I think I know why, but figuring it out took most of the summer. Once I did, the solution was so simple that I owe her my most humble apologies.
‘Belinda’s Dream’ is one of the classiest and best roses I have. Due to her parentage, a cross between the elegant Hybrid Tea, ‘Tiffany’ and ‘Jersey Beauty,’ a light yellow Wichurana Rambler, her silvery pink blooms are borne on strong, upright stems. Gazing upon her classic, Hybrid Tea-like beauty, you expect to see spindly canes beneath her, but instead her blooms emerge from a bushy shrub. Belinda is disease resistant (including blackspot,) blooms prolifically, and she even smells good. She was the first rose to receive the Earthkind rose designation.
What else could you ask of her? Wouldn’t you be alarmed if she suddenly started to falter?
I watched her struggle this season and the last one, and I was worried. A couple of my local, gardening friends lost their Belindas, and I feared I would lose mine next. Fortunately, this year, I bought another Belinda and placed her in the lower gardens next to a Rhapsody in Pink® crapemyrtle. Belinda #2 grew so well that she was already a medium sized shrub in less than one season. From her performance, I gleaned more clues.
My original Belinda wasn’t blooming as often, and she seemed to have more blackspot than before. Her growth was also stunted. She sent me numerous signals, but she was such a strong bush that she was too subtle.
Yesterday, while pulling weeds, the answer came to me like a lightning bolt.
Not enough sun.
The crapemyrtle I’d trained into a tree shaded that portion of the garden more than before, but an even bigger problem was the rose ‘Carefree Wonder’ (shown at left.) ‘Carefree Wonder’ and ‘The Fairy’ grew together around the crapemyrtle into an impenetrable hedge which blocked sunlight from the east. ‘Carefree Wonder’ is truly carefree, but left unchecked, she will take over.
Let there be light . . .
I pruned hacked away at ‘Carefree Wonder’ and ‘The Fairy.’ Then, I limbed up the crapemytle even more. You can see the pile of rose canes at right. The entire area looks improved, and I believe Belinda appreciates my efforts. There’s enough growing season left for her to rebound.
How did I let this happen? First, when I planted the fearsome threesome, they were all small shrubs. I didn’t anticipate their full size. Shame on me. It took years for them to grow and change the structure of the garden from a very sunny space to a shady one. In the meantime, on the other side of Belinda, I planted Salvia leucantha. Mexican bush sage is not considered hardy in our zone, and for a long time, it wasn’t, so it never grew larger than four feet. However, in recent years, although my Mexican bush sage died back to the ground, it emerged each spring with renewed vigor. Also, when I positioned the Mexican bush sage, it was south of Belinda. Like many plants, it spread where it wanted. It now grows taller than five feet and shades Belinda on the west side, cutting out her afternoon sun.
One lesson learned is to keep my eyes open. I’m in this garden daily, but familiarity sometimes causes me not to see what is really going on. Lesson two is that plants live and grow often totally changing their environment over the years.
What lessons have you learned from your garden this summer?
help – I am a novice living in Dallas & my 2 yr old Belinda’s dream in a large container has lots of buds but they die before opening. What should I do?
Hi Jim, gosh, that’s one I’ve never encountered. First, I would check to see if the plant is being overwatered. Are the leaves yellowing? Then, I would check for aphids, tiny sucking insects. They are a real problem for roses in the spring. After that, I just don’t know. Hope this helps.~~Dee
My five EarthKind roses, including three Belinda’s Dreams, have not bloomed most of the summer. (I live in Dallas.) They are in full sun.
I have not talked with anyone about the lack of blooms, but the subject did come up once in conversation: disappointment with the EarthKind roses.
Hope it’s not a trend. Stephen George at A&M, the EarthKind guru, would go nuts.
Good luck with yours, and I enjoy your blog. My blog link is listed above.
— rr
Who of us hasn’t done what you described. We are guilty of wanting lush right now. We know better. I’m such a fan of pink and love this except I have lots of knock out roses blooming like maniacs. I would hurt their feelings if I let another shrub rose in to their spot.
I enjoyed how this post was written—it made me read the whole thing word for word.
Annas last blog post..The Gardens of the Bob Timberlake Gallery Lexington, NC
Anna, I have lots of pink knock outs blooming too. I have to keep Belinda and Pink Knockout separate because they clash.~~Dee
I’m not a big fan of Roses but I like this one.
You should write for garden catalogs I think I like this one because of your writing.
