The Little Red Rose

To my surprise, I find that this will be my 100th post!  What better way to celebrate than with a rose...?  A red rose, at that.  A very small, red rose...

This is Kordes' "Daniela" (KORpolare).  It is a husky miniature with blooms of perfect hybrid tea form and foliage of a rich, glossy green.

As a rule, I have shied away from miniature roses because of poor success in past years.  But this rose in this garden is making me rethink the omission.  I think its good condition has to do with the intense sunlight.  This little plant is tucked between the concrete edge of the patio and the now-largish Salvia greggii "Autumn Moon", a location that would be prohibitively shady elsewhere.  But it clearly is receiving enough light to keep it healthy and blooming, and I'm sure that the proximity of the larger plant helps keep it cool and a bit more moist.  So I am thinking about trying a few more miniatures as the garden builds up.

The shade of larger plants nearby is often an advantage here.  So the size of the miniature no longer works against it; instead it can flourish alongside (and under) bigger perennials, enjoying their protection from sun, wind, and heat.  That, at least, is my theory at the moment!

This little bush was not, in fact, nearly so healthy at first.  It nearly succumbed to a hefty attack of spider mite; and a second "Daniela", purchased at the same time but not planted out, did die of the pesky pests.  By the way, why do most miniature roses arrive with spider mites ready to devestate them?  I have lost several in pots this way.  I swore off introducing any more mini roses onto the property at all several months ago.  But in the ground and with frequent hosing, the mite problem has disappeared on this plant, leaving it strong and healthy.  So I am rethinking the moratorium; only I will insist on planting the bushes out instead of keeping them in pots!

Despite its early ill-health, its survival is probably due in part to the individual variety.  "Daniela" shrieks vigour and sturdy growth.  It is a tad larger in scale than the daintiest grocery store minis, though quite a low-growing plant.  The blooms are two inches across or thereabouts.  It is lightly fragrant, though I don't get down to check the scent very often!

It has not required an unreasonable amount of water, situated as it is within the halo of moisture given off by the sage (which is turning out to be fairly drought-tolerant).  I feed "Daniela" when I feed the rest of the garden: twice monthly.

All in all, it is turning out to be an excellent plant for the spot.  As I say, I am thinking about slipping more of these into a few more "shady" spots when I can.