More...

Still more...

the last bit...

What a charming way to learn about all the parts of the rose.

Ingrid, I thought it was a nicely done glossary, and possibly useful for those of us who aren't botanists, but still find it helpful to know what and where things are.

I meant to supply a link to the book itself for anyone wanting to drool over the rather splendid illustrations, and useful text: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/106082#/summary

Interesting. I'm feeling quite depresso-globose at the moment, having just had my dinner.

I can't believe some of these terms are still in use Virginia... are they do you think?

It's a folk term - they called it a pea-uncle because it was thought to resemble the stalks that pea pods are borne on.

These are all frequently used botanical descriptors. I, myself, am feeling a bit protruded at the moment!

Just so there isn't any dehiscence.

Especially explosive dehiscence! My favorite kind. ; )

Marlorena, I would imagine the terminology is probably a mixed bag in terms of being current, but I have seen many of the terms before while reading old rose literature. Depresso-globose is a term I haven't seen used elsewhere; I wonder why it didn't catch on?

Embothrium, thanks for the good info about pea-uncles. Silly me, thinking it was a typo.

Thanks for posting this, Virginia. I really enjoyed taking my time, and poring over each illustration. I’ve bookmarked it, and I think it will come in handy. Sometimes I’m trying to explain or describe something and don’t know the proper terms.(Often, truthfully.) Lovely work, thanks again. Lisa

Just to encourage folks to have a look at the book online, here is a sample of the illustrations within:

Ho ho ho: merry Christmas present! Thanks, Virginia.

That is an exquisite illustration and quite a temptation to look up the book tonight and stay up until 4:00 AM but I'll take a temporary pass until tomorrow. Virginia, thank you for your work and contributions.

Cath

Virginia,... as an example, I've never heard fugacious or seen it written. When I look it up I notice that ephemeral and evanescent are synonyms. Both of these I see frequently, so that made me wonder if some have been superseded.

'Fugacious' is a word I've seen, but only when used in a botanical sense. However, I'm sure there are many of us who wish some situation or other were fugacious (fleeting or transitory), so we could try to reintroduce it. I certainly plan to share it with my husband, who likes to learn new words. For anyone else, the 1st syllable is 'fyoo' as in tempus fugit...

Virginia

Cath, I hope you got a good night's sleep, so you can spend a little time oohing and ahing over the illustrations.

'oftenest' is what caught my eye.

On a side note, I’ve always wanted to grow ‘Ellen Willmott’s Ghost’. I just love that story, and it sounds like something I would do. Actually, I have done it with other seeds in my family’s yards. Lisa

Oh, Lisa, you did it again with the plant twin thing (we also both have 'Victorian Lady' Abutilon). I actually have a seed packet of 'Miss Willmott's Ghost' in the fridge waiting for spring. I want to try it with'Blue Glow' Globe Thistle...

I have no idea if either plant will be happy here, but I bought lots of seeds to see what may actually work. My expectation is that if I plant many seeds, I'll find at least one or two plants that will take a liking to my conditions, and will reseed. If certain seeds don't thrive, but I really want that plant, then I'll try buying the plant in hopes that it will succeed and go to seed. Wish me luck!

Virginia

Nik, 'oftenest' does sound old-fashioned, but I like it better than the more modern 'most often'.

Thank you, Virginia! I am forever Googling to locate the names of all the pieces and parts of roses in order to articulately communicate on ID threads. I'm going to bookmark your post! Carol

I was just reading a book about Gertrude Jekyll...apparently she regarded Ellen Willmot as the finest gardener of her time. The Genus Rosa was referred to in the book, and after seeing these gorgeous illustrations, I'm going to have to buy it.

My house was built in 1919 by a man known as Reverend Quigley. It's a bungalow, but with added luxury-for-the-time elements such as french doors in every downstairs room. I am planning my garden to be viewed from these doors and I have visions of early 1900's variety roses draping and cascading around them!

Rosylady, these two threads might interest you:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4664830/ever-blooming-roses-for-portland-1923

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4662196/best-garden-roses-for-seattle-1923

I'll see if I can't find more PNW rose catalogues from the early 20th c.

Virginia

Well.....I discovered this book has not been reprinted and the only copy I could find was on Ebay and selling for $895!

I 'll just have to experience it vicariously through your post :)

Lisa, you got me into reading the story. I read until she met Gertrude Jekyll.

I am pasting here the story. Good Luck Virginia, I know those seeds will grow.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/the-essay-miss-willmotts-ghost-1117862.html%3Famp&ved=0ahUKEwjZ2qWM-PHXAhWGPiYKHcJdDZgQFghOMAo&usg=AOvVaw2G-GmOiwXcyYBJWLMK_ju8&ampcf=1

Next I will get the book on Gertrude Jekyll.

This is what I am talking about...I learned so much from all you guys.

Thank you posting this Virginia. I also bookmarked. I know this will come very handy. Thank you.

Roselady, that book is expensive. But I am sure collectors might be interested in it or even horticulturists. It is a rare book since they stop reprinting.

Jin

One can have much fun with the language used, reading the dedication to Queen Alexandra at the front of the book.. Queen Alexandra instigated the Alexandra Rose Day.