Mr. Brown Thumb, thank you for your kind words. I always enjoy your writing too.~~Dee
Dee,
I have added “Belinda’s Dream” to my list of roses I want to get when we move!
Thanks for the beautiful pictures of it. I’m glad you figured out the problem of
your #1 “Belinda’s Dream”. Thanks for sharing!
Sherris last blog post..Picture of a Lake in NJ where I used to live
Hi Sherri, I hope you like it once you get it planted.~~Dee
Hi Dee,
Even your ‘stressed plant’ photos look better than mine – the phlox died to the ground and is just putting up a few new stems. It’s an heirloom so I’m very upset.
My ‘Belinda’s Dream’ isn’t too well right now either, but I think it gets enough sun…although since you seem to grow wonderful roses in a tough climate, I’m going to follow your lead and go out to double check.
I’ve been assuming that its problems began when it took until mid-March to find ‘Belinda’s Dream’ and plant it. That would have been fine in last year’s cooler, rainier year, but not a good time to plant in 2008.
Sometimes it seems that whatever we learn each year in Austin does not apply the following year!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Annie in Austins last blog post..Entertainment Weekly’s list of the top movies of the last 25 years
Annie, I would have to say that changeable weather and circumstances also apply to Oklahoma gardening. It is frustrating to be sure.~~Dee
I’ve learned that when you get a lot of rain, not only will the garden grow well, but so will the weeds. I need to do a lot more weeding than I am doing.
I also learn from reading blogs like yours that I don’t have enough roses!
Carol, we got so much rain last year, and I had to fight the weeds like never before. Not so this year. You do need more roses. Give me a call . . . I can hook you up.~~Dee
Dee ,we have had mixed results with the Belinda’s Dream here in Texas. Sometimes they thrive, sometimes they die. If it is happy where we put it, watch out. Most of the Earthkind plants work great. This summer, I learned that drought tolerant does not mean “can go without water for three weeks.” I almost killed a purple angles trumpet.
debs last blog post..Neightbor’s Front Yard
Hi Deb, I’ve heard that from some others too. I wonder if some of the Belindas were propogated from diseased plants or were tissue cultured.~~Dee
Yes Dee we eventually figure out what is going on. At least you sluthed the problem and have taken action. It is funny if you go on vacation you can see a whole different garden when you return. I find that when I return from vacation I am inspired to work on projects that I have been putting off or ignoring.
What have i learned this summer? Hmmmmm Well right now all I can think of is if your newly planted tree appears to have two trunks be brave and lop off one. Don’t wait until years later and Mother Nature does it for you. Geez. I am still feeling bad about my Forest Pansy Redbud that split. I have a hawthorn that will do this sometime in the near future no doubt.
Lisa, I think the fact that we can never figure it all out is part of what keeps it interesting. I’m sorry about your redbud. We had a red maple do that one year too. It was the tree planted for my son’s birth.~~Dee
It does seem like we go along in the garden, but don’t really see the changes until one day – wham, we notice that things have gotten huge & some plants needs ot be moved & others cut back. (It’s like our kids. We see them every day so we don’t notice that they’re growing then one day you notice that they’re almost as tall as you are.) The main lesson I’ve learned in the garden this year is that I need lots of small or mini Hostas. Mine are all suddenly outgrowing their spaces.
Mr. McGregor’s Daughters last blog post..Fierce Creatures
MMD, they do seem a little like my own children sometimes. Oh, that’s not what you meant is it? 🙂 ~~Dee
Sort of like “not being able to see the forest for the trees!” I had that happen too. Planted all these things in early spring, and forgot to take into account the shade when the trees leafed out. But I’m not having any luck with my roses this year. Can’t figure out if I’m over-watering or not fertilizing enough.
Brenda
Oh, yes, Brenda I’ve done that one too. Then, there’s the one where you plant for shade, but the trees take forever to leaf out. We have a cruel spring where it’s hot already, and suddenly, you have crunchy plants.~~Dee
Hello! I came across your blog in a sort of “happy accident” kind of way – was looking at a decorating blog, which led me to another blog where I saw “Red Dirt Ramblings” listed as a favorite. I thought perhaps it was someone from Oklahoma, so I checked it out.
It was so neat to see the “Belinda’s Dream” rose featured on your blog! I have that rose – HAD to have it since my name is Belinda!
Just thought I would say hello and let you know I enjoyed your blog!
Hi Belinda, I am so glad you came over, and I hope you’ll come again. From your email address, you look to live not that far from me.~~Dee