Roses Outdoors 



By Alex. Cummings, Jr., Head Gardener, Elizabeth Park, Hartford, Conn. 



The planter, amateur or otherwise, in taking up the 

 culture of the garden roses should not be dismayed by the 

 hard and fast rules usually prepared and laid down for 

 the benefit of the prospective planter, for the rose is a 

 plant with a kind disposition and its successful culture 

 can be realized under every-day conditions with the appli- 

 cation of plain intelligence. A porous, clayey soil is sup- 

 posed to be an essential to the outdoor rose, but I don't 

 agree entirely with the supposition. To grow garden 

 roses and get the most out of them, any soil that will grow 

 garden crops is ideal for garden roses. A heavy clayey 

 soil conduces to a vigorous growth and blooms of exhibi- 

 tion calibre, but few in number ; all very w-ell when roses 

 are forced nine months out of twelve or when exhibition 

 flowers are desired, but in the garden quantity comes be- 

 fore quality and display is the great desideratum. A 

 light, mellow soil is one that can be made heavier or en- 

 riched as desired, but, to take a soil of a heavy nature and 

 work it into a condition of complete friability is a task that 

 will take considerable time. Again, where the soil is 



it is well to know the different classes, or types, of out- 

 door roses and what may be expected from them. Hy- 

 brid Perpetuals are the? hardiest and most reliable roses 

 for the garden, but are at their best in June, although a 

 number of kinds make a creditable showing later in the 

 season. Some of the good kinds are: Mrs. J. Laing, 

 [■'. l\. Druschkii, Hugh Dickson, L'lrich Brunner. Fisher 

 Holmes, Clio Gloire Lyonnaise, Paul Xeyron and the re- 

 tloubtable Gen. Jacqueminot, the varieties Gloire de 

 Chedane Guinoisseau, George Arends and Comm. Jules 

 (iravereaux are of recent introduction and promise to take 

 a permanent place in the list of good roses. 



The Hybrid Tea section contains our finest garden 

 varieties, likewise numerous "pitfalls and snares'' for the 

 beginner. As a rule the roses given the most publicitj' — 

 the forcing kinds — are not to be recommended for garden 

 culture. In the North the varieties : Bride, Bridesmaid 

 and American Beauty are practically useless outdoors 

 and the Killarneys and Richmond are not by any means 

 ideal garden subjects. Strongly constituted kinds like 



THE WORLD-FAMED ROSE f;AR!ii:.\, EI.IZ.XBETH P.VRK. H.\RTFORD. CONN. 



naturally cjf a light nature tliere need Be no fear during a 

 wet season of that impossible condition, "Svet feet." If 

 the season is dry water can and should be applied as often 

 as necessary. To sum up : A fair foundation for the 

 culture of the outdoor rose merely requires a fair soil, a 

 convenient water supply, and of course an exposure to 

 the sun during at least two-thirds of the day ; other 

 requisites are largely matters of detail. 



Caroline Testout, Jonkecr J. L. Mock, Robin Hood and 

 Radiance are roses that will do business from June until 

 frost, but we need many more of that type. C)thcr good 

 Hybrid teas are: Rhea Reid, Etoile de France, Kaiserin 

 A. \'ictoria. Chateau des dos \'ougeot. (ien. Mac.-\riliur, 

 LaDetroit, Cynthia Forde. Eclarate. and Gruss an Tcplitz. 

 The "Tea" and "Tea Scented" roses are less hardy but 

 bloom continuonslv from Tune on. but are at their best 



