Easy Does It: Is It Living Up to the Hype?

I was so excited when I read about the Easy Does It rose, the All America Rose Selection winner for 2010, and the pictures were really captivating. The promotional photos showed abundant flowers the colors of a Tequila Sunrise--gradations of orange, pink and red on scalloped-edge petals. What's more, the bush was said to have excellent disease resistance, moderately fruity fragrance, and to be "perfect in every climate." I had to have it and I asked my local nursery to put one on hold for me when they came in.

The first blooms have begun to open now and I'm taking stock of how well this rose lives up the hype surrounding it. And the conclusion so far is: well, not quite.

For starters, take a look at the promo photo:

Now take a look at the blooms I'm getting:

Much more orange-y than the promo photos, and not nearly the kind of scalloping along the edges of the petals. That scalloping was one of the rose's most interesting features because it gave it such a lush, peony-like fullness. In addition, the flower size, which was described as "Medium-large" is actually only about two inches across. And that moderately fruity fragrance? I'd describe it as mild at best.

A lot of things can affect a rose's bloom size, coloration, and fragrance, not the least of which is soil. And my rose is currently still in the pot that it came in from the nursery. They told me they put timed-release fertilizer in when they potted it up, so I don't think it's lacking for nutrients. But in the next couple weeks I'll be clearing a space for this rose in my front yard and then we'll see if there's any improvement.

Don't get me wrong--I think it's still quite an attractive rose, but it is not the spectacular beauty I was expecting. It makes me wonder what use the All America Rose Selection is at all when it comes to choosing roses for your garden.

Love the Flower, Hate the Plant

What do you do when a long-awaited bloom finally appears and opens and it is gorgeous? I mean, bold and delicate at the same time, totally eye-catching, jaw-droppingly gorgeous? But wait. There's a catch. The plant that beautiful bloom is hanging on is a horror!

Such is the case with this black poppy I got last year from Annie's Annuals. I planted it in the fall and I knew pretty quickly that there was going to be a problem. Turns out there were a few. The first was aphids. They absolutely love this plant and have been feasting on it ever since it went in the ground. They crowd around the veins on the backs of the leaves where it's nearly impossible to dislodge them effectively with a blast from the hose. For all the juice they've sucked out of the plant, they haven't stunted its growth any. Which leads to the second problem--the plant is a sun hog. I put it in a spot where it gets sun most of the day, but it quickly sprawled along the ground about a foot away from where it was planted in order to grab more sun and then it shot up about three feet high--one long, gangly stem with several buds at the end. The base of the plant is ugly and bare, the rest looks about as good as it you can expect it to look given its poor form and bug infestation. But overall, the effect is: yuck!

There is never a time that I walk by this plant without fighting the urge to rip it right out of the ground and be done with it. But the flower! I really love its frilliness and the color is exactly what I wanted for this spot (a black-and-white garden). In the end, however, I think it's going to have to go. I plan on waiting until the seeds are ready to be harvested, collecting them for seeding elsewhere in a super-sunny spot, and then this unattractive plant will get an introduction to my composting bin.

Anyone else had a similar dilemma?

Succulent Sunday

Help me identify this!

Is this a Cotyledon?

Ethel Gloves' New Rose Gloves and a Rosier Outlook in My Garden

Things are definitely rosier in my yard this year. Last year was such a good year for roses that I decided I wanted to add more. So far I've only added two--the new Easy Does It rose and a Rosa 'Felicia' (shown at left)--but I'm already enjoying the results.

I'm also enjoying the new rose gloves that Ethel Gloves sent me to try out. These gloves have all the sturdiness of the regular Ethel Gloves and then some. I've been doing some pruning and weeding around my roses with them and I don't have a single scratch to show for it. They have suede palms and fingers and the base of the glove covers you all the way up to the elbow. There is even a little pocket near the top of the glove, although I'm not sure exactly what you'd want to put in it. But most importantly, these gloves are tough--tough enough to even handle weeding around my extra-thorny rosa rugosa.

One thing to be aware of with these gloves, however, is that they run small. I wear a size Small in the regular Ethel Gloves, but a Medium in the Rose Gloves just fits me. The rose gloves only come in Medium and Large so if your regular size is Large, you may be out of luck with the rose gloves. But give them a try--and right now you can try them at a 15% discount when you use the promo code SPRING15. And one lucky reader of An Alameda Garden can get a free pair of rose gloves. To enter, just leave a comment here telling me what roses, if any, you're growing this year. You have until midnight, Friday, May 7 to enter and I'll announce the winner on Saturday, May 8.

Succulent Sunday

"Under the Sea" designed by Organic Mechanics

2007 SF Flower & Garden Show

UC Botanical Garden: A World of Plants in 34 Acres

One of the things about living in the bay area that is both a blessing and a curse is that there are so many great gardens, parks and preserves to visit that it is easy to overlook some real gems that are right under our noses. One such gem is the UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley. I've visited these amazing gardens several times in recent years, but certainly not enough to see it all or even to fully appreciate all it has to offer. I recently was lucky enough to get a personal tour of the garden with the director, Paul Licht, and it was eye-opening to see how many surprises lurk in those 34 acres tucked into the Berkeley Hills.

Surprise #1: UC Botanical Garden ranks as the second largest in the nation in terms of number of species represented (a whopping 9,670), and is second also in the number of endangered species collected and preserved. That's an awful lot of diversity right in our back yard. But forget about the numbers. Where else can you enjoy the lush peonies, rhododendrons, and camellias of the China garden and then stroll a few steps away to take in a stunning array of blooming plants and succulents from South Africa, or the New World, or California's own natives? How about a classic herb garden, or a garden of traditional Chinese medicinal plants, or a visit to the Orchid, Fern, and Carniverous Plant House? There is truly something for every plant geek or nature-lover.

Surprise #2: There's a lot more to do up there in the gardens than just enjoy the plants. Some recent events have included a Fiber and Dye Exhibit and an Introduction to Birding, and there are also monthly butterfly walks and sick plant clinics where you can get help diagnosing what's ailing your plants. There are concerts in the Redwood Grove, tables for picnicking, even places to host special events like meetings and weddings. (Who wouldn't want to get married in a garden of old roses?)

Surprise #3: Every so often, some of its babies go on sale. And tomorrow (Saturday, 4/24) is such a day. Following a members-only sale and silent auction tonight, the open-to-the-public Spring Sale starts at 10 AM tomorrow and runs until 2 PM--not very much shopping time considering that there are 8,000 plants available. Check the web site for details about the sale and a plant availability list.

If UC Botanical Garden is starting to sound like something you don't want to miss out on, you should consider becoming a member. Membership not only gets you lots of discounts and goodies at the garden here, but you also get reciprocal privileges at nearly 200 gardens across the country--total plant nirvana for just $45 a year. Who knew?

Whimsy in the Garden

Life on the Balcony is hosting a blog carnival on the theme of whimsy in the garden. There are lots of fun ideas, including everything from legos to garden junk. And I resurrected a post about the making of my garden fountain to include as well. Check it out.