Posted By: Diane Scott in
Roses
This year we were lucky enough to acquire four very special roses from acclaimed local rose hybridizer, Brad Jalbert of Select Roses. While many of his varieties are now available around the globe, only a few local retail nurseries have been offered the honour of carrying Brad’s roses.
Among these exceptional bushes is the rose ‘Diane Loomer’. Named for the first woman to conduct the National Youth Choir of Canada, Diane Loomer was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1999. This hybrid tea rose has an upright growth of 3-4 feet with large fragrant blooms (4-5 inches) that change from golden to apricot prink. This amazing rose is a continual bloomer from spring to fall.
Our second and newest Select rose is called ‘Dylan’. With blooms of the softest pink, this compact floribunda rose grows to about 3 feet tall. Easy to grow with foliage that has exceptional resistance to disease. Endless, long-lasting blooms on strong stems will enhance your garden all summer long. These would do well in all landscapes from mass plantings to a single container on your deck.
Planted in Stanley Park and various parks in around Surrey, ‘Our Anniversary’ is truly a rose for the lower mainland. With blooms starting plum red deepening to a deep plum purple (weather dependent), this dense bushy floribunda has spectacular glossy green foliage and a light, sweet fragrance. Its disease resistance in all climates makes it popular around the world. Growing to approximately 2.5 feet tall, this rose would be great in containers.
The fourth offering is the ‘Vogue Anniversary’ rose. After looking at many options, Vogue magazine chose this bushy dwarf floribunda to honour its 125 anniversary. An English style rose with golden peach blooms and bright green foliage, it has great resistance to black spot and mildew. A fragrant compact rose, it would work well in a border garden, in smaller gardens or in a pot on the deck.
Start feeding your roses this year with Select Roses plant food. We have both the Rose food and the Rose Starter food. Both are slow release. This means you can use them for your spring and summer rose feeding. Apply fertilizer in the spring when the soil, as well as the air, is warm, usually about mid April (this means temperatures stay above 10˚ C at night). Re-apply in mid June just after the first blooms.
The rose food has an N-P-K ratio of 21-9-15, organic based with traces of micro nutrients for a perfectly balanced rose food. This one is preferred by the Vancouver Rose Society. The Rose Starter (N-P-K ratios of 1-3-15) is balanced for better root development and more blooms in the first year. It works well as an all purpose for your other plantings as well. We are offering both in the smaller container, the one with the hand grip for ease of use, at $14.98.
All four roses will be available in 3 gallon pots for pre-order on our website with pickup at the beginning of May.
For more information abour Brad Jalbert and his roses visit his website
www.selectroses.ca