Wednesday, July 3, 2013

FOURTH OF JULY – A ROSE TO CELEBRATE OUR INDEPENDENCE




 


Striped Red and White Rose
Parentage: R. 'Roller Coaster' x R. 'Altissimo'.

Fourth of July is a special day for our country. We celebrate our freedom that we cherish and that our veterans fought and died heroically and some are still fighting to preserve what we enjoy today. Won't it be nice to honor our country by having “Fourth of July” rose in our garden? Yes, a rose by the name of “Fourth of July”. As a gardener, I designed my front garden in the theme of Red, White and Blue. I have white alyssum, blue pansies and red roses. 

“Fourth of July” is a semi-double, gorgeous ruffled petals climber that looks like a burst of fireworks when in bloom. It has long, pointed buds and 3" and 4" blooms with striped red and white petals and glossy, dark green foliage. It is a vigorous plant and can grow 10 to 14 ft. high. It is the first climber to be honored as a 1999 All-America Selection winner for a long time. I planted mine next to a palm tree hoping it would climb the palm tree but the canes were growing away from the tree so I pegged the long cane last week. Pegging or bending the cane down and pegging it to the ground encourages more lateral stems and more blooms.  Next year, I plan to dig it up and move it next to the pillar supporting my front terrace and train it to climb the pillar. 

“Fourth of July” has strong apple fragrance, a very refreshing scent. Color is dramatic. It is a stunning plant, a real traffic stopper. It is an excellent repeat blooming rose with sensational flowers all season long. It is the best climber around winning awards at rose show around the country.  You can plant them attached to an arch, pergola or trellis for a stunning display of colorful blooms.  Some gardeners use them as a shrub in the entranceway to the garden.  To grow them as a shrub, prune them heavily in the spring. 

Best grown in medium moisture, slightly acidic, well-drained garden loams in full sun to part shade. Water deeply and regularly (mornings are best). Good air circulation is important because it promotes vigorous and healthy growth and helps prevent diseases. Summer mulch helps retain moisture, keeps roots cool and discourages weeds. Remove spent flowers to encourage rebloom.  Remove and destroy diseased leaves from plants, as practicable, and clean up and destroy dead leaves from the ground around the plants both during the growing season and as part of winterizing your roses in late fall.  It is very disease resistant and winter hardy.  Few roses can command attention like Fourth of July. It only has 10-16 petals but when Fourth of July is i bloom, it is quite a show.



 A RED, WHITE & BLUE GARDEN

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