Rose leaf

“ A Compound Leaf is one which is divided into leaflets, as in the Wild Rose, Pink Clover, and Travellers’ Joy (Pl. XXXI., also Fig. 2) .
A Much-divided Leaf is one which is several times divided into leaflets (Fig. 3) .
The Axil of a leaf is the upper angle formed by a leaf or leaf-stalk and the stem.
Flowers which grow from the axils of the leaves are said to be Axillary.
A cluster in which the flowers are arranged—each on its own stalk—along the sides of a common stem or stalk is called a Raceme. ”

“ Instead of merely snapping off each blossom between thumb and finger, it is better to do a little very mild pruning, by cutting each dead blossom off just above the second leaf below it. This greatly promotes the autumn blooming of the plants, and keeps them in good shape. ”

“ The garden rose may richly bloom
In cultured soil and genial air,
To cloud the light of Fashion's room
Or droop in Beauty's midnight hair;
In lonelier grace, to sun and dew
The sweetbrier on the hillside shows
Its single leaf and fainter hue,
Untrained and wildly free, yet still a sister rose! ”

“ One rose leaf, falling from an enormous height, like a little parachute dropped from an invisible balloon, turns, flutters waveringly. ”

“ The strong shoots of last year will produce a large cluster of flowers from almost every eye, and as a profuse flowering double white climbing rose we have seen none to surpass it. It grows freely, the foliage and wood pure green, leaves much nerved. ”

“ Rose, with roundish seed-buds; flowers very small, flesh-coloured, and of a deep red in the centre; leaflets egg-shaped, sharp-pointed, and small, hairy beneath, with finely sawed glandular margins. It is a dwarf shrub; stem and petioles prickly; the spines of the branches are scattered and straight.
This elegant little plant proves, as we imagined it would, distinct from the minor variety, whose flower and leaves we find subject to vary both in size and colour, but in the present true original species they are not. ”

“ Most beautiful it is. The lush fat green stem; the crown of huge leaves, falling over in curves like those of human limbs; and below, the whorls of green or golden fruit, with the purple heart of flowers dangling below them; and all so full of life, that this splendid object is the product of a few months. I am told that if you cut the stem off at certain seasons, you may see the young leaf—remember that it is an endogen, and grows from within, like a palm, or a lily, or a grass—actually move upward from within and grow before your eyes ”

“ A real lover of flowers finds it difficult to cast away a plant that has bloomed its best, even though the blossom is unsatisfactory. In my garden there are, at present, some plants that I am longing to dig up and burn. There are two climbing Roses that came by mistake in a large order and were set out. They have thriven as no others, cover a very large space on a trellis, and in June bear thousands of a most hideous, small, purplish crimson Rose. ”

“ But it is on the shelving banks that skirt the margin of the pit that the comeliest flowers are to be found; the most beautiful of all, perhaps, is the rock-rose, a plant so delicate that its small golden petals will scarcely survive a journey in the vasculum, yet so hardy that it will flower to the very latest autumn days. ”

“ But feed it according to its liking and it will give you perfect flowers in great quantities, season after season, and then you will understand what this plant can do when given an opportunity to do itself justice.
The Rose will live on indefinitely in almost any soil, and under almost any conditions. I have frequently found it growing in old, deserted gardens, almost choked out of existence by weeds and other aggressive plants, but still holding to [Pg 130] life with a persistency that seemed wonderful in a plant of its kind. ”

“ The Rose is preëminently the Queen of Flowers. It has no rival in the floral kingdom, and will always stand at the head in the catalogue of Flora's choicest gems. To it alone belongs that subtle perfume that captivates the sense of smell, and that beauty of form and color so pleasing to the eye. Add to all this, it is one of the easiest plants to cultivate, as it will grow and flower in almost any soil or climate, requiring but little care and attention as compared with many other favorites of the garden. ”

