Tuesday, June 7

Mr. Wolcott? There's a Dogbone Riley on Line Two.



Grüss an Aachen, which we call "Jerry", the first rose to be categorized as a Floribunda (in 1930). It was hybridized in Germany in 1908 by Philipp Geduldig and named for his hometown. It opens like a hybrid tea rose, in pink, peach, salmon, and cream, then spreads out like an English rose and fades to bone white. I grow it in a container, where it's done pretty well for four years despite the fact that I almost killed it twice before I figured out how to overwinter it. Moderate, citrus-y fragrance for those who enjoy such things. I'm not really one of them, but Jerry is acceptable, not oppressive. If I want fragrance I'll go weed the camomile or walk through the bee balm, thanks.

I have no intention of starting a feud with James Wolcott because a) I'd certainly like to be more like him when I grow up and b) he has no idea who the hell I am anyway, but when in an otherwise excellent swipe at the Corner bunch he writes this:

Frederica Mathewes-Green--such a lady-of-the-manor byline. One can almost picture her trimming rose bushes...


one is tempted to sniff that it is poodles which are trimmed, while rosebushes are pruned, with practiced eye and frequently bleeding hand, and that the aristocracy is unlikely to perform either operation for itself, although they probably do do their own birding.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lovely. I do actually like scented roses, though it's not my highest priority.
Do you have any Heritage Roses? I'm prepared to be very envious, though I would anyway, because of your obvious green thumb.

Anonymous said...

d. there's another clue for you. Look for the house that has Jerry in a container.

DH, after commending you so much on your writing, I apologize in advance for what I'm about to say:

you said "do do."

Anonymous said...

Doghouse, be aware I'm more than willing to extend my pseudo-stalking to thwapping Yosef upside the head with a day-old trout, if you so desire.

Anonymous said...

Heh. I deserved that.