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ROSES AND ROSE GROWING
[Illustration: SINGLE HYBRID TEA.
IRISH ELEGANCE.]
ROSES AND ROSE GROWING
BY ROSE G. KINGSLEY
OFFICIER DE L'INSTRUCTION PUBLIQUE
AUTHOR OF "EVERSLEY GARDENS," ETC., ETC.
WITH A CHAPTER ON "HOW TO GROW ROSES FOR
EXHIBITION," BY THE REV. F. PAGE-ROBERTS,
VICE-PRESIDENT NATIONAL ROSE
SOCIETY, F.R.H.S.
_WITH TWENTY-EIGHT FULL-PAGE COLOURED, AND NINE
HALF-TONE, ILLUSTRATIONS AND DIAGRAMS_
WHITTAKER & CO.
2 WHITE HART STREET, PATERNOSTER SQUARE, LONDON, E.C.
AND 64-66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK
RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED,
BREAD STREET HILL, E.C., AND
BUNGAY, SUFFOLK.
PREFACE
SOME time ago it was suggested, by certain rose-lovers and enthusiasts,
that the practical experience of an amateur, brought up from childhood
to love and cultivate roses, might be of use to other owners of small
gardens, who, like herself, tend their roses themselves. And in the hope
that this might be the case, I undertook to write this little book. My
text-book in this labour of love has been an old copy, which belonged to
my father when he settled at Eversley in 1844, of _The Rose Amateur's
Guide_, by that veteran rose-grower, the late Thomas Rivers. I am also
greatly indebted to the Rev. J. H. Pemberton's learned and admirable
work, _Roses, their History, Development, and Cultivation_, published
early this year; and to the various publications of the National Rose
Society.
As one branch, however, of the cultivation of roses is a sealed book to
me, for I am only an amateur who does not exhibit, I felt that no work
on rose-growing would be complete without a chapter which should help
those who wish to do so. And here I was indeed fortunate in obtaining
the help of so distinguished an authority as my friend and neighbour,
Rev. F. Page-Roberts, Vice-President of the National Rose Society. My
grateful thanks are due to him for the delightful chapter, the last in
the book, on "How to grow Roses for Exhibition." And I feel that to have
his name on the title-page is an honour of which I cannot be too proud.
As to the illustrations, it should be borne in mind that they are not
intended to represent exhibition roses, but merely ordinary blooms,
typical of the various kinds of garden roses. The colour prints have
been admirably carried out by Messrs. Swain and Son of Barnet, by their
new process of colour-printing. My friend, Miss Emily Jubb, has supplied
several of the original photographs of roses and of pruning, from
specimens in my own garden; and to her I offer my warm thanks. Thanks
are also due to Mr. Wm. Paul of Waltham Cross nurseries, and to Mr.
Henry Nicholson of New Barnet, for their kindness in furnishing Messrs.
Swain and Son with all the other specimen flowers for the plates. In
fact, without Mr. Nicholson's ready help in a supplying a large
proportion of the subjects from his own garden, it would have been
difficult to carry out the scheme of illustration.
If this humble record of my own practical experience, its failures, and
its successes, is the means of encouraging others in the cultivation of
roses, I can only wish them the interest, delight, and healthful
relaxation of tired body and mind, which this pursuit has afforded me
for many a long year.
