Rose Bloom Clusters

I love the perfect, large, single blooms put out by many hybrid tea types of roses.  They stand out so well alone in a vase.  However, nothing in the plant world moves me more than a cluster of fragrant blooms on a rose bush.  They are natural bouquets to delight the heart of any passerby.

Many of my roses bloom in clusters.  Above is just one of many.  This is Compassion who is out-doing herself this year.  This cluster is so fragrant that it begs to have a nose buried in it.

Belinda's Dream is yet another rose that blooms in cluster profusion.  The blooms are also huge and fragrant.

Earthsong also often has nice clusters of bloom that are a much deeper pink than this photo looks on the computer.

Mrs. B. R. Cant makes clusters of these cabbage-like globes of color.  My newer camera just doesn't capture the color of these very well.  These flowers are such a deep rose color tinged with silvery pink that they really stand out.

Super Dorothy makes tight, grape-like clusters of small and frilly flowers.  You almost feel like you can cut a cluster off and eat it.

Dublin Bay also makes velvety-red bunches of blooms that are extremely long-lasting on the plant.  This plant is putting on a stellar show this late spring.

Cramoisi Superieur also puts out sweet little groups of bloom with a hint of cloves in the fragrance.  I love this little rose because Paw-paw had them planted all around his yard.  As a kid, I remember picking blooms off and smelling them and then giving them to Maw-maw.  Fragrances are such nostalgic things for me and bring back many wonderful memories.

It's a Rose! It's a Vine! It's Super Dort!

Super Dorothy is classified as a rambler rose and fits well into that class of roses as a very long and lean climber.  The canes are highly flexible and easy to train.  It will effortlessly cover a large area.  It is supposed to be one of the only repeat blooming ramblers available, but mine has never bloomed more than once per season in its four year life-span.

I'm not complaining all that much about it blooming only once per year.  After all, when it DOES bloom, it's covered!  The above picture shows it growing on my chainlink fence between Earthsong and Archduke Charles.  Frankly, this rose would be happier in a place where it can sprawl out even more.

The blooms are small with a quilled look to them.  The come in huge clusters that resemble grapes hanging.  The effect can be quite stunning when at peak bloom.  Unfortunately, there is no fragrance at all with this rose.  I have never seen even a speck of disease on this plant even though I never spray it.  This would be a fine rose to put on a pergola or climbing up a large wall face.  The color is perfect for an English style cottage garden and would fit in that setting well.

Super Dorothy

My grandmother passed away earlier this week and it totally put me out of the mood to post.  Her name was Dorothy, so it's quite amazing that my rambling rose Super Dorothy came into full bloom this very week.  Such a nice show to cheer me up with the passing of my Maw-maw. 

Unfortunately, I didn't get any close-up pictures of the huge clusters of bloom, but I did get some nice whole bush shots that I'm sharing. 

I've had this rose for several years now and it's finally reached the "leap" stage and put on its best show.  Ramblers typically flush after ever-bloomers have finished their first flush.  They bloom only once, but it's quite a show.  This rose has never shown even one speck of blackspot or mildew despite no spraying at all.  It's also very easy to train because the canes are very limber with reasonably few thorns.  These make nice roses for arbors.  Everyone should make room for at least one member of the rambler family. 

Don't you think this would look nice in a cottage garden setting?  Maybe growing on a white picket fence or climbing up the side of a gazebo.  It doesn't have any fragrance.  However, unlike other roses, bees seem to love this one.