Old Roses

The old roses are just starting to bloom in my garden.  I have a border around the old childrens' fenced play yard where I have my roses.  I just posted phots on our facebook page.  I have three main types which prosper in West Newbury. Rosa rugosa is native to Japan but is naturalized all along the coast of New England, thriving in thin sandy soil.  After its primary blooming period,  it blooms sporadically the rest of the summer. The flowers are very fragrant and the plant takes off by stolens so is easy to propagate. The large hips are ornamental and edible.. 'Roseraie de l'Hay' is a dark red cultivar (my favorite rose) and 'Blanc Double de Coubert' is another.  Rosa alba is very hardy, blooms once with exceedingly fragrant flowers and has attractive blue-green foliage (the flowers are pink or white). There are many cultivated varieties such as 'Madame Legras de St Germain', 'Alba Maxima', 'Felicite Parmentier', 'Queen of Denmark'.  Rosa gallica is pink or red and quite stoloniferous. Some of my favorites are 'Tuscany Superb', 'Apothecary Rose', 'Charles de Mills',  and 'Rosa Mundi'. One thing I particularly like about these roses is that they bloom early and therefore they are done when the rose chafers and Japanese beetles arrive. All three of these roses are often found around old houses in Vermont.