In Vita Sackville-West’s book, In Your Garden Again, she wrote about her “old enemies” the rambling roses, Dorothy Perkins and American Pillar. Someone in a town near Sissinghurst in Kent, had planted a long row of these roses together and she described it as “… a blaze of color; a long, angry, startling streak … I blink on seeing it; and having blinked, I weep.” Much of Vita’s complaint was in the way the roses were used. “Effective,” but “crude.”
Both American Pillar and Dorothy Perkins are lovely bright pink ramblers created in the USA and traditional to American gardens. But pink can be overused offering only that “blaze of color,” with no place for the eyes to rest. The individual flowers lose themselves in the mass. There are ways to add these rambling roses for the romantic garden, without causing the visitor to avert her eyes.
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American Pillar is a vigorous rambling rose sending out thick long canes. It grows to 20 feet or more in one season. This alone makes it a must-have for rose lovers. It’s a good rose for scrambling over fences, as well as climbing up pillars. The single-petaled flowers bloom in clusters, making a full and stunning display in a sunny or partially shaded location. It’s hardy to zone 4. It’s only drawback is that its leaves are prone to powdery mildew.
Mildew is a fungus that begins to show itself in the leaves as a white powdery substance. If left unchecked the fungus can spread to other roses in the garden. American Pillar, as well as Dorothy Perkins, hate hot dry days with wet cooler nights and this fungus is the result. Thick green leaves show the health of the rose and are better able to fight against any onslaught of mildew. Treat with rose fungicide at the first sign of mildew and remove any badly infected leaves and burn them. The gardener should wash her hands before touching other roses.
The best defense against powdery mildew is to plant the rose in an open airy location and by watering it well at ground level, avoiding the foliage. All roses are thirsty and a gallon a day isn’t out of the question for bigger ramblers. Give the rose lots of room where it’s planted.
Like American Pillar, Dorothy Perkins is also prone to powdery mildew. But there is a German sport known as Super Dorothy, that is mildew-free. Dorothy Perkins is a rambler worth having, though. It’s a feminine multi-petaled full rose flower with crinkled medium pink edges. It flowers in clusters for a few weeks in early summer. It, too, sends out long canes and can reach heights of 20 feet or more. The canes are easily tied in horizontally or semi-vertically to whatever structure the gardener has in mind.
Super Dorothy was created from a seedling of the original Dorothy Perkins. It has similar attributes in appearance, but only grows to about 15′. Aside from its ability to keep mildew at bay, it offers repeat-blooms in very large clusters. It’s an easy romantic sport. Both Dorothys are hardy to zone 5.
As with everything pink, it’s important to keep it subtle. In garden design too much of one plant makes it difficult to appreciate the flowers themselves. One of Vita Sackville-West’s points, was regarding the design itself, although she really did not like these two roses. She felt that that long bright pink border could have been more visually effective if the rose varieties were broken with ramblers in lighter shades, and rambling roses that all flowered at different times – this expert advice from the woman who made the White Garden at Sissinghurst famous. But Vita broke up those whites with pale yellow flowers, creamy flowers and plants with silvery foliage.
The article Pink and Pastel Flowers in Garden Design, may be useful in understanding how subtle changes in color and form can make the garden sparkle.
These American Ramblers are still as popular today as they were when they were created. When used with vision, they can make a lovely “carefree” display, if only for a short period each year.
To learn more about Vita Sackville-West’s tastes in roses, please read The Rose Garden at Sissinghurst, Kent. And to bring that garden romance into your own garden, please read Gardening Sissinghurst Style.
References
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