Native Species Forest Garden?
Camilla C
last year
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ShadyWillowFarm
last yearfloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
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Anyone growing native species roses?
Comments (151)Kim, I'm not convinced that the color was so rare- a search of Tea Roses at HMF shows quite a few that are called red or dark red, including FD's presumed ancestor, 'Souv. de David D'Angers'. The dark red color combined with the large flower probably was a real treat, though, and it sounds like the plant was a nice shape if grown in suitable conditions on suitable understock. I read the review below of 'Francis Dubreuil' from a 1906 issue of Gardening Illustrated Magazine, and felt that 'FD' was being praised for his beauty, but also subtly dismissed. The writer suggests that because 'FD' has a weak neck that the HT's 'Liberty', 'Warrior' and 'Richmond' are better choices for red flowered pot roses, and that 'Princesse de Sagan' is a better choice for mass planting of a red Tea in the garden. 'FD' is best grown as a standard for buttonhole flowers. Honestly, if I were in the market for a red Tea rose in 1906, I wouldn't have rushed out to buy 'FD' after reading this review... As for why 'FD' wasn't available in U.S. nurseries at the turn of the 20th Century, it may have been due to something fairly simple- poor marketing, problems with importation, plant losses due to weather/poor storage or some other factor(s) lost in the sands of time. Or you may be right to suspect that 'Francis Dubreuil' just wasn't a very good or useful rose, and American nurseries preferred to devote limited space to better/ more popular plants. Virginia Rose Francis Dubreuil Red Tea Roses appear very much out of place when mixed with other Tea-scented varieties at the exhibitions, but in the garden their value is justly appreciated. It is a question whether the Rose under notice of the variety Souvenir de Therese Levet is the better, but I think the place of honour is usually accorded to Francis Dubreuil. It is a lovely Rose, of exquisite shape in the bud, and of a rich dark amaranth-red colour, with a maroon shading. Its beauty is best displayed when grown in standard form. Here it will make a glorious head, if budded upon a thrifty Brier, and one may always be sure of a good button-hole flower from a tree of this sort. Neither this variety nor Souvenir de Therese Levet is seen to very great advantage as bush plants, their growth being rather too diffuse to be used as garden varieties, but upon a low wall they would be grand. Where highly-coloured flowers are appreciated several plants of Francis Dubreuil should be grown, considering the scarcity of good reds among the Hybrid Teas, and by good cultivation upon well-drained soil blossoms of great beauty may be obtained. Being a true Tea, it is as free flowering in autumn as in summer. The tropical weather of the last few weeks has been very favourable to this Rose, and I have been able to cut numbers of lovely blossoms. There is a beautiful reddish Rose named General Gallieni which is worth growing. It has a tinge of coppery-yellow at base of petals, and often pervading the centre petals, but its general effect is red. Betty Berkeley and Friquet are two other good crimson or...[bottom of the page is cut off]... but the best of all for general effect in the mass is Princesse de Sagan, which is as much a China as it is a Tea Rose. How effective are its velvety crimson blossoms, so quaintly twisted and so freely produced! Another Rose that has been splendid just lately is the Hybrid Tea Etoile de France. I have been inclined to condemn this Rose, but must hesitate in view of what I have lately seen. I am afraid that in a cool or wet season it would be a failure, but in seasons like the present it will be fine. As a pot-Rose Francis Dubreuil has one failing, and that is a peculiar weakness in the stalk, which causes the blooms to bend at the neck and appear on the plant quite distorted. Market growers have, for this reason, been obliged to discard the variety. Perhaps it is not wanted as a pot-Rose now that we have such beautiful reds as Liberty, Warrior, and Richmond. ROSA....See MoreNon-Natives in a forest situation?
Comments (4)It really depends on so many variables. Aside from timber production, another example is the research being done on hybrid chestnuts. Although I might argue that a timber plantation is a lot more managed than wild forest. There's some exotic species that compete so well, they actually outcompete the native species. Those are referred to as invasives. The climate and site conditions have a lot to do with how well an exotic species will do amonst the native species and yes generally trees grow towards the light. Growing trees close together or close to a building or something like that tends to send them growing narrower and putting out leaves where they will do the most good- the top of the tree. Some species will be resistant to native pests or disease and they may do quite well and even thrive in our forests (naturalize) but not become invasive. (Going back to the chestnut example) And you could plant a tree that may have a relatively low tolerance to shade and competition that may become outcompeted after some time. It just depends!...See MoreFree Seminar on Invasive Species Removal and Native Alternatives
Comments (1)I guess we can be done with this now that the event is over. Hope it energized a lot of people to get out and remove invasives....See MoreIdeas to help native plant species
Comments (3)midwesterner, That's great that you're taking so many actions to help native plant species. I've only done a small subset. I do end up discussing the topic of the problems invasive plants cause and the benefits of native plants with various people I know. I knew so little about these topics until about 7 years ago, and find many people are still unaware about them. Many times the attitude people have is that they still want their pretty flowers and don't care about other effects, but many times I think I at least get people to consider these things. I also do the research for friends and family when they're thinking of adding to their garden. Sometimes if they're considering an invasive plant I'm able to come up with a native or at least non-invasive alternative for them, that will serve as well. Many times I think I end up doing the research with no result other than my learning a bit more, but sometimes it does make a difference to what ends up getting planted. I became interested in native plants by way of my interest in wildlife gardening. Native butterflies and birds are often more interesting to people than native plants at first, and making people aware of the importance of native plants to wildlife is one way to spark an interest in natives. I know that was the case for both me and one of my SILs. Years ago if I had been told that I'd probably attract hummingbirds to my yard if I planted some Monarda didyma (bee balm) I would have done it in a minute. I also try to get people to read "Noah's Garden". It really made me realize I could have an effect by making some small changes in my yard. Our house is on a little bit more that a quarter acre in a mature suburb, but it is definitely a wildlife garden now, and a place that native plants have started showing up on their own....See MoreCamilla C
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