Photo Credit: Beverly Taylor
The term Rosarian is used loosely, redneck, liberally. Roses are for everyone! If I can do it, anyone can! This blog began as a hand written journal of my garden activities and was transcribed into an online journal of my roses and my life…. Full time banker Husband and Dad. Sometime short term missionary and gentleman Gardner. My life is filled with a wonderful family, great friends, beautiful roses, and God’s richest blessings. He has allowed me to travel the globe on short term mission trips. He has opened my eyes to a million wonders, including the awesome beauty of the rose.
I have been growing roses for years and about 5 years ago joined a local Rose Society to learn a “more excellent” way to cultivate our nation’s “National Floral Emblem”. It is fun and exciting to be a part of a group of individuals who are committed to excellence. I strive alongside them to grow the best roses I can. Many of my blooms do not end up on the show table, they end up on the dinner table and on the front doorsteps of friends and co-workers. Either way, I feel I am doing my part to expand the general interest and knowledge of the beautiful gift we have in the Rose.
- Chris VanCleave aka “The RedneckRosarian”
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More info on the Redneck Rosarian:
5/1/2012 Shelby County Reporter – News Feature On Our Garden
Rose Gardens Abound In Helena, Alabama
4/28/2012 Friends Drift Inn – Guest Post
Thoroughbred Roses
4/09/12 ShelbyCoMagazine Article:
Every Rose Has A Story To Tell
4/1/12 About.com Guest Post
Topic: Selecting Modern Roses For Your Garden
3/20/12 About.com Guest Post
Topic: 10 Rose Care Tips For Spring
2/22/12 Growers Success Summit 2012 – Sponsored by Corona Tools USA
Topic: Growing Roses: Planting, Pruning & Care
2/7/12 – ShelbyCo Magazine Article:
Boundless Possibility
2/7/12 – Guest Host on #GardenChat on Twitter
Topic: Earth Kind & Easy Grow Roses
1/18/12 – Guest Host on #HerbChat
Topic: “2012 Herb of the Year: The Rose”
11/21/11 – ShelbyCo Magazine Article:
The Thankful Gardener
9/30/11 – ShelbyCo Magazine Article:
Gardening Meets Social Media – Twitter Style
9/28/11 PODCAST:
Preparing Your Roses For Winter via BGGarden.com
7/26/11 ShelbyCo Magazine Article:
Garden Walks: The Journey of a Lifetime
6/1/11
Costa Farms “Garden of the Month”
5/16/11
Guest Host on BGGarden’s #GardenChat on Twitter
Topic: “Selecting Roses For Your Garden”
4/30/11
Birmingham News
Article on the VanCleave Rose Garden, Helena AL
2/25/11
Guest Blogger – GaGa’s Garden – “Why I Grow Roses”
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Member – American Rose Society
Member – Birmingham Rose Society
Member – DeepSouthDistrict of the American Rose Society
Birmingham Rose Society
Chairman – 60th Annual Birmingham Rose Show – May 2012
President – 2011 – 2012 (term ending July 2012)
Vice President – 2010 – 2011 (term ending July 2011)
Vice President – 2009 – 2010 (term ending July 2010)
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Rose Show Accolades for the RedneckRosarian
- “Tiddly Winks” Miniature Rose
1st Place – Best Open Bloom- Miniature
“Tiddly Winks”
ARS Certificate
Birmingham Rose Show 2011
1st Place – Photography Division – Miniature Bloom
“Heartbreaker” – Award of Photographic Excellence -Birmingham Rose Show 2011
2nd Place – Table Setting
Functional Table – Birmingham Rose Show 2011
2nd Place – Rose n Crystal
Veteran’s Honor -Birmingham Rose Show 2011
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1st Place – Best Table Setting
ARS Court of Etiquette Award – Birmingham Rose Show – 2010
1st Place – Best Novice Arrangement
ARS Novice Certificate – Parallel arrangement – Birmingham Rose Show – 2010
1st Place – Best Novice Bloom
Hybrid Tea/Grandiflora – “Tropicana” Birmingham Rose Show – 2010
Other Birmingham Rose Show Recognition – 2010
1st Place – Old Garden Rose – “Swamp Rose”
2nd Place – Floribunda – Multiple Bloom – “Iceberg”
2nd Place – Modern Shrub – “Golden Celebration” David Austin Roses
2nd Place – Modern Shrub – “KnockOut Rose”
My mother-n-law gave me a knock out rose. I’m not the best gardener and have never owned a rose bush until now. I think I need to move it’s location. It’s getting too much sun in this Mississippi heat. Any suggestions?
Knockout roses love full sun and heat. They also love about 1″ of water per week for about the first 6 weeks after planting. Once established, they should thrive with only the water sent from above. Roses needs at least 6 hrs of sun a day to bloom. Hope this helps! Let me know how your rose does! Good Luck!