/OT start

Btw, Alexandra was the sister of our very 'own' king George I, the first and longest serving member of the historically controversial 'greek' royal dynasty of danish royal descent (the House of Glücksburg). He was 'elected' to the throne in 1863 at the 'suggestion' of the Great Powers of Britain, France and Russia. We only managed to finally get rid of them in 1974.

The UK connection: He was the grandfather of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, better known for being the husband of Queen Elizabeth II and the father of the heir to the british throne and 'affectionately' sometimes referred to in Britain as 'Phil the Greek'; a 'title' I'm sure he greatly dislikes as he has his own personal embitterments with Greece. But this is another long story. QEII's omission to visit Greece in any royal visit since she became a monarch is not unrelated to this.

The US connection: King George I was assassinated in 1913 by a greek self proclaimed anarchist named Alexandros Schinas. Schinas was a former immigrant in the US and had spent time working in the Fifth Avenue Hotel NYC where, supposedly, he came to be associated with 'radical and fervint thinkers'.. Schinas was 'suicided' not long after by falling from the window of the cell in the police station he was being held and questioned. His real motives still remain unclear as all written interrogation material was destroyed in a mysterious fire on a steamer transferring them from Salonica to Athens.

/OT end

I bought Eryngium giganteum 'Miss Willmott's Ghost' Spring 2017 from White Flower Farm and hope to have it bloom Summer 2018 as it is biennial. In the distant past I tried seeds a few times but they failed to germinate. A plant purchased for the public herb garden bloomed but I never saw it. A garden club member harvested it to put in a flower arrangement for a flower show. Such is life. And I suppose one of the reasons gardeners live to a ripe old age. They just have to see for themselves what will bloom next season that they have never seen before.

Cath

Nik, I didn't realize the "Greek royal family" was Danish. I thought they were German, for some reason. The Mountbattens have always kinda creeped me out...

Cath, you've nailed it. Gardeners always have something to live to see.

If I don't have luck with E. giganteum, I may just have to try a plant to see if it will reseed. Sometimes that works best. I planted half the seeds out this fall, and will plant the rest in the spring.

I do have a plant of the native E. yuccifolium, but it hasn't bloomed yet. It's in one of the few spots I have with full sun, and the plant looks fine, so I'm hoping it will boom next year.

Without checking I think there are lesser volume(s) with reproductions of selected roses from the original Willmott around, I saw what I remember as being something like this at a local Half Price Books this year for instance.

If you read about it her gardening at what I remember as being called Warley Place was so extravagant she eventually had to pack up and move away because so much money was being spent on it. Important people from all over the world came to see it, including ones that weren't necessarily that keen on gardening. Another bit I remember is that she supposedly used to patrol her planting of something like 50,000 daffodil bulbs wearing a pistol at flowering time.

The property still exists as a house and grounds and I think is open to the public. But is nowhere near the spectacle it once was.

Virginia, the first king of the modern greek state was a German from Bavaria. Otto, the son of king Ludwig I of Bavaria (the 'idiosyncratic' lover of arts with a taste for expensive castles and women). The danish clan does indeed have german connections with the house of Schleswig-Holstein.

Virginia, thank you for posting the links to those posts! I am excited because I have chosen to grow Mme. Caroline Testout on the lattice of my front porch. It literally took me YEARS to decide which rose was to take that place of honor.

I wanted it to be pink, to be a vintage rose, have nodding blooms, and be fragrant. It will be getting a fair amount of hot afternoon sin, so I'm not sure how it will do in those conditions, but we shall see!

cath...I completely agree about gardener's living to a ripe old age...because they have to see what's about to bloom!

rosy, my MmmeCT, Cl. is still in a pot, but I'm beyond thrilled with its blooms. They're very unusual. I'll post pics from this summer in a bit. Let's share notes when you get yours and I finally get mine in the ground. (Have to build the arbor first! ; ) )

Plumeria...thank you so much for posting the link to that fascinating article about Ellen Willmott! What a fun read! And since I'm currently reading about Gertrude Jekyll, it makes sense to know more about Ellen Willmott as well.

The $1000 dollar check on her breakfast plate....the Stradivarius violin! One can only dream of being born into such a gardening family! :)

vaporvac...my poor Mme Testouts sat out in their original pots (purchased from ARE) for 4 years!! They got about 4 hours of morning sun and then shade for the rest of the day. I got one flush of bloom from them a year and the flowers, even under those conditions, were magnificent!

My house is old, and has what I would call "an air of charming decrepitude". I think this rose will certainly add to the charm :)

Wow! I hope mine gets in the ground sooner than that! I don't think I have the skills to keep it around for four years in a pot. My house is over 100 yrs old., but while yours may have an air of charming decrepitude, mine is more just plain decrepitude. However, I'm hoping all the roses help camouflage that. : )

Vape, I'll bet the roses will help hide whatever needs hiding; in zone 6, I hope you have enough insulation in your old house. Brrrrr....

Rosy, I also wanted to say that I only see the charming part in your house. I think the decrepitude is only in your mind! : )

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