are English roses. They look like the old fashioned English roses, but they are repeat bloomers.
Garden 337 