Hello…i know nothing about roses but by mother-in-law loves gardening and especially roses. I would like to buy her a Christmas gift that has to do with roses. Can I order rose plants/bushes this time of year? Does she just keep them potted until springtime? we are in Tuscaloosa so I could go to the Hanna lady you recommend in Birmingham. Please advise!
Thanks for posting on my blog. Yes, you can order roses this time of year. The only problem is that they will not ship them to Alabama until late February or early March. If you visit Hanna’s Garden Shop here in Birmingham, you can still purchase them in pots and they will keep until Spring. She can plant them after the threat of frost has passed (early March).
If you want to order online, here are a few places I have ordered from in the past with very good results.
S & W Greenhouse:
http://www.sw-greenhouse.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc
Rosemania
http://www.Rosemania.com
I hope this helps!
i heard today that if I send a picture that you can identify any rose. I have two in my yard that I would love to identify. Would you mind doing this?
I will do my best to identify your rose. The following info about your rose would be helpful:
Does this rose bloom once a season, or all throughout the year?
Do you know when the rose was planted?
What is the true color of the rose? (reds sometimes look orange, etc…)
Any further info about your roses is also helpful….. I’m looking forward to helping you identify your roses!
Dear Chris, I was very pleased to read of your short-term mission efforts. I was a long-term missionary for about 12 years in South America (Colombia and Venezuela) and appreciate your passion. I am NOT a rosarian by any means. I do consider myself a fledgling irisarian and am currently serving as president of the Central Arkansas Iris Society, and we’re all rednecks in these parts too. Sounds like you joined a rose society about the same time I became active in the iris world. I would LOVE to be able to have a couple of nice rose bushes to keep blooming when my irises are finished in May. The beds just need a little color, you know! Since our climates are very similar (from my observation, my parents live in Dothan and I’m thru your area frequently) I thought I would ask you to recommend two or three must-have roses that might do well for me w/o so much black spot. I guess I’m saying, if you were to recommend 2-3 roses that everyone ought to grow, what would they be?. I’m not wild about the knock-outs, but it doesn’t matter to me if you recommend teas, grandifloras, floribundas, etc., just something you think a guy like me outta have good luck with. THANKS.
Oh, and BTW, I thought I should include the fact that I have very sandy soil, lots of full sun. My pH runs about 5.8. In the iris beds I try to keep that up to 6.5 or 6.8, but can always avoid liming my rose bushes, were I to get any good ones going! Thanks again.
Mark, So glad to hear from you. Glad you found my site. Being from Tennessee I have a big love for the iris also. Its the Tennessee state flower. Seems that everyone in my neighborhood grew them when I was growing up. When we moved to AL, didn’t see as many and thought “what is wrong with this folks?” ha…. As for roses, other than the knockouts there is many other to choose from. Floribundas form a nice shrub and provide many blooms. My personal favorite is “Julia Child” a yellow rose. We had about 5 or 6 good cycles of blooms from two shrubs last season. Others that would do well are “Caldwell Pink”- Polyantha , “Mutabalis” – A China rose that changes colors, “Perle d’Or” is a great apricot colored rose. These are all called “earth kind” roses. They require little care and look great in the garden, thus cutting down on the amount of chemicals that you have to use. They have a great website http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/roses/cultivars/ which might be of interest to you. If I can assist further, I am more than happy to help. — Chris
Chris, thank you so much for your recommendations. I have admired the Julia Childs rose in every photo I’ve ever seen of it, but assumed it probably wouldn’t perform well here in oft-baked Arkansas summers. I’ll definitely give it a try now that I have your comments. I’m also gonna be on the hunt for Perle d’Or, and check out Mutabalis. I have been won-over by the philosophies I read on the website for Heirloom Roses in California. Their assertions concerning the need for virus-free, own-root roses sure sounds right to me, so I’ll check them for these varieties. Do you have any thoughts on their “approach”? I’d appreciate knowing them. ALSO, I forgot to ask what your recommendation for a good climbing red rose would be. My ol’ granny always had a climbing blaze. Hers naturally always performed wonderfully, but I’ve never duplicated those results, unfortunately. I got a “Dublin Bay” from Heirloom Roses that is just now beginning to do much. The only thing I’m not impressed with is the low petal count. What are your thoughts? Besides red climbers, have you had luck with New Dawn?
P.S. – CAIS, Central Arkansas Iris Society, of which I am current – they couldn’t find anyone else dumb enough to accept the position – president, has a big rhizome sale every year, plus I have about 150 varieties of the latest intros, all awarded, which will need dividing next year. If you’ll send me your shipping address (maybe via email) I’d be tickled to share some of my good performers with you when I dig them in the summer!
Hi… I am a local Pastor in Helena, and am trying to redo part of my yard and add some color. Any chance you might could call me and maybe meet and give me some ideas, pointers , etc…
Be glad to help. Hope to see you this Saturday!
You are adorable! Love your blog!
Thank you!