July, 1907 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



333 



clamber down the front of a steep bank, I 

 do not know anything that is more pleasing 

 than the prairie rose (Rosa setigera). 



Even more free flowering is its variety 

 tomentosa, with smaller flowers produced at 

 the same time. From this prairie rose a 

 number of the most popular and widely 

 distributed climbing roses of this country 

 have been derived and, indeed, one of the 

 very best white roses of a free growing habit 

 of any section is the famous Baltimore Bell. 

 Its companions, Seven Sisters, Bright Crim- 

 son, Queen of the Prairies and Deep Crimson 

 are equally well known. 



Ever since its introduction in 1893, the 

 memorial rose (Rosa Wichuraiana) has been 

 most justly one of the most highly esteemed 

 summer flowering shrubs of trailing habit. 

 Its numerous flowers are small, about one- 

 half inch in diameter, and the bright, glossy 

 green foliage makes it a handsome plant for 

 trellis use, even when it is out of flower. In 

 the matter of hardiness, there are few plants 

 that will excel the memorial rose, and where 

 it becomes established it will self-sow in 

 great profusion. It makes very long shoots 

 and can easily be trained to cover the entire 

 front of the piazza of an average suburban 

 dwelling. 



The leaves of this rose are almost evergreen, 

 and this characteristic has been carried to 

 some extent into its hybrids, but in the 

 majority of cases, the hybrids do not carry 

 their foliage all winter, but retain it until 

 very late in December and for that reason 

 alone merit some consideration, for they 

 would be decorative plants even though they 

 never flowered. 



This group of climbing roses surpasses 

 the other two in one great important quality. 

 They do not make one burst of flower and 

 then rest, but they continue producing their 

 blossoms almost continuously from July until 

 September or October, and in one or two 

 instances (as is the case with Debutante) 

 they will continue to flower until stopped by 

 the frost. 



As a white-flowered plant the species itself 

 far surpasses any of the hybrids, and it can 

 be used for such a multiplicity of purposes — 

 as a ground cover, as a trailer, and as a pillar 

 rose it is unsurpassed. If a pink-flowered 

 form is preferred, we are fortunate in having 

 it supplied by the variety carnea. 



Almost immediately after the introduction 

 of the memorial rose, many rose growers 

 busied themselves in producing crosses be- 

 tween it and roses of the rambler type, 

 principally the Crimson Rambler itself, 

 and as a result we are enjoying to-day some 

 remarkable accessions to the list of climbing 

 roses. 



In my opinion, without any exception, the 

 very best single-flowered rose for showering, 

 or fall training, is the Jersey Beauty, the 

 blossoms of which are two to three inches 

 across, creamy white in color, with a very 

 prominent mass of pale yellow stamens, and 

 a black disc in the centre. This variety 

 has the peculiarity of closing its flowers at 

 night time, opening them again the following 

 morning. For a double rose of the same 

 type, grow Manda's Triumph. The flowers 



are sweetly scented, pointed in the bud and 

 the blooming period extends over two months, 

 from July to September. 



The Farquhar is the best bright pink rose 

 of this group. The color is wonderfully 

 brilliant, being almost a cherry, and the 

 flowers are produced in great clusters. 

 Except in color, it is a counterpart of the 

 Triumph. 



The freest flowering roses of this type are 

 Debuntante and Lady Gay, both a clear, 

 light pink; the former having double flowers 

 an inch and a half across, the latter (though 

 flowering more profusely) has individual 

 blooms smaller. For very deep pink flowers 

 grow Minnehaha, while Hiawatha is the 

 crimson. 



As a foliage plant, Evergreen Gem, one of 

 the early hybrids of this section (having 

 Rosa Wichuraiana as one of its parents) is 

 unique. Its flowers are buff white, single 

 and very large, recalling those of the tender 

 Southern Cherokee rose. The evergreen 

 character of its foliage is more marked on 

 light, sandy soils than it is on heavy soils, and 

 north of New York the foliage, though partly 

 persistent all winter, is not of the same type 

 of evergreen as the holly, but is held better 

 and retains a better color than that of the 

 California privet. Finally, I commend Gar- 

 denia to your notice. The character of this 

 flower is told by its name, and more than that 

 I need hardly say. 



Where it is possible to give special attention 

 to the plants that are not absolutely hardy, 

 there is abundant opportunity to greatly 

 enhance the effect of the piazza during the 

 season of rose bloom. These tender varieties 

 must, of course, be taken down from the 

 trellis or pillar and given protection over 

 winter, in the way that has already been 

 described. There are just a few of these 

 tender roses which are worth all the effort 

 that their cultivation entails. 



Reine Marie Henriette (Tea) is one of the 

 most brilliantly flowered, so-called red, but 



really almost cherry-colored, roses of all the 

 thousands that are in cultivation. It has 

 not been popular as a greenhouse vine, but 

 as a trellis rose, where it can be given the 

 necessary protection, it far surpasses any- 

 thing else in the lamily. Beginning to flower 

 in June, it will continue to produce its gor- 

 geous blossoms until the time of frost. It 

 can be counted upon to attain a height of 

 fifteen feet. 



For pale pink, large-sized flowers, take 

 Climbing La France, in every way like the 

 popular dwarf variety of the same name, 

 except in its habit of growth, and that (as is 

 the case with all climbing forms of dwarf 

 roses) it flowers a week or ten days later. 



As a good, free-flowering, yellow rose, 

 Climbing Perle des Jardins is my favorite, 

 although there are plenty of other roses which 

 will give richer color, as, for instance, Reve 

 d'Or and Cloth of Gold, typical old-fashioned 

 roses. 



In the South, the two banksia roses may 

 be grown outdoors, but in the North they 

 are generally available only in greenhouses. 

 They are very free growing and produce 

 trusses of flowers, which have a marked odor 

 of violets, the individuals not being more 

 than a half inch across. The foliage is shiny 

 and of about the same size as that of the 

 memorial rose, but of thinner texture. One 

 variety is creamy yellow; the other, white. 



Gloire de Dijon is perhaps the hardiest of 

 the tender climbing roses and it does excel- 

 lently, trained on a trellis, for a comparatively 

 short time. It is strangely subject to what is 

 called canker and is, therefore, considered 

 a difficult rose to grow. 



The best of all the tender climbing roses, 

 however, for delicacy of color and perfection 

 of form in the flower, is Marechal Niel, the 

 richest pure yellow of any flower of the family, 

 the buds are pointed, about two to two and a 

 half inches long, and true to its family 

 characteristic as a noisette rose, the flowers 

 are produced in clusters. 



The Memorial rose (Rosa Wichuraiana) grown to hang over a wall. MaKes a rapid growth 



