June, 1920 
47 
A 
ROSE GARDEN IN A CIRCLE 
A Round Design JJliich Offers a Pleasant Chafige from the Conventional Square or Ohlong 
Plan and Displays the Roses to the Best Advantage 
LILIAN C. ALDERSON 
R oses in June! Allur 
. ing and enticing pros¬ 
pect, tempting one to reck¬ 
less buying and lavish, 
planting. 
Roses are free blooming 
and perennial plants witli 
the most accommodating 
habits, but they do manifest 
certain very definite pref¬ 
erences and peculiarities. 
They love sunshine and 
thrive best in open, sunny 
spaces; they are subject to 
mildew on damp, warm 
days, yet they rejoice in 
moisture and cool, cloudy 
weather and grow to per¬ 
fection in northern temper¬ 
ate climates. But—and here 
comes the rul3—if we want 
to have real blossoms and 
plenty of them, not just the 
roseate dream of the cata- 
loger’s fancy, we must make up our minds as 
to where we are going to put the bushes and 
prepare the bed long before it is time to plant. 
The Garden Site 
The true lover of roses chooses a site for his 
garden which is sheltered from wind but far 
enough from large trees or shrubs to prevent 
these from robbing the soil of food or moisture. 
The ideal rose garden should be well drained 
and sufficiently level to prevent any danger of 
water lying in any part of it. Roses are said 
to be partial to clay soil, but the clay must not 
be too heavy. It should be lightened with 
sufficient sand and humus and rendered fertile 
by the addition of a small proportion of lime 
and plenty of rotted manure. 
A healthy rose bush has roots 
from T to 18" long at the time of 
planting; therefore it stands to rea¬ 
son that the soil should be loose 
and friable for at least 2 deep in 
the beds. It pays to dig deeply, 
and where the subsoil is not of a 
gravelly nature to put in artificial 
drainage of loose stones and rubble 
below the 2' of fertile soil. If one 
can get the garden planned and the 
beds dug the autumn before plant¬ 
ing, the spring work will be much 
easier. 
Because bush roses are in them¬ 
selves prim and as it were self- 
conscious in their uprightness, 
there is every reason to choose a 
design that will help to modify 
their austerity. A rose garden set 
in grass is green from April until 
frost; a pool before it reflects the 
blue sky and passing clouds and 
Ati effective variation from the conventional rectangular rose garden is this circular 
one surrounded by a rustic fence. A cenfral pool has been added since the photo¬ 
graph was taken 
dimples with each wind that stirs. Edgings 
of bulbs or spring flowers lessen the long 
period of waiting and carpet dull stretches of 
bare earth with the exquisite freshness of 
spring. 
Roses need individual care and treatment, 
and for this reason do best when grown apart 
from other perenni;4s. If our outdoor house 
is large enough to be made up of separate 
rooms, then the place for roses is away from 
the main flower garden in a spot chosen as a 
setting for their loveliness. 
The garden illustrated in the plan is set 
against a mass of shado\v>" foliage separated 
from the background of trees by a rustic fence 
covered with climijing roses. The approach 
OVER arch 
I-jEWPOKT FAJRy 
from the house is by a flight 
of stone steps set into the 
rocky hillside. The effect 
is that of a sunken garden 
and the banks outside the 
garden near the house are 
covered with a mass of 
American Pillar and White 
IMemorial roses. The gar¬ 
den was graded and the 
rustic work finished in the 
late autumn when the beds 
were planted with dormant 
roses and edged with sod. 
Seeding followed in early 
spring and'the photographs 
were taken in June before 
the paths had been laid or 
the pool set in the center. 
The Design 
The design is circular 
with three openings, a wel¬ 
come relief from the con¬ 
ventional square garden. There are eight va¬ 
rieties of roses each in a separate bed, all hy¬ 
brid teas, alternately yellow and pink. Jonk- 
heer j\Iock is repeated on either side of the 
entrance walk, then Duchess of Wellington, 
Lady Ashton, INIrs. A. R. Waddell, Kil- 
larney, Betty, Lady Ashton and Harry Kirk. 
The archways and rustic seats are planted with 
Newport Fairy and the fence with Dr. Van 
Fleet and Silver IMoon. A border of Gruss an 
Teplitz runs just inside the climbers to keep 
the garden gay throughout the season when the 
hybrid teas and climbers are past their best. 
The broad grass walks add to the size of the 
garden, while the warm brick paths lend a 
sense of cosiness and intimate feeling. 
A circular rose garden such as 
this displays the plants to the best 
advantage. One can view them 
from all sides, and their impor¬ 
tance is enhanced by their not be¬ 
ing unduly crowded together. The 
amount of green turf within the 
garden senses desirable ends as set¬ 
ting as well as for convenience. 
Variations in the surrounding 
boundary of the garden can often 
be made. Instead of the rustic 
fence a clipped evergreen hedge 
might be used, with a broad path 
to separate it from the rose beds. 
In some cases flowering shrubs 
would be preferable to the ever¬ 
greens, as they are decidedly less 
fonnal. In the event of any tree 
or shrubbery planting, however, 
care must be taken to have them 
far enough from the beds so that 
their roots will not invade the roses’ 
own feeding grounds. 
t^USTlC SEAT 
The design is sym¬ 
metrical through- 
otit and perfectly 
balanced. Each 
bed contains only 
one variety 