ROSE G. KINGSLEY
_Keys, Eversley,
Hants,
Nov. 6, 1908._
CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE
I. MAKING AND PLANTING A ROSE GARDEN 1
II. PRUNING AND PROPAGATING 15
III. SUMMER-FLOWERING ROSES--OLD AND NEW 37
IV. CLIMBING ROSES--SUMMER FLOWERING 52
V. CLIMBING ROSES--AUTUMN FLOWERING 68
VI. TEA ROSES 80
VII. HYBRID TEA ROSES 93
VIII. HYBRID PERPETUALS 111
IX. BOURBON, CHINA, AND POLYANTHA ROSES 123
X. ROSE PESTS 136
XI. HOW TO GROW ROSES FOR EXHIBITION 151
INDEX 161
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
_To face page_
ROSE REQUIRING PRUNING 18
RUGOSA--ROSA ALBA 37
PROVENCE--CABBAGE 38
MOSS--COMMON 39
GALLICA--RED DAMASK (THE APOTHECARY'S ROSE) 40
CLIMBING DAMASK--MRS. O. G. ORPEN 41
AUSTRIAN BRIAR--AUSTRIAN COPPER 42
LORD PENZANCE HYBRID SWEET BRIAR--JEANNIE DEANS 44
SCOTCH BRIAR--STANWELL PERPETUAL (_2 plates_) 45
RUGOSA--CONRAD FERDINAND MEYER 46
AYRSHIRE--RUGA 52
EVERGREEN--FELICITE ET PERPETUE 53
CLIMBING POLYANTHA--BLUSH RAMBLER (_2 plates_) 58
WICHURAIANA--DOROTHY PERKINS 61
" JERSEY BEAUTY 62
NOISETTE--WILLIAM ALLEN RICHARDSON 71
TEA--WHITE MAMAN COCHET 92
HYBRID TEA--BARDOU JOB 94
SINGLE HYBRID TEA--IRISH ELEGANCE (_2 plates_) 96
" " " IRISH GLORY 96
HYBRID TEA--CAROLINE TESTOUT 97
" " MADAME RAVARY 98
" " MARQUISE LITTA 106
" " MADAME PERNET DUCHER 107
HYBRID PERPETUAL--FRAU KARL DRUSCHKI 114
" " ULRICH BRUNNER 115
" " GUSTAVE PIGANEAU 118
BOURBON--SOUVENIR DE LA MALMAISON 124
CHINA--LAURETTE MESSIMY 127
DWARF POLYANTHA--PERLE D'OR 129
ERRATA
Plates facing p. 45. _For_ Stanwell Perpetual Scots Briar _read_ Scotch
Briar.
Plate facing p. 53. _For_ Felicite Perpetuee _read_ Felicite et
Perpetue.
ROSES AND ROSE GROWING
CHAPTER I
MAKING AND PLANTING A ROSE GARDEN
HAPPY is the rosarian who is free to choose the spot in which to make
his rose garden--to choose the ideal position, with ideal soil, in an
ideal climate. Such fortuitous combinations are possible. But though
they do not fall to the lot of one rose-lover in a hundred, it is still
easy to find a bit of ground in which roses will flourish; for, with
proper care, there are few localities--in England at all events--where
they cannot be made to grow. At the same time, in choosing the position
of our rose garden, certain dangers must be guarded against, as far as
possible.
=Position.=--First of all I would say, avoid a draughty spot; for
nothing is so bad for roses as a draught. Even an exposed garden, if it
is quite flat and open, is preferable to a draughty one, however
picturesquely shaded it may be. The perfect position should be sheltered
from the north and east: but not closely surrounded by trees. For roses
are lovers of light and sun; and while they enjoy a little shade for a
few hours in the day, they will not flourish in stuffy, closely shadowed
places, where they cannot get enough light and air.
=Shelter.=--If some sort of shelter is absolutely imperative, there are
various ways of producing it without putting up an unsightly paling, or
building a costly wall in the garden. One of the best is a low hedge
kept closely clipped, of yew, holly, privet, or beech--the first is, of
course, slow in growth. Care, however, must be taken to plant the hedge
at such a distance from the rose beds that its roots shall not suck all
the nourishment from them. But nothing is more charming or suitable than
to give the choice and more tender roses a shelter of roses--planting
the strong-growing Wichuraianas, Ramblers and other vigorous kinds along
a screen of wooden lattice-work. This not only makes a quite sufficient
break to the wind, but forms a delightful background to the beds of
dwarf roses.
If possible, the ground should slope very gently to south and west. Flat
ground is preferable to any slope steeper than one in fifty. But some
slight fall is extremely advantageous, as it helps drainage.
