Iโve been lurking around mail-order rose websites (hortico.com, pickeringnurseries.com, palatineroses.com, cornhillnursery.com), because itโs time to plan my annual order of bare-root shrubs. Ordering from rose nurseries is a way to find roses on their own roots, which are often stronger plants. Although Iโm drawn to the potted roses in leaf sold at garden centres, more often than not I break some of their foliage in the car, and then shatter the root ball during planting. So it seems Iโm not gaining much by purchasing roses that way. Ordering by mail gives me a larger selection, and they can be held in the cold garage for a few days, even if theyโre bare-root. Theyโre much easier to handle and plant when thereโs no root ball to worry about, and they usually arrive with red buds ready to sprout. (Sometimes theyโve actually sprouted, and itโs okay if those fresh little stems break off, the plant will quickly make new ones.)

You might remember that I was driven to distraction by Japanese beetles on my roses in recent summers. Iโve devised a workable plan, and that is to plant those that bloom once for an extended period in early summer, which is before the beetles begin to feed. So far I have two in the garden: โEtnaโ, a perfumed crimson moss rose blooming in June; and โCanary Birdโ, a species hybrid that comes into bloom in mid-May. Iโm after another couple of moss roses, because their pungently scented mossy hairs (actually scent glands) on the stems and buds are an added feature before the flowers bloom. I found a Kordes rose, โBlack Boyโ (Zone 5), with deep purple-red petals flushed with black, deeply perfumed and disease resistant. It was grown at the Montreal Botanical Garden where it was selected as strongly resistant to blackspot, mildew and rust diseases.
Then I came across โRene dโAnjouโ (Zone 6), an old French rose bred in 1853, with globular blooms deeper pink in the centres and silvery pink outside guard petals. Itโs highly scented, disease resistant, and like other old roses, tolerates less than perfect soil. Both โBlack Boyโ and โRene dโAnjouโ have double petals, grow four to five feet (1.2 to 1.5 m) tall and about 40 inches (1 m) wide, manageable sizes for a small front garden. These once-blooming roses are going to be a pleasure to grow and are on the order list.
Then I fell into the perpetual trap of desiring a rose I really shouldnโt consider, a beautiful rose that blooms through the summer, when Japanese beetles are feeding. Itโs another Kordes introduction, โRugeldaโ, a hybrid rugosa shrub with fully double yellow flowers and crimson-touched petal edges. Itโs not one of those egg-yolky yellows (like โChinatownโ), but has a clear lemon centre and the whole blossom fades to creamy butter as it ages. What style! The crimson petal edges are sporadic and the flower doesnโt appear painted (like โDouble Delightโ). Have I offended anyoneโs favourite rose? Hope not. And oh my goodness, the โRugeldaโ flower bud is totally gorgeous, a classic hybrid tea-style bud, with yellow petals still furled and boldly flushed with crimson.
Well, Iโm a fool for a good yellow rose, even if itโs going to be lunch and dinner for the Japanese beetles. It goes on the list, and if I get totally desperate with the beetle activity, Iโll put a net over the shrub. Rose lust is often the mother of invention.
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