An unapologetic plant geek shares advice and opinions on gardening, the contrived and the natural landscape, as well as occasional topics from the other side of the gate.

May 5, 2012

Fog and Roses

Friday morning found me once again in Portsmouth for another TV segment, outdoors in the fog.  It was probably not the best weather to televise the "after" part of a garden renovation we did for the station, but sometimes you have got to go with what you have been given.  However, the weather was good for photography, unless you were wanting to get a picture across the river of the Norfolk skyline.

Foggy Elizabeth

Foggy Elizabeth (4)

Foggy Elizabeth (5)

One bright spot on the otherwise gray waterfront were these Knockout Roses, which seem to be everywhere these days.
Foggy Elizabeth (3)

I came across lots of other roses away from the river in Olde Towne (I hate this spelling).  The ones below are more Knockouts and what I think are Graham Thomas, one of the David Austin roses. These were growing behind the Pass House where 150 years ago citizens in Union occupied Portsmouth obtained a pass to travel across the river to Confederate Norfolk.
Pass House Roses

Pass House Roses (2)

Pass House Roses (3)

This is likely Blaze blooming in front of the B.P.O.E hall, a.k.a. Madblood's mansion.
North St. B.P.O.E.

Peace maybe?
North St. Peace Rose

I am not sure which one this is, but notice how it matches the window trim.
North St. Roses (2)

Here are two more unknown-to-me varieties.
Court St. Rose

Middle St (4)

While I was taking the photo below, the homeowner came out and told me they have lived in the house for 40 years, and the white rose has been blooming and climbing into the mulberry tree each of those years.
Middle St (3)

Roses were not the only blooms in Olde Towne on Friday.  One of my favorite houses had a pomegranate (Punica granatum) in full bloom.
Punica granatum

Oenothera speciosa, Pink Evening Primrose
Oenothera speciosa

Passiflora caerulea, Passion Vine
Passiflora caerulea

North St. Porch Pots

Philadelphus coronarius, Mockorange
Middle St (5)

(You can see the entire set of pictures here on my Flickr page.)

18 comments:

  1. What beautiful photos!!! I am speechless .... which rarely happens, I assure you. Perhaps the pink unknown rose is American Pillar?

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  2. Great photos. I'm just about sick with envy. My roses are just coming back to life in my Calgary garden.

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  3. Les, these are so lovely....

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  4. The colors really pop in the overcast weather. Beautiful!

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  5. Really enjoyed this posting, Les. I agree the one rose might be American Pillar, also the burgundy one could an old Tuscany Superb. Some of the old timers look quite similar.

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  6. Ah, beautiful. I love that white semi-double rose. Any idea of the name? I have Darlow's Enigma, which is a rambler and somewhat similar, but the flowers are smaller.

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  7. 'This is likely Blaze blooming in front of the B.P.O.E hall, a.k.a. Madblood's mansion.' Great shot. I always like what a little cloud cover/fog does for hot colors.

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  8. These are such beautiful images, Les. Thanks for the tour of fog and roses.

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  9. Your photography is as always breathtaking. I hate it when "they" use "olde" English to spell names too. Do they actually think it makes the place more enticing?

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  10. Hi Les, One of the things that I have tried to learn from your landscape photography is the importance of the horizon line. The ferry shot is just super. I think it has everything to do with the horizon line and the proportions of space above and below it. An ordinary thing, the ferry, off-center and heading into the shot on the diagonal is made extraordinary. The horizon line in the next shot does not work quite as well. Not sure why, but there is a lesson in that too. The roses are glorious!

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  11. Your foggy day looks like ours today. What gorgeous roses! Thanks for taking a stab at my plant ID. I'm going to check on what berry in produces.

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  12. Love your contrast with fog and roses. This is such a great time of year for roses.
    Sorry I missed coming over last Saturday....rained like crazy in Yorktown.

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  13. Your pictures are such a treat for the soul! Every time I come to your blog I feel I've visted Old Towne myself.

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  14. Nice. I know what you mean about those roses being everywhere. I found them this evening planted in the parking lot strips at Lowe's home improvement.

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  15. What a treat of a post!
    Such glorious roses --and, it seems very early.
    Yes, I think that was a Peace rose.
    I love rather loose habit 'old roses' like David Austin ones.

    Your foggy pictures are beautifully evocative.

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  16. The white climber looks like Prosperity. Beautiful. I am surprised by how much I like the combination of Knockout and GT.

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  17. Hartwood,
    If anyone could help me ID these roses, it would likely be you. Thank you!.

    Susan,
    Thanks for stopping by. I am glad I could give you a sneak peak of what is yet to come for you.

    Gail,
    Thank you!

    Phillip,
    Yes the colors do pop, and I love shooting in the fog.

    D.D.,
    Thanks for another possible ID.

    Jason,
    I am sorry I do not know which rose the white one is.

    Craig,
    Blaze I know, but it is not my favorite rose.

    Donna,
    You are welcome.

    Carolyn,
    I really cringe when I see "shoppe".

    Jennifer,
    I agree with the next shot not working as well as the ferry. Living here where it is so flat, and the horizon is a constant presence, especially around the water, I am careful how I take a picture. In ref. to the ferry shot, I like to take pictures of people or human things when they are dwarfed by the larger environment.

    Sarah,
    You are welcome for the possible ID, I hope it helped.

    Janet,
    You sound as if you have been quite on the go recently, and I realized you would not likely be able to visit.

    Tina,
    Thank you for the very kind comment.

    Swimray,
    I think I may have to assign Knockouts to the parking lot plant list.

    Elizabeth,
    Thank you for stopping by.

    Les

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  18. What a great post Les, wonderful photos. Love the foggy pictures, very serene atmosphere. And the flower photos are breathtaking especially the one with the Passion Vine! True flower passion!

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