Monday, May 14, 2012

Rosa sericea ssp. omeiensis f. pteracantha

Every year I watch for the first rose bloom in my garden. I don’t acknowledge Rosemary’s early spring bulbs. When I think of flowers I think of roses and the first rose of the season is my occasion to celebrate. For the last many years the first to bloom, with some competition from the rose illustrated here, has always been the startlingly white rose, Rosa ‘Blanc Double de Coubert’ - but not this year. In the fall, the three sturdy canes of the rose had no new buds. I had only one possible remedy for this. This was to cut it almost to the ground and pray. This spring one of the canes had buds. They are growing now but the flowers will be sparse and late in the season. The rose is in the almost full shade kitchen bed. It needs to get height in order to reach the light.

Nearby is a species rose with a special name (for me). It is Rosa sericea ssp. omeiensis f. pteracantha. It has two claims to fame besides a name that makes it sound like a species of flying dinosaur. This is the only rose (as far as I know) with four petals. Species roses have five. In the late summer Rosa sericea develops some very large prickles that in backlighting become blood red. Another feature, not usually mentioned is its fine small leaved foliage. It is shade tolerant and grows quickly.

It is the first rose of the season in my garden today. The day is a hot one. Rosemary and I have been puttering in the garden moving plants around. It is the best part of the year. It is that part before the roses begin to bloom and you can anticipate sitting in our bench with our two cats, Casi-Casi and Plata while sipping iced tea.