If we are talking about a monochrome garden of many different plants, I immediately admit that I do not imagine any version of such a garden and do not even have the intention to think about it. Perhaps, with a large variety of plants with blue flowers, it is not difficult, but I, unfortunately, do not know other cultures as well as roses. Supporters and fans of this series argue that there is a very even blue roses. So, one of the oldest pink companies in Europe ‘ W. Kordes ‘Sohne’ enthusiastically welcomed the emergence of a new variety ‘Rhapsody in Blue’, and immediately bought from its competitors a license for its reproduction.
In roses there is no natural pigment that gives flowers pure blue and blue colors. Blue rose has already become a symbol of the impossible, the originators devote dozens of years of hard work to this dream, hoping for intuition and chance.
However, even conditionally blue roses have undeniable advantages over other plants: they bloom before the snow and are very fragrant, and some varieties grow well in partial shade. Some believe that blue roses in the garden are inexpressive, but the task of a landscape designer is to create something unique even from an ordinary thing.
If someone has a passion for this scheme or prone to risky experimentation, you can achieve even the charm of the individual fragments of this garden. I do not dare to impose on your gardens with the entire collection, but I want to make an offer that you will be difficult to refuse. I chose only three varieties and I’m sure of them.
‘Lavender Dream’ (Interplant, 1985)
Without this rose can not do any worthy of attention rose garden and even a garden, and in the blue gardens (if they exist), it can even become the basis or a link between the individual subjects.
This wonderful scar will allow you to smoothly move from their plants to roses, because it has a medium-sized and numerous fragrant flowers, not like roses with regulated flower shape. Sharp charming buds unfold in semi-double, almost flat, pale blue-purple flowers.
In addition, do not have to “experience dangerous spikes enmity” because ‘Lavender Dream’ almost Bessin. A small (60 cm) spreading shrub is characterised by the extraordinary energy of growth, new shoots appear quickly and bloom. As for the persistence and duration of flowering, I would call this rose tireless. These roses can winter without special shelters.
Another feature, which in other varieties is considered a drawback-the plant has few leaves, they are medium-sized and little noticeable. When the bushes bloom, then from a distance of 5 steps gives the impression of soaring clouds. If you manage to create or at least once to see such a landing, then with this rose you will always associate the feeling of the arising delight.
In the Netherlands, a monument to the great original French breeder Francis Mayan, author of numerous masterpieces, including roses of the XX century, ‘ Madame A. Meilland’ (‘Peace’, ‘Gloria dei’, ‘Giona’). This monument is surrounded by thickets ‘Lavender Dream’ with the inclusion of blue flowers. So simply and gracefully expressed admiration for talent, has not yet surpassed.
Finally, perhaps the main advantage of the variety, which makes your garden harmonious with nature. Blooming roses attract a lot of bumblebees and bees. I personally know only two more plants (of course, among roses) that are so loved by these insects.
The use of this rose in the garden is truly universal, because it does not claim to be the first in any of the plantings, but only serves as a watercolor background for plants with the best quality of the flower. I do not advise only to use it in container culture, there is still important decorative foliage. Despite the low growth, you can get even three-dimensional plots from the variety, raising these blue clouds above the ground.
Plant this rose and surround it with a landing of a certain strict form. If you want to have a pyramid, the landing area should be in the form of a square, if the cone is in the form of a circle. Looks better pyramid if you are in alignment with the corner of a Bush and the trunk, then it would seem that see the edge of the pyramid. Remember the proportions, do not take for square face size of more than 1.6 m. Retreat on all sides by 20 cm, this will be the landing area. Planting should be dense, plant according to the scheme 40 × 40 cm (16 bushes). Standard rose is planted exactly in the center. Well, isn’t that a happy find for your garden? Do not push only this story to other landings, it needs space.
