Cloudy with showers, cool, 46°
- Had 5 Yoshino cherry trees dug and planted
- Disposed of the final forced amaryllis bloom
- Ordered 20 hybrid tea roses for February planting
All of our Christmas ornaments for the trees have been taken down, ready to begin the long year's slumber. My eldest son was upset they had to go back into the attic, but I told him that is what makes Christmas so special; the decorations are here for just a little while. I'm thoughtful this afternoon as my Grandmother passed one year ago today. So, as I pack up the decorations and dispose of the last amaryllis bloom what is a gardener to do? Plan!
This morning I've selected with my wife the 20 hybrid tea roses that will hopefully become a powerhouse for cutting by late spring. Its been 20 years since I've grown roses. My love affair with them was passed down from my grandfather William Locke who was a prolific rose grower, breeder of hounds, cattleman and commercial vegetable farmer through to my father, Ernest, and then me. My dad purchased my first five roses for me when I was fourteen and taught me how to cultivate them. At one point in my life my plan was to earn a doctorate in plant genetics and specialize in rose hybridization, but graphic design had other plans for me.
Roses for Planting
Below are the nineteen rose varieties we chose from Jackson Perkins for our garden.
- Like No Other Floribunda Rose
- Clouds of Glory Hybrid Tea Rose
- John F. Kennedy Hybrid Tea Rose
- Amore™ Eleganza® Hybrid Tea Rose
- Glory Hybrid Tea Rose
- Jane Goodall Hybrid Tea Rose
- Mister Lincoln Hybrid Tea Rose
- Sedona™ Hybrid Tea Rose
- Delight® Hybrid Tea Rose
- April in Paris Hybrid Tea Rose
- Crescendo™ Hybrid Tea Rose
- Honor® Hybrid Tea Rose
- Angel™ Parfuma® Floribunda Rose
- Amore™ Eleganza® Hybrid Tea Rose
- Gemini™ Hybrid Tea Rose
- Brigadoon Hybrid Tea Rose
- Sheer Magic™ Hybrid Tea Rose
- La Park Floribunda Rose
- Moondance Floribunda Rose
As we begin a new year I'm dreaming of the blooms that are to come, of digging manure and limestone into the Georgia red clay and researching organic methods for the care of rose. I'm hopeful my garden can be entirely organic.
