Becoming a Rose Person

by Kelly

I've never considered myself to be a 'rose person' exactly.  Don't get me wrong...I have always liked roses.  But I have never really been one to cultivate them or have a designated rose garden.  That is until this year when I became acquainted with David Austin roses.

In case you're curious, I totally blame my daughter for this newly-found obsession with David Austin roses (or DA roses for short...what all the cool kids call them).  It was because of her floral design job that I became acquainted with them in the first place.  And I instantly feel in love with these 'garden-style' or English roses for their layers and layers of lovely petals and soft scent.

I purchased three, bare-root rose bushes from DavidAustinRoses.com in the early spring and planted them according to the package directions.  Having never purchased plants from the internet, I was little worried about how they would do in my garden.  But within a few weeks, tiny buds started to shoot forth from the thorny stalks.

Everyday when I would get home from work, I would walk out to my little rose garden and check on my plants.  Then finally, about six weeks later, I had my first buds!

It was so exciting...I literally started to cry when I saw my first rose in bloom.  This variety is called 'Crown Princess Margareta'.

The next rose to bloom was this variety called 'A Shropshire Lad'.

And then finally, the last type to bloom was called 'Abraham Darby'.

Don't you just love these names? They seem perfectly suited for their graceful, elegant nature.  I love how the big blooms sort of droop from the weight of the petals. And as the blooms continue to open, the color gets a bit more muted and faded.

But lest you think these fussy sounding roses need lots of TLC and constant attention, I will tell you that they have performed incredibly well in my Oklahoma garden.  From mid-May to late-September, they survived the worst of the summer heat (with regular water of course), and I only had to spray for bugs one time.

Tough and beautiful!  Just so many things to love about these David Austin roses.

Over the years, I've had my share of gardening failures, so being able to grow DA roses has been such a surprise and source of complete joy and delight in my life.   And I'm already looking forward to next year!

Until next time,

Kelly
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