Friday, June 20, 2008



Just about every plant in our garden either Rosemary or I have chosen. Many of the roses were suggested by Janet Wood. Just about every suggestion of hers has been a very good rose. Only two people have imposed on me a rose. I was given no choice. Alleyne Cook showed up one day with a little pot that had a stick in it. He told me, "If you are going to have one rose in your garden it has to be Rosa 'Complicata'. The stick grew well and this once blooming rose makes up for it with hundreds of very large single deep pink flowers. The other unwanted rose was given to me by John Tuytle.

Last year he and his wife were very sick. I was to visit him with Rebecca. I never did. John was much too sick. This year he called and he expects our visit. But on his way to leave some plants for the VanDusen plant sale he dropped off a small pot with a Hybrid Tea Rose called Crimson Glory. Hybrid Teas are certainly not my cup of tea. The ones that have scent I don't like (with the exception of a hard to grow Double Delight. It is struggling in my garden at the time.) I don't like the scent oof most teas because while sweet it seems cold and standoffish to me.

In 1935 Crimson Glory was the finest red Hybrid Tea on earth. It had been introduced by Wilhelm Kordes. In time it seems to have faded and it has been replaced by other red roses like Mr. Lincoln. I like none of them. I would rather have my once blooming Gallicas or the English Rose L.D. Braithwaite.

John Tuytle, in the end was right. This is the first bloom from his plant. The red is deep and the insides of the petals are almost jet black. And the scent! It is not Tea Rose at all. It smells of fruits. From what I have read it seems that my gift horse has sired lots of very popular offspring. It lives in other plants. In my garden it lives on its own.