=Drainage.=--This is another most important point to be considered. For
whether the soil be light or heavy, it is absolutely essential that a
rose garden should be well drained; as roses so deeply resent wet about
the roots, that they promptly show their displeasure by dying. If,
therefore, on low-lying land--and unfortunately we cannot always avoid
this--there is any suspicion of water within three feet of the surface,
broken crocks, clinkers, wood ashes, and such-like materials, must be
placed at the bottom of the beds to keep the subsoil free in times of
heavy rain and floods; and a good drain of ordinary field pipes must be
run from the beds into the nearest ditch. For let it be remembered that
if we intend to grow good roses, we must be prepared to do our very best
for them, and to spend a little time, a little money, and a good deal of
thought, on preparing the ground they are to grow in, before we dream of
planting them. Far better to begin our garden with a dozen roses well
planted in properly prepared ground, than with a hundred put in anywhere
and anyhow.
This brings us to the next point--
=The Soil=,--which is far more important than even the position of our
garden. If we are so lucky as to be able to choose the soil as well as
the position, then let us choose a rich brown loam; for that is the soil
roses revel in and need but little else to nourish them. Such a soil as
this we find in the famous rose-gardens of Essex, Hertfordshire,
Oxfordshire, and Kent. I have even seen roses growing superbly, without
manure of any kind, in an open field of this rich loam on one of the
most exposed ridges of Warwickshire. But if such natural soil cannot be
had, we must make it, as I know to my cost; for in my own garden the
ground is so poor that every rose-bed has to be made three feet deep.
And nothing in this case produces such excellent results as the top spit
of an old pasture. To get this, the turf should be pared off carefully,
and then the first nine inches of brown fibrous loam beneath taken out.
If the space thus left is filled up with other common soil, the turf can
be relaid, and no harm is done to the meadow. If, on the other hand, the
turf is not needed in the same spot, it may be stacked in a heap--grass
downward--and kept for a couple of years till it has rotted down
completely; when, mixed with manure, it makes perfect potting soil, or
the finest possible dressing for our rose beds. In the neighbourhood of
towns and villages, where building is going on, this turfy loam is often
to be had when new roads are cut out and houses run up. And it is well
worth the rosarian's while to be on the watch for such opportunities,
and secure a few loads of the top spit from the builder, to stack in the
garden against the time it is needed.
Having provided the requisite soil, we are now ready to begin work by
making the beds. The general arrangement of the garden, the shape and
size of the beds has to be determined. And here, of course, the rosarian
must be guided by his own taste. A few hints, however, from personal
experience may be helpful. As to shape, that is purely a matter of
taste. But whether they be round or square, straight or curved, in size
they should not be too large or too wide to allow of our getting easily
at their precious contents. For _at all times of the year_ roses need
constant and watchful care; and the amateur--especially if a woman,
hampered with tiresome petticoats--must have space in which to move, in
order to pick off caterpillars, cut the flowers whether alive or dead,
and see to all the various needs of the plants, such as weeding,
watering, manuring and pruning. As to width, I find five feet ample in a
small garden; as that allows of three rows of dwarf plants eighteen
inches to two feet apart; and enables me to reach those in the centre
row without injuring the others.
=Making the Beds.=--Let us therefore suppose we are about to make a
straight bed five feet wide and twelve long, in hitherto unbroken
ground, to contain seventeen roses. The first thing to do is to pare off
the turf. The top spit of some eight or nine inches below it, is sure to
be fairly good soil from the fibrous roots of the grass and clover. We
therefore dig it off a space three feet long and the whole width of the
bed, and wheel it down to the further end. The second spit in such land
as my own garden is much poorer, with a good deal of sandy marl in it.
This is taken right out and heaped at the side of the bed, to be taken
away later on. The third spit, which is now exposed, is a cold, sandy
marl, with many stones.
We have therefore a hole five feet wide, a yard in length, and two feet
deep. If the marl at the bottom does not show any sign of water, it may
be broken up with the fork, mixing in a little manure at the same time,
and we can leave it as it is. If, on the other hand, it is full of
water, some of it must be carted away, and crocks, stones, clinkers,
wood ashes, and even bits of turf, grass downwards, put in below to
drain it, as I have already said.
=Bastard Trenching.=--We then begin the regular process of bastard
trenching, digging up the fourth foot of top soil, throwing it into the
hole, mixing it with the broken marl and manure at the bottom, and then
removing the second spit as directed above. This is done along the whole
bed; and at the end we use some of the earth we wheeled down at the
beginning, to fill the hole on the marl at the bottom.