‘Rhapsody in Blue’
The next variety is fascinating already called ‘Rhapsody in Blue’, Cowlishaw/Warner, 2002 and may even give the name to your garden, if you decide on such a range. Originators, giving the name of Rosa intuitively, often anticipate the impression that she will make on the lover of this culture. If you include a rose in your landings, then first turn on your own imagination. Today ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ is the blue rose. Although they say that in Japan received a real blue rose, but it seems that no one has seen.
Rose has a good combination of characteristics. First, it belongs to the garden group Floribunda, which already means the abundance and constancy of flowering, the possibility of short pruning; in addition, this variety is also fragrant. Second, has a good growth. Agree, not every tea-hybrid rose grow to 1.1-1.2 m. this immediately expands the boundaries of possible use.
Finally, you will never find a rose like it (and hopefully another flower) and will not even think of impossible analogies. Imagine that you have a rose growing in the garden, not like any other (from 30 000 varieties!), this is happiness for anyone, and even more so for the blue garden. For rose is a very important advantage. If one rose is similar to another and they can be confused within one rose garden, it speaks, first of all, about bad selection of grades or about their ordinariness.
Rose has purple-purple medium-sized (about 7 cm) flowers with Terry up to 30 petals. High conical buds bloom in flat-cupped flowers and reveal a small white eye with a bunch of bright stamens. Do not rush to cross out such a rose from your lists, because this description is too formal.
If you are waiting for a blue or blue color, you will see them, and different shades. At different points in the life of the flower (as well as depending on the weather and light planting) its color changes. If you love only thickly double flowers and you are confused by the naked center, then look at the stamens, because they look like gold on blue cobalt!
Of course, it is the most spectacular in contrast, in an array of yellow roses, but in other gardens, too, will be great. The magic of color attracts attention, the rose is very noticeable in the garden. Always count on the effect! Combine with the colors known to you, but do not drown it with tall plants, otherwise you will lose the charm of exclusivity. Growth allows you to grow this variety as a scrub and even create fences. When forming a fence, it should be remembered that roses do not like strict (and long) linear plantings (especially if different varieties are built according to the rank, they look bashful and sad there). It is better to plant them at regular intervals, so you can even arrange the alley.
‘Charles de Gaulle’
And finally, the last variety ‘Charles de Gaulle’ (Meilland, 1975), named after the French General and President Charles de Gaulle. This is one of the most famous descendants of the recognized blue rarity ‘Mainzer Fastnacht’ (Rosen Tantau, 1964).
The novelty of the pale blue-purple color, the beautiful shape of the flower and the intense aroma of complex shades provided rose wide fame. The flowers are large (10 cm), double (35 petals), beautiful classical shape. The petals have a dense texture, so the flowers retain a good shape for a long time. A beautiful flower for bouquets, it is loved by florists. Bush medium size (up to 90 cm), moderately spreading, with decorative foliage.
I chose this variety is the third not only for the quality of the flower and flavor, it is suitable for mixed plantings with previous varieties on the condition of light contrast. There are various options. Here is one, the most ceremonial and spectacular, where each variety will be the most expressive on the background of another. If you manage to implement it, you can assume that the basis of the blue garden you already have.
Need a perfectly round flower bed with a diameter of 3 m, often these beds are laid already in the General layout of the garden and even decorated with borders. I do not know their original purpose, but they are used to the detriment of the landscape of the garden, and the reputation of the landscape designer.
I want to warn you that in such plantings attack is unacceptable, the seedlings should be uniform and only of excellent quality. Find the center of the flower bed and draw three circles with a radius of 0.3, 0.8 and 1.3 m, respectively.on the first (inner) circle, evenly plant three bushes ‘Rhapsody in Blue’. The landing interval on the middle circle is 50 cm. the Seats should be marked with pegs. Planted, strictly on a circle, 10 bushes varieties ‘Charles de Gaulle’. On the outer circumference of the bushes planted 16 varieties ‘Lavender Dream’ with an interval of 50 cm, also strictly according to the circumference. From the three-meter flowerbed you have a strip of land width of 20 cm, sufficient to care for plants.