English Roses for Spring

Now that spring is around the corner i've ordered my David Austin rose for the year :) Last year i ordered 'Anne Boleyn'

here's a description of it from the David Austin website:

"An exceptionally free-flowering variety with quite short, arching growth. The flowers are of nice rosette shape and of a soft, warm pink. They are produced in quite large sprays, with remarkable continuity. It has soft green, highly polished foliage. The whole impression of this rose is one of a pleasing freshness. There is a light fragrance. A lovely rose for the border or may be grown in a large pot or container."

This is what my ' Anne Boleyn' rose bush looks like :) This pic was taken last year during the first flush of blooms, this flower in particular is still slightly closed, not in full bloom. I love the soft pink color of the roses, definately not what the picture showed on the website but i am happier with this. The small stems,foliage and roses all arch delicately out of the pot and the overall look is so precious- i am very attached to my little potted rose bush! Now Anne has been pruned and has little red tinted new growth shooting from the bare branches. Coming up soon i am going to throw down some organic compost as mulch and give some slow release rose food.

And this is the new rosebush i ordered, 'Wildeve'. I choose this one not only for its hardiness(important here in Nevada!) and being suitable for a pot, but also for the name. This little rose bush is for my daughter Evelyn-quite wild indeed! I am enjoying the thoughts of Evelyn wobbling towards the roses with a little watering can and trying to pull the petals off,haha. Here is a description of it from the David Austin website:

"This is a particularly robust and healthy rose, producing long, arching branches which eventually form a bushy, mounding shrub. It flowers freely, with excellent repeating. The flower buds are blush pink at first, later opening to reveal flowers of blush touched with apricot. They form a perfect rosette shape which is distinctly quartered... It is an ideal choice for a prime position in the border or may be grown in a large pot or container. Like most English Roses, Wildeve may be grown in partial shade, providing it is not positioned underneath the branches of a tree... It has a lovely, fresh medium strong fragrance."