“ Coming into leaf while the other shrubs just described are in flower, its dark purplish-red leaves seems to bring out and heighten the beauty of their several colors; and when the flowers upon the others have passed away, the rich purplish coloring of these leaves remains, contrasting pleasingly with the glossy green foliage of its neighbors. All the Summer long the leaves retain this purple hue, making it one of the most showy of our colored leaved shrubs, giving beauty and richness to the grounds as a shrub that is ever in flower. ”

“ Opposite each other, making a cross, are four leaves, like a carnation leaf at first, but broadening and lengthening till it is two inches at the base and eight or ten long. Rising out of the axil of each leaf are buds, of graduated size and development up to the open [Pg 55] blossom. That one stem, therefore, is prepared to open fresh flowers every day for a long time.
The plant is exquisitely beautiful, for the whole thing, from the stem to the flower petals, is of a delicate, light pea-green. The blossom opens like a star, with four stamens and four petals. ”

“ The border round the Roses may be blue Nemophila; or perhaps the lovely Santolina Fragrans, with the soft grey foliage.
[Pg 42]
I think the “going in” to one’s house should be as bright and cheerful as it is possible to make it. But how hard it is to brighten up a north aspect! ours has hitherto been far too gloomy. In the garden, the bed of Roman Roses is warmly matted over for the winter. This brave little red China Rose is one of my great favourites; it goes on flowering for ever! Even now, when the matting is raised a little bit, I can see buds and leaves and the red of opening blooms. ”

“ Bee had done by accident, thought, “I wonder if a person could not dust the pollen from a very different rose on the pistil of some particular rose.” This was tried, and to-day we have such wonderful [195] improvements on the old-fashioned roses that no other flower gives quite the pleasure to garden lovers as the rose.
How Roses are Propagated
No, the seeds of the new varieties would probably not bring plants like themselves. More likely they would resemble closely their parents or grandparents. Besides, it takes a long time to raise a plant from a rose seed. ”

“ Rêve d'Or is one of the most useful and hardy of the race, a rampant grower, with buff yellow blossoms borne in immense numbers both in summer and autumn, while its rich red shoots and reddish-green foliage make it a beautiful object before and after it blooms. It strongly resents any pruning beyond shortening its vigorous summer shoots. ”

“ CLIMBING ROSES—SUMMER FLOWERING
Many are the races to which our summer gardens owe an almost endless variety of climbing roses; and each season adds to the bewildering number. The older types are the Ayrshire, the Evergreen, the Banksia, the Boursault, the Prairie rose, the Multiflora. ”

“ There it is, rising from its mass of purple brown leaves, leaves that are always beautiful in shape and color and suggest patterns for sculpture like the acanthus or for rich tapestries like the palm-leaf in the Orient. There the brave little flower stands with its face to the sun and its back to the snow-drift and looks out on a gray brown world and nods at it and calls it "good." ”

“ Wild roses abound almost everywhere. One species, blooming freely along the woodland paths, is from two to three inches in diameter, and more fragrant than any other wild rose I ever saw excepting the sweetbriar. This rose and three species of spiraea fairly fill the air with fragrance after a shower. And how brightly then do the red berries of the dogwood shine out from the warm yellow-green of leaves and mosses! ”

“ Of the climbing roses, the Ayrshire roses, particularly the beautiful white flower called the Queen of the Belgians, and Rosa ruga, a very handsome and fragrant variety, are perhaps the best for training upon frames to form what are called pillars and pyramids of roses, as they are quite hardy. For sheltered situations Rosa multiflora, and its near ally the Seven Sisters’ rose may be chosen; as they grow very fast and very high, and produce myriads of flowers, though they are easily killed by frost. ”

“ Climbing Roses need not be pruned at all, but in the autumn any dead wood you see should be cut out. On strong-growing bush Roses you may leave six eyes on a stem; on weaker growths three or four eyes. If you look at a Rose-tree you will see what we mean by ‘eyes’ are the little knots or buds on the stalks. With a sharp knife you should slice off the upper part of the stalk at a bud that faces outwards, because then the new shoot will grow outwards, and make a better-shaped tree. ”

