Re: Med roses
> grant wrote:
>
> There are a number of roses that are native to the Mediterranean area,
> and as Mr. Seals said, some of them are really only for the
> collectors. Here is the list that I have compiled on those that are
> from that region:
> R. pimpinellifolia R. hemisphaerica R. gallica R. villosa R.
> tomentosa
> R. rubiginosa R. inodora R. sicula R. glutinosa R. micrantha
> R. agrestis
> R. serafinii R. corymbifera R. pendulina R. sempervirens
I find that I grow varieties of just two species out of this list, one I
like because it flowers so long R. pimpenellifolia "Stanwell Perpetual"
and the other which, even though its flowers are so fleeting. looks so
stunning when it is in bloom it is worth waiting most of the year for -
Rosa gallica officinalis the Apothecary's rose (also the Red rose of
Lancaster) though to be the oldest rose still cultivate in Europe.
The gallica also seems to be totally free of all pests and diseases - a
real plus.
Stanwell Perpetual, a _double_ long-flowering version of the Scots
Burnet rose perhaps has some Damask blood giving it its doubleness. The
flowers open an exquisite shell pink and last quite well but fade to
white after about a day. It is also very nearly disease-free, but my
bush suffers mildly from downy mildew, giving purple edges and spots on
some of its leaves, which I have been unable to cure completely. However
as this doesn't seem to affect its vigour or flowering I have ceased to
worry about it very much, Some shoots do seem to be much more heavily
infected than the majority and I always prune these out.
Rosa rubiginosa (Syn R eglanteria, Sweetbriar) has become a proscribed
weed in our South Island, where it has taken over a lot of good pasture
land, spreads very easy and is expensive and difficult to eradicate.
However it is certainly beautiful in flower and the foliage smells nice
too..
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata (near Wellington, capital city of New Zealand)
