While walking home from minding my plot at the community garden a couple of days ago, I came across this redleaf rose (Rosa rubrifolia, syn. R. glauca) growing in a nearby schoolyard. It reminded me of when we used to bring roses into the garden centre – we’d always order a few redleaf roses alongside all of the showier Mordens and Explorers and rugosas, but the customers were never thrilled about the “wild”-looking redleaf rose flowers. I tried to sell everyone on the foliage instead, but few people bit. I love them BECAUSE they look a little like our wild roses (Rosa acicularis and R. woodsii – see photos here). If I owned a house and had the room to actually plant full size (read: large and slightly rambling) roses, a redleaf or two would definitely have a place.
What do you think of redleaf roses? Are you a fan, or are they not really your cup of tea?
Have a super-enjoyable weekend! What are your plans – gardening or otherwise? I’ve already done a pile of weeding this morning, but there’s still a frightening amount yet to tackle, and more rain in the forecast….
Flowery Prose. 