We thus have a bed five feet by twelve, but some fifteen inches below
the ground. Over the surface of this bed we now spread a coating of good
rotten manure; if we can get it from a cow yard so much the better, as
cow manure is cooler than horse droppings to the roots of the roses.
This must be thoroughly incorporated with the soil already dug in, with
a fork, not a spade, as our object is to keep the earth as friable as we
can. The bed is then filled up with nothing but the turfy loam mixed
with some of the best of the surface soil, till it rises a little above
the level of the surrounding ground; for it will be sure to sink.
But let no one imagine that this bed is ready for planting. It must be
left for at least a fortnight (a month is better) to settle, and to
mellow and sweeten; while its surface must be left quite rough to aid
the process. If there is a frost during this settling, that will do it
the greatest possible good.
Let the amateur avoid all artificial manures at first save a dusting of
basic slag (see Chap. XI); for there is no need whatever in preparing a
new rose bed to use any manure except sweet stable and cow manure. This
contains all the qualities needful for newly-planted roses. It should,
however, be so worked into the soil as not to come into actual contact
with their roots, but to lie some two or three inches below them.
I have, of course, chosen an extreme case here. Better ground only needs
to be thoroughly dug two spits deep, with manure and fibrous loam worked
in. But, even so, I always think it is advantageous to break the ground
at the bottom with a fork.
PLANTING.
When the beds are thoroughly prepared and settled, we may begin to think
about planting them.
The ideal time for this operation is in November and December. For the
plants, lifted as soon as they have done flowering, and put in their new
quarters with as little delay as possible, have time to settle down
before any very severe weather, and suffer far less than those planted
later in the winter. But roses can be safely planted, if proper
precautions are taken in the process, as late as February and
March--open weather of course being selected for the process; and I have
indeed planted them late in April without damage: but that was of course
taking a big risk as a matter of necessity.
Whether we get our roses from British or from foreign growers, the
orders should be sent out as early as possible in September and October,
to secure the best plants and to ensure their arrival in good time.
A mild day, if possible without sun, is best for planting roses. And if
the bundles arrive in a frost it is better not to attempt to open them,
but to put them just as they are into some outbuilding in which the
frost cannot get at them, where they may safely stay for several days.
=Unpacking.=--When they arrive, the bundles must be opened most
carefully, and the packing removed gently. I have seen valuable roses
badly broken by a careless person, who has pulled them roughly out of
the package instead of quietly disentangling the shoots. If the journey
has been a long one, the plants should be well syringed at once, and the
roots plunged in a bucket of water for half-an-hour before planting.
Great care must also be taken in every case not to leave the roots of
the plants exposed to the air; for if the roots get dried up, a great
and sometimes fatal check is given to the rose. Those which cannot be
planted immediately should be laid along a trench and lightly heeled in
with soil, until they are wanted. And even those which are to be planted
immediately, should have a mat thrown over the roots as they lie beside
the bed waiting their turn, especially if the day is sunny or the wind
cold. Many of the great growers advise dipping the roots in liquid mud
mixed with a little cow manure before planting.
Each plant must now be carefully examined, and any broken shoot, or
bruised and broken root, cut off with a clean cut. For this I prefer a
secateur to a knife, if the secateur is a very sharp one.[1] A torn,
bruised, or broken root, if left on the plant will decay right up and do
incalculable mischief. Sometimes, in the case of one's own roses grown
from cuttings out of doors, the roots are so rampant that it is well to
shorten them before replanting; but this is not often necessary with new
stock from the growers.
The holes must now be dug ready for the reception of each plant. In
well-worked ground, such as the new bed described above, a hole eighteen
inches across and eight inches to one foot in depth, is sufficient: but
in this we must be guided by the root habit of each plant. Some have
roots of a spreading nature; others are deep rooting. And the
idiosyncrasy of each individual rose must be studied, if we wish it to
be happy. In an old bed it is well to break the ground all about the
hole with a fork; as the roots can then penetrate the surrounding soil
with ease. And I would repeat that when the hole is made ready for its
occupant, we should see that no manure is on the surface upon which the
roots will lie.
