Ways to Use Roses.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIII, Issue 2, 14 July 1909, Page 39

Ways to Use Roses.

Although the eharm of the rose-garden is perennial, roses may be used to advantage in many other ways than by merely setting them in beds or rows, They may be trained over arbours, pergolos, porches, and verandahs, made to cover fences or the sides of houses, or grown on specimen plants. Indeed, one can hardly enumerate the ways in which they can be used, for each garden will present its own peculiar problems. Roses will grow in any- good, well-drained soil, provided they are planted in a sunny

situation; they will not succeed in shaded places. In many of the larger rose-gardens one sees arches made of wood or iron, usually the latter, covered with roses. Frequently, arches like these can be used in smaller gardens to good advantage in such places as the entrance to the gardens. They- may be just a piece of pipe bent into the form, looking like a big croquet wicket, or they may be a more substantial structure. The entrance to many an old colonial garden was through one of these archways, and the effect produced upon one approaching it was never forgotten. These arches, usuallymade of wood, were about ten feet high and two to four feet deep.

In New England, one often sees such arches over doors. They- are two to three

feet deep, and often have seats in them. The sides are sometimes covered with lattice-work and sometimes with just enough cross-pieces to fasten the vines to. These little arches, or arbours, always add very much to the general effect of the place, provided, of course, that they conform to the general architectural scheme of the house.

In the average suburban yard, there are posts which sene to support the clothes line a day or two in each week. Necessary they are no doubt, but far from ornamental. Not long ago I saw a backyard where this post problem had been solved in a delightful way. Some hooks, about eighteen inches long, made to represent ornamental brackets, were fastened in the post near the top, and vines trained on the post. The hooks were so long that they projected beyond the vines.

but they did not look bad because of their ornamental nature.

The best roses for use on these structures are the Crimson Rambler (polyantha), which has many red flowers, and its pink counterpart. Dorothy Perkins; Queen Alexandra (polyantha), a semi

double, red-flowered rose, much like ( rim son Rambler; Baltimore Bello, double white; Pink Roamer, pink with i silverywhite centre, and Prairie Queen, pink. The same varieties of roses which I have recommended for arches and posts will be equally good on pergolas ami arbours. The plants should be set about four feet apart; this is close enough to cover the structure completely without crowd ing the plants.

I would recommend, however, that other plants be set with the roses, in order to get a succession of blooms; for if one has roses alone there will be a blaze

of bloom and nothing afterwards. A good plant to grow with the roses is the Japanese clematis. JX J*