Vintage Treasures - Heirloom Roses .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

With the growth in all things 'vintage' these days it is easy to lose sight of the reasons we treasure old-fashioned things.  Perhaps it's a reminder of slower, less complicated times, when simple implements were used as part of the rhythm of everyday life.  At Edgeworth Lley, our love of old garden implements and heirloom roses arises out of our love for reliable tools and tough yet beautiful plants.  

We discovered the need to grow plants that would cope with our  tough conditions out of necessity.   In an area with high summer rainfall and cool dry winters, we planted familiar cultivars of roses.  Then came some of the driest summers with no rainfall known for many years.  Some old-time locals said this was the driest it had been for 60 years!!  We were desperate to keep our garden growing but watched in dismay as rose plants struggled through the heat and dry of yet another drought summer.  

But we noticed that a number of old-fashioned plants, some of which were regarded as weeds locally, coped  with the hot dry summers and continued to do well.  These include the perennial Ageratum sp. that flowers with lovely blue flowers every year.  This is also a lovely cut flower and lasts well in a bouquet or posy.  

And we noticed the reeds around the dam continued to thrive, even as the water levels dropped in the severe drought.  In fact, even after a long period of dry the reeds bounced back quickly after much needed rains eventually came.  Our dam is a valuable source of water for the gardens in dry weather, and reeds act as a ground cover that prevents the dam walls from drying out and cracking.   The dam is also lovely with surrounding trees and even sunrise, reflected in its smooth waters.  The water lilies also look beautiful, adding another source of cut flowers to our collection.  

So now we have learnt that investing in heirloom plants will stand the test of tough unexpected climate changes.  These tiny antique daffodils are a recent addition to the winter garden.  We are very excited each time a new one pops its tiny head up because we know these will multiply and cope with our tough conditions.  

Which is why we have chosen to grow heirloom varieties of roses that cope with tough conditions.  And even if they endure a little frost now and then they continue to grow and bloom, like this Bourbon rose, Mme Isaac Perierre.  Her blooms are burnt a little from the frost, but they are still lovely.  And her perfume is to die for, strong and full bodied.  

The other type of heirloom rose we grow now are the Alistair Clark roses, bred especially for Australian conditions.  This lovely climbing rose, Cicely Lascelles has beautiful, clear pink semi-double blooms that open with the morning sun and close in the evening.  Alistair Clark was an important Australian rose breeder, with international recognition. Yet his roses languished lost in Australian gardens until the rosarian Susan Irvine began collecting these tough beautiful roses.  Because of her efforts in the 1990's we are now able to purchase these tough Australian bred roses that suit our conditions so well.

And of course, another heirloom rose that suits our Australian climate is the old-fashioned Tea rose, like this exquisite Mrs B R Cant.   Ancestors of modern roses, these roses were ignored in the early part of the 20th Century, until Heritage Roses in Australia (HRiA) began to  educate Australian rose growers about the benefits of growing old-fashioned roses. Heather and Roy Rumsey, Sydney rosarians, were instrumental in re-introducing some of the Tea roses to Australian rose growers.   Many more of these old garden roses were found still growing near crumbling cottages and in grave-yards in memorium for a deceased family member.   Diligent and knowledgeable  HRiA rosarians collected cuttings and bud stock so that these tough, resilient roses could be enjoyed once again.   

So every time I see a bud of a Tea rose (Mrs B R Cant bud pictured) begin to unfurl, I am thankful for their hardiness and ability to thrive in our garden.  Sometimes, it seems as if they too are saying a prayer of thankfulness for being rescued out of obscurity.  

Early Tea roses - A Favourite Heirloom Rose .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

Our garden is in the middle of dairy country in the Hinterland area of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.  We chose to grow roses here despite being told by a few naysayers that 'you can't grow roses in Queensland'.  This idea is borne out of a pre-conception that all of Queensland is sub-tropical and tropical.  

Tea rose, Comtesse Riza du Pac (1876) (as sold in Australia)

For those who have an understanding of micro-climates, the idea that all of Queensland is too hot to grow roses isn't quite right.  We have just had our first decent frost this winter,with temperatures down to just below 0 degrees Celsius.  

Tea rose, Devoniensis with buds (1838)

Of course, many roses require very cold temperatures to flower, particularly many of the heirloom roses most people are familiar with.  These include the Albas, Damasks and Gallicas. Much of the information on growing these varieties is based on Northern Hemisphere knowledge which differs from Australian climate conditions.  

That is why many of the heirloom roses that we grow are early Tea roses.  Unlike much of the Northern Hemisphere which is too cold for these treasures, Tea roses  thrive in our conditions in Australia.  In particular, they cope well with our warmer conditions here in our little south eastern corner of Queensland.   

Tea rose, Mme de Watteville

And they give us blooms for most of the year with some of the best flowers in late autumn through to winter. The blooms of the Tea rose vary, but generally they have the delicate appearance of soft silk washed with colour.   Their perfume is also unique.  It often has a dry tea leaf fragrance which many rose growers believe is the source of their name.  But their perfume is complex and often has undertones of rose, violet, citrus and even apricots.  

Despite their appearance, Tea roses are hardy and cope well with the vagaries of our climate, from extreme heat through to sub-zero temperatures.  And they keep on giving up their blooms throughout it all!!

No wonder we love them!!

From Bud to Bloom .. AT MY ROSE GARDEN

One of the most spectacular secrets of the rose garden is the unfurling of bud to bloom. Each heirloom rose has it's own unique type of bud.  Some are fat and squat, others are long and pointed.  Some buds appear too small to hold the many petals that eventually unfold.   

Here we can see a short, plump bud of the Tea rose, Mrs B R Cant.  The green sepals are opening to allow the bud to begin to unfurl.  You can see the pale colour of the bud where the sepals have protected it from the harsh sunlight while it was still forming.

This is the same bud of Mrs B R Cant, but it is elongating, and the pink petals are beginning to unpin themselves from the bud.  Note how the outer petals are fully flushed pink after exposure to the sunlight.

The bud is opening up, with the petals separating from their tightly packed package.  

Now we see the fully opened bloom of Mrs B R Cant in all her glory; many petals unfolded to form a very full blossom.  

The bud of the early Tea rose, Safrano, is elongated and flushed a dark apricot pink. The sepals here are opening out from the bud, giving the appearance of a bud bowing in prayer!

Now that the sepals have fully released the bud, the petals have elongated and are beginning to unfurl.  These buds were prized by late Victorian and Edwardian gentlemen as buttonhole buds.  Very dapper!

Now that Safrano has opened out, her pale apricot blossoms quickly fade.  Safrano is so prolific in flower, that other buds quickly take the place of the spent blooms.   

Finally, we see the squat, almost messy little buds of the Hybrid Musk, Cornelia.  The apricot/pink buds quickly open to show off numerous soft pink blooms.  And the fragrance is exquisite!

So each day here AT MY ROSE GARDEN brings a new surprise to enjoy!!