notes and musings from a perennial gardener
The Main Buzz
Once a year in autumn, Longwood Gardens’ Continuing Education program offers a one-day en plein air art class in their incomparable meadow. (En plein air is French for “in the open air”.) These outings are always fun and a bit of a thrill for me. The abundant wildflowers, the other artists, the atmosphere generally, the resulting art – it’s all quite inspiring.
Most of us go into our gardens in the mornings, after the sun is up and the dew has dried. Or we’re out on the patio for lunch or weeding on an overcast afternoon. We might give our beds a passing glance during a cookout.
Seldom do we think about appreciating the garden after sundown.
That’s usually when we’re busy with dinner, TV, meetings. But dusk is precisely when many flowers release their strongest fragrance, and the palest colors glow with an intensity not possible in daylight. If you want to get more out of your garden, consider an evening stroll. Some people plant “moon gardens” or all-white cultivars for admiring at dusk, but that’s not necessary.
In this article I discuss what I consider some of the best roses for suburban landscapes in zone 6 today. By which I mean primarily modern hybrid shrub roses, polyanthas and floribundas, those bred to withstand challenging conditions and cold winters as well as provide easy-care color. Roses often get a bad rap for all the fuss they can take, depending on the variety.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are cultivars that are much easier to grow than others.
As of May 2023: I replaced several Knockout roses listed here that were becoming diseased with different cultivars, Clair Matin and Celestial Night, this spring. Once they establish and start blooming I’ll post an update about how they’re doing.
At the end of the article I provide a summary profile chart.
