Lovely Cecile

Cecile Brunner arrived at my house on the second day of May. She was one of two purchases I made from the Antique Rose Emporium which specializes in old roses, that is to say, roses that have been around for so long almost no amount of neglect can deter them from being the beautiful flowers that they are. So thanks again to my friend Barbara for recommending this company to me.

In that May 2nd post, I showed you how carefully Cecile was packaged so as to ease any apprehension you might have about buying plants via mail order. I planted the rose in a very large pot made of composite material in hopes of leaving it out all winter. I am reassured because Cecile is hardy to zone 5 but I will still do some crossing of fingers and toes, just in case. Because the pot is so big, I added a multitude of plants as companions including a butterfly bush which I am certain will return as well as various annuals that I will have to replace next year. I probably won't have to add as many annuals because when the rose and butterfly bush return, they will take up more space in the pot.

As you can see from the images below, Cecile is not a huge, in-your-face sort of rose. Rather than come on too strong, she makes her presence known in an understated way. So while it's not the first thing to get noticed, once seen, it is sure to be greatly appreciated.

Bookshelf: Container Gardening Books