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Albas |
Welcome to the July 2002 edition of my web site! The roses I write about are the Old Garden Roses and select shrub and miniature roses of the 20th century. For tips on rose culture, pruning, propagation and history, see "Other resources on this site". To return to this page, click on the "thorn icon" in the margin at left. Articles from the previous months are archived and can be viewed by clicking on the listings in the left margin. Oh, and please don't write to me for a catalog or pricelist.....this is an information site only.....not a commercial nursery. If you wish to buy roses, see my sponsor, The Uncommon Rose. Thanks!
My
fingers are stained yellow from pollen. My back aches and my posture
has suffered, I'm sure of it. I have scars and scratches all over my
hands and forearms. I can feel the subtle effects of sleep deprivation;
crankiness and lethargy have set in. The house is a mess and the pantry
is empty. My nose is stuffed up at the end of the day. But, I am satisfied.
What could possibly have preciptated such a condition, you might ask???
Its pollination season. It starts in mid-May and ends in the first week
of July, with a few exceptions. In the past 6 weeks, I have made approximately
3900 pollinations on my stud roses. In the greenhouse I am working mostly
with the Miniatures, but outdoors I am working with the Rugosas, Gallicas,
shrubs and Ramblers. The amount of work I must do between March 1st
and July 1st always seems insurmountable, and yet I slug away at it.
New seedlings must be potted up, last year's seedlings evaluated with
their first/second blooms. I propagate the things that show promise,
and weed out the obvious losers. I wake at 5:30 or 6:00AM, and start
work immediately. Blooms must be emasculated before the sun warms them
sufficiently to burst their anthers and shed their pollen. At right; Seed hips forming on the Miniature 'Sheri Anne'. Click on the image to see it full size. Last
winter I was doing research on Ralph Moore's R. bracteata
breeding line, and I encountered some data about some of the other roses
that have been bred from this challenging species. (In Spring 2002,
Mr. Moore released three new Bracteata hybrids; 'Precious Dreams',
'Star Dust', and 'Tangerine Jewel'.) At left; 'Maria Leonida' I have had this rose for only a short time so far, so I cannot comment in detail on its performance. However, as the older descriptions suggest, it does have the most exquisite foliage, not unlike that of its bigger cousin, 'Mermaid'. Blooms have an informal, ruffled double appearance to them, and a noticeable fragrance that is somewhat "peachy" in tone. The petals are somewhat like crepe paper in texture, but last well. Individual blooms are about 3.5 inches across and opening flat and slightly cupped. Although some historical notes suggest that it is slightly remontant, it is likely a once-bloomer. I'll let you know what the truth turns out to be. I plan on finding out whether or not it is fertile also. It is to be expected that this will make a very large shrub of possible 8 X 8 feet. Speaking of 'Mermaid' and Ralph Moore, not that long ago Ralph introduced a new sport of 'Mermaid' into commerce, calling it (appropriately) 'Little Mermaid'. It was a sport discovered by Ralph's friend Blanche Wimer, and is one of the dwarf root sports. (Occasionally a rose will send up a very swarf sport directly from its root system) One report I found suggested that this root sport occurred on a plant that was badly damaged by fire, killing it to the ground.
This little rose is an exact replica of the monstrous 'Mermaid' but in miniature. It will grow as a ground cover, or a small climber to five feet or so, pushing out 2" pale lemon single blooms throughout the season. As does its parent, it makes a significant display of bloom in the early summer, somewhat later than many other roses, and blooms sporadically throughout the remainder of the season. The foliage is very glossy and exquisite in its miniaturism. The conspicuous display of stamens are also a delight. There is another Miniature sport of 'Mermaid' called 'Happenstance', but 'Little Mermaid' is said to be a superior plant because it is more tolerant of alkaline soils, and is generally less finicky. I have a feeling this is going to become one of my most treasured roses. Click here to continue to part 2 of this installment
Original photographs and site content © Paul Barden 1996-2003 |
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Its
July; Can I Rest Now?
It
seems that several of the very early hybrids with the species are now
extinct, but I discovered that one of them, 'Maria Leonida',
still exists and is available in commerce again. Excerpted from that
article: 'Maria Léonida': Lemoyne/Burdin, 1829. R. bracteata
X "a China-Tea", possibly 'Hume's Blush Scented Tea'. Thought
to be extinct, but recently reintroduced into commerce, it is now available
from 
At
right: 'Little Mermaid'