THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER

The mosquitoes, however, are hanging on, even in the mid-day. I planted a new Bourbon, the Souvenir de Malmaison, shortly after noon today, and wound up with four mosquito bites for my trouble. Hey, it’s already October, and the nights are in the upper fifties. So where’s the fall we usually get around this time? [...]

The mosquitoes, however, are hanging on, even in the mid-day. I planted a new Bourbon, the Souvenir de Malmaison, shortly after noon today, and wound up with four mosquito bites for my trouble. Hey, it’s already October, and the nights are in the upper fifties. So where’s the fall we usually get around this time? [...]

A reliable repeat bloomer at Rancho Roly Poly, a hybrid developed for disease-resistence and drought-tolerance at Texas A&M University. It is relatively immune to black spot, fungus and mildew. The colors obviously vary.

A reliable repeat bloomer at Rancho Roly Poly, a hybrid developed for disease-resistence and drought-tolerance at Texas A&M University. It is relatively immune to black spot, fungus and mildew. The colors obviously vary.

The wildflowers were up and blowing a month or more ago, but this Bourbon, Zephirine Drouhin, has just figured out the season. It’s been in the ground almost five years. So the display should be better than ever. I thought, last year at this time, that it was established enough to produce some summer and [...]

…tends to die at Rancho Roly Poly, where only the Chinas, like this Ducher, thrive. We have not decided how to pronounce the name but love the white roses which bloom and bloom, in spring, summer and fall, and occasionally in the winter when it’s warm enough. Chinas are just plain hardy, while the other [...]

It’s supposed to be an arcane and scary subject, pruning roses, but I find it rather easy. You prune around Valentine’s and again around Labor Day and reap the benefits of a flush of blossoms a month or two later. This year I decided to start a few days before Labor Day weekend since it’s [...]

First flush of the old China antique rose Louis Philippe, shortly after planting at the rancho. A month later, it’s working on getting established, with no new growth or new buds at all. But it’s holding its own, so far, against the bugs and black spot that run riot in late spring. Chinas are the [...]

Pam Penick, mother of one of Mr. Boy’s pre-school chums, contends Austin may be the capital of garden blogs. Sure are a lot of them around, mainly about native plants, but including this one on my great great grandmother’s favorite antique rose. Lost mine to the deer, but plan to plant another.

Belinda’s Dream, a cross between Tiffany and Jersey Beauty at the rose genetics and breeding program at Texas A&M University, isn’t strictly an antique rose. It was bred in 1992 to be disease resistant, and I have found that the canes and leaves are. But if the location isn’t a very sunny one, the blossoms [...]