=Planting=, to be well done, needs two persons.
When all is ready, the plant, held in the left hand, is set exactly in
the centre of the hole, while with the right the roots are spread out
flat in all directions, so that none are bent or twisted or allowed to
cross, but are so arranged that the rose gets proper support on all
sides. In fact they should be regarded as the guy-ropes of a flagstaff,
intended to hold the plant firm from all points. If a root is too long
to lie at its full length in the hole, instead of trying to fit it in
against its natural inclination by turning it round the side of the
hole, a further little channel must be dug in which it can lie perfectly
flat. And great care must be taken not to injure the little white,
fibrous rootlets, which mean flowering strength for the coming season.
The collar, or point at which the dwarf rose is budded on to the briar,
should be from one to three inches below the surface of the soil when
the planting is completed. In newly made ground I prefer three inches,
as the soil always sinks a little. This is enough; for the plant should
never be _buried_, and the roots should be kept as near the surface as
possible. But if the collar is above the ground, the stock begins to
throw suckers which take all its strength, and the scion perishes.
[Illustration: FIG. 1.--Mode of Planting a Standard Rose.]
When the rose is properly set out and still held firmly in position, the
second planter sprinkles some fine good soil among the roots--I
generally give the plant a little gentle lifting shake at this point,
to allow the fine earth to fall into all the interstices of the roots.
He then fills up the hole gradually, pressing down the soil firmly at
first with the hand, and when all is on treading it down with the foot,
thus making the plant absolutely firm in its place before number one
lets go his hold on it.
If their roots have been thoroughly soaked and swelled before planting,
the roses need not be watered. But if the weather is dry, yet mild, it
is well to give them a good syringing when they are all in place,
especially if they have come a long journey. This, however, must be done
in the forenoon, to allow them to dry before any chance of a chill
during the night.
In the case of standards, large bushy plants, or pillar roses, a stake
should be put against them before the hole is filled with earth. This is
far the most satisfactory plan, as it avoids the chance of bruising or
breaking the roots if the stake is forced in among them after planting.
And, as I have said, the more fine fibrous roots the plant can throw,
the better the flowers it will bring.
Tarred twine, or Raffia tape, are the best materials for tying standard
and pillar roses. The twine should be given a double twist round the
stake and then tied firmly round the stem, but not too tight, so as to
allow room for the stem or branch to swell.
Under no circumstances must wire be used.
In the case of roses taken out of pots, the question of spreading the
roots is one of the utmost importance; as, if they have been long in a
pot the roots are interlaced in a perfect ball, and need most careful
handling to avoid breaking them.
When all are safely in place, the tickets must be taken off and replaced
by labels stuck in the ground beside each plant.[2] Many roses,
especially from abroad, come with labels fastened on with wire. These
should be removed without delay; for the moment the shoots begin to
swell the wire eats into them, and in the course of a few months will
either kill the shoot or break it. This is a most important matter. And
I have had sad experience in it; as owing to carelessness and hurry in
planting a number of extremely good French roses, I overlooked some of
the wired labels. Eight months later, half--and the larger half--of a
fine plant in full flower of the dwarf Polyantha, _Perle des Rouges_,
was broken off on a windy day; and on examination I found that the stem
had swelled to such a size round the corroding wire, that the weight it
was bearing of foliage, flowers, and branches had broken it clean off.
Even a label tied on with a string is injurious, from the constant
chafing of the bark as the wind blows it to and fro and tightens the
knot.
Our heavy task being now accomplished, we can await the rigours of
winter cheerfully. But let no one persuade us that the newly planted
beds would look better if raked smooth instead of being left quite
rough. A smooth rose bed means that the soil cakes hard, preventing the
rain penetrating in summer, and the frost mellowing the ground in
winter. And from early spring to late autumn the hoe should be kept
constantly at work between the plants; not merely to keep down weeds,
but to keep the surface of the ground open to the influences of rain,
sun, and the watering-pot.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] See pruning, p. 17.
[2] But as these are apt to get moved, whether by human hands, or by
cats and dogs, who take a diabolic pleasure in pulling them out and
knocking them over, it is well to make an exact list of the position of
each rose on paper.