Rose Cuttings – November, 2012

‘Danae’, a hybrid musk rose. Photo courtesy of Mike Shoup.

Balloon-Skirted Ladies

Unlike modern roses bred with stiff, upright constitutions so they can be lined up in the rectangular prisons we call rose gardens, the ladies described here are big, billowy and relaxed. All members of the Hybrid Musk class, they can grow 8 feet high and wide (or more), cascading like balloon skirts.

Unmatched for their informal, relaxed structure and musky fragrance, these are graceful athletes who can climb trees, bound down walls or hide fences beautifully, even when they’re not in bloom. With flowers in clusters of delicate pastels and blends, they are the last to leave the garden party, often blooming more prolifically in the fall than the spring, flaunting their colorful dresses as other flowers begin to wane.

• Ballerina
• Buff Beauty
• Cornelia
• Penelope
• Felicia
• Danae
• Will Scarlet
• Lavender Lassie
• Prosperity

For more information about rose personalities, please refer to Mike Shoup’s newest book, Empress of the Garden. Mike is the owner of the Antique Rose Emporium. Visit his company’s Brenham and San Antonio display gardens for endless ideas on landscaping with roses. To order roses online, visit www.weAREroses.com.