“ It is only a couple of years since this little house was built and the garden laid out, and yet the shrubs and trees are as big as if half a dozen years had passed over their leafy heads. As for the roses, I never saw anything like25a the way they flourish at their own sweet will. Scarcely a leaf is to be seen on the ugly straggling tree—nothing but masses of roses of every tint and kind and old-fashioned variety. ”

“ Leaves spreading. Leaflets of an ovate form, sharp-pointed, sawed, and smooth. The thorns of the branches opposite, straight, and red. Stem low.
This delicate little Rose is a most desirable variety, as it continues in bloom all the summer, and is amongst those few that do not retire till late in autumn. It is of a dwarf growth, inclinable to spread, and sometimes almost creep upon the ground. In dry weather, the sun frequently extracts so much of the colour from the outer petals as to leave them almost bleached; which gives a comparatively richer appearance to the centre. ”

“ In that rich and fertile soil the favourite rose flourished luxuriantly. Rose-trees adorned the yard, rose-bushes hedged the parterres, rose vines shaded the arbours and climbed the pillars of the piazza and gracefully festooned the eaves, and the fragrance of roses filled the air. ”

“ Refulgence, fragrant foliage,—deepens in color on developing; scarlet to crimson. AMERICAN GROWN ROSES
The American grown rose, however, I find is considered by many people to be by far the best. While its slender brown stems are not as attractive to the ignorant gardener as the thick, green of the imported, it is much more adapted to our soil and climatic conditions. ”

“ How to Make a Wild Rose
9. Run a fine wire in and out through the stems of the foliage.
10. Cut a piece of green tissue paper eleven inches long and one inch wide. Commencing at the green calyx cup, wind the [370] stem of the rose with this green strip of paper. Half way down, insert the petiole of the foliage, or leaves, under the strip, and continue winding to the end of the stem. Fasten the end by winding with fine wire.
There! you have the flower, and you know the names of the parts as well as Billy and Mary Frances know them. ”

“ We are induced to consider the rose here represented, as one of the most desirable plants in point of ornament ever introduced to this country; its flowers, large in proportion to the plant, are semi-double, and with great richness of colour unite a most delightful fragrance; they blossom during the whole of the year, more sparingly indeed in the winter months; the shrub itself is more hardy than most greenhouse plants, and will grow in so small a compass of earth, that it may be reared almost in a coffee cup ”

“ It is a very pleasant duty on a bright day in summer to go round the garden with a capacious basket and gather the harvest of rose-leaves just ready to fall and litter the ground with their pink petals. All kinds of roses will do for the purpose, and if our days were but sunny enough the leaves might be spread out in the sunshine, and would soon become dry and crisp. ”

“ Planting, preparation of ground and cultivation are the same as for all other roses. Do not imagine for a minute that they will do well in sod or grass.
Martin Frydholm in his rose garden, at Albert Lea.
Another class of roses is the Baby Ramblers. For borders and bedding roses these I think surpass all others on account of the easiness by which they may be grown. And they are a perfect mass of blossoms from June till freezing. They need winter protection, but that is not difficult on account of the low growth and small size of plant. ”

“ This also must be taken away, as soon as the centre bud looks healthy and free from damage. Very strong growers, like Florence Pemberton, and those varieties having a great number of petals, will do better if the buds are not much thinned, or they will be coarse.
The N. R. S. definition of a good rose is: "The highest type of bloom is one which has form, size, brightness, substance, and good foliage, and which is at the time of judging in the most perfect phase of its possible beauty." ”

“ Sometimes the wild rose stock or root will send out a shoot after the new rose bush is planted. If this is allowed to grow, it will use all the food sent up by the roots, and the new budded growth will die out, unless the wild rose shoot is cut off close.
“Suckers” are very easily discerned. They are full of prickles, are light green in color, and usually have seven leaves. ”

“ The green rose of the florists is a case in which the leaves that should have been changed into petals to form a perfect rose flower have persisted in continuing green leaves, though masquerading as petals ”

“ With living pulse of sweet accord doth beat.
Every green leaf thrills to its tender heart,
In the mild summer radiance of his eye; No fear of storm, or cold, or bitter frost,
Shadows the flowerets when their sun is nigh. ”