A Rosy Holiday to One and All!

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Rose Profile: Julie Andrews

I know I am not alone when I say that Julie Andrews was my childhood hero.  I can still sing all of the songs from The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins.  When I was in college, I sang the lead in a musical and one of my friends, who was a music major, said my voice sounded sort of like Julie Andrews.  That was one of the biggest complements of my life!!!  So when the UK bred rose JULIE ANDREWS became available in the United States, I snapped it up. 


JULIE ANDREWS



She is a sherbet orange rose with a lighter yellow reverse.  I think the color is fitting.  The hybridizer Gareth Fryer had to get permission from Julie Andrews in order to sell such a rose, so she must like that color.  The blooms are on the small side, even for a floribunda.  The plant, however, is a great galloping thing with long floppy branches.  I think she was happy to move from foggy England to sunny California. 

I grew her for a number of years, but I ultimately gave her away since she was straining out of her pot and, at the time, and I didn't have room for her in the ground.  Plus, it looked odd to have a great big octopus with little miniflora sized flowers.

Even though the JULIE ANDREWS rose doesn't have a spot in my garden, Julie Andrews will always have a place in my heart.

Autumn Blooms

If you push me, I'll admit that fall is my least favorite season of the year.  With the time change, it is dark when I come home from work.  My gardening energy flags, as evidenced by the tall weeds waving in the crisp air.  The roses' gangly branches reveal jaundiced leaves.

We had rain this week, which is a good thing for the garden, but prevents actual gardening.  Today, we are having a brief respite.  I went outside to take stock and snapped these pictures.

DEJA BLUE

DEJA BLUE is a Miniflora, which basically is a miniature rose with a larger bloom.  It is a light mauve with a darker purple edging.  It usually has quite nice form, although this one's center is askew due to it growing practically upside down.  I had it in the pot for a couple of years and have only recently planted in the ground.

PINK INTUITION

This lady, PINK INTUITION, is so photogenic, especially in front of the blue of my house.  (Yes, I'm the only blue house in the neighborhood.)  Her stripes are so distinct and the bloom lasts forever in the vase.  Of course, there is no scent since nobody is perfect.

RED INTUITION

Her sister, RED INTUITION, is also blooming.  (Do related roses have the same length cycles?  It seems so.)  She looks a little pink here; she is more red in real life.

Camellia 'SAWADA'S DREAM'

I know this isn't a rose, but my camellias are starting to bloom.  I call them my winter roses because they bloom just when the roses start looking shabby.  I take a certain amount of pride in SAWADA'S DREAM because I actually got it free from Nuccio's Nursery.  The person there said that since I live near the coast, I should only buy single camellias, not doubles, for they would not open.  I did buy a lot of singles that day, but I really wanted to try a double.  Hence, the guy threw in this SAWADA'S DREAM for free since he was sure that it would be a dud for me.  Well, ta-da!  She is lovely!