A Rose Garden for Romance - Page 3


© Carol Wallace
Page 3

'Celsiana' and 'Maiden's Blush' are huge and need to be part of the background, while 'Rosa Mundi' is petite and can take the foreground. These three bloom only in June - after that their beauty lies only in memory. You will have a rose garden still - but no roses.

Life is not a novel and love can come in July, or even August - so in my own garden I want recurrent bloom. I would use David Austin's 'Heritage' - a pale blush pink that is wonderfully fragrant. Best of all, it is nearly thornless - the way one would hope a budding love affair will be. Symbolism is almost as important as beauty in a romantic garden.

I would place five of those, evenly spaced, in front of the buddleia, and front them with three of the tiny shrub rose called 'Little White Pet' - only 2 1/2 feet tall and about 2' wide, with tiny flowers and a nice fragrance. Between them I would have clouds of baby's breath - Gypsophilia paniculata 'Double Snowflake' to give an ethereal look to the scene. Romantic gardens need to billow with excess - and nothing billows better than baby's breath.

Edging the entire bed on both sides I would use a ribbon of silver again - either Stachys byzantina 'Silver Carpet' or Artemisia stelleriana 'Silver Brocade.'

If I step back and take a look at all of this in my mind's eye I see that what I have painted is a rather pale picture of romance - so my finishing touches will need to add a bit of spice to the picture. One of my favorite tricks is to use clematis at the base of shrubs. Clematis x eriostemon 'Hendersonii' with its deep blue flowers and extended (nearly all summer) bloom period is a possibility. It can twine as it wishes among the roses and the buddleia, making them appear to bloom with two flowers at once. Or I may plant a few Ipomoea batatas 'Blackie' with its black-purple leaves to roam at will throughout the bed. 'Blackie seems to do wonderful things to add drama to a silvery pink garden without being intrusive.

A few finishing touches are required. I would tuck night-scented stock into unobtrusive places to perfume the evening air - since evening is an especially auspicious time for romance. And there must be some white Nigella - "Love in a Mist" placed here and there where there are holes to fill. A few African daisies (Dimorphotheca sinuata 'Glistening White') are required, tucked just behind the front edging, since they are not only beautiful but provide ample opportunity for a good game of "She loves me; She loves me not."

       

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Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: View all related messages

37.   May 25, 2005 11:19 AM
Carol has not been around in a long time. You might want to ask in the submit comments to topic editor down at bottom of page. ...

-- posted by Liatris


36.   May 3, 2005 12:48 AM
Carol, I am compiling an anthology of articles from the Valentine events which I have hosted and would like permission to include some of your articles, unless you have already included them in your o ...

-- posted by biogardener


35.   Feb 14, 1999 9:46 PM
If you're doing a new garden we'll all be more than happy to jump in and inspire you some more. There's something about planning a new garden that is absolutely irresistible! Even if it's someone else ...

-- posted by CarolWallace


34.   Feb 14, 1999 7:07 PM
Hi CW! I really did enjoy the article. It got my creative juices flowing with regards to my new garden I am about to create. (I look forward also to hearing from Moose. Loved his story as well.) T ...

-- posted by SirBosWife


33.   Jan 21, 1999 6:58 AM
I read the word 'rose' in the title of this article, and, not being a big fan, I didn't bother to read it. Until today.

What delightful suggestions, Carol! I'm looking down at my backyard right no ...


-- posted by mica





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