Decker Garden
The Decker Garden is off the deck. Clever, eh? Okay, so not a lot of brain power was invested in any of the garden names--they are descriptive or utilitarian. The Decker Garden contains one of my favorite roses--Aloha--the pink beauty you see above.
Fragrant, healthy, and exuberant--what's not to love about this rose? When in full bloom, Aloha perfumes our entire backyard.
The color is off, as I tried some different settings on the camera in an attempt to capture the neon color of my Knock Outs without burning out your retinas. They are bright! I don't mind. They are actually a neon cherry red than the more orange-y shade here. I used to have mostly pink roses, and our children wanted more color and variety. I've even planted in-your-face orange roses, because my son likes them. From left to right: Knock Out, Marie Pavie, Valentine, and another Knock Out. I need to heavily prune the far Knock Out before it grows over my head (it may be too late!), but the other Knock Out by the steps remains sedate and small after a near death experience with Round Up some years ago. A healthy Knock Out would have outgrown that space and crowded the steps, so some accidents work out for the best.
I'm not very fond of most white roses, but I adore Marie Pavie. She isn't very thorny, she's fragrant, and she's a dainty girl. She's lived through floods, droughts, and remodeling. She is obviously a survivor, as there have been Marie Pavies around since she was bred in 1888. MP was the tiniest thing for several years, but I think the Knock Outs have inspired her! I used to have all sorts of plants at her feet, but she's taken up the space the irises and blue-eyed grass used to occupy. This year, I find myself cutting her back so that she doesn't smother her bedmate, Valentine.
There is my Valentine being hugged by Marie Pavie. On one of our family vacations to San Antonio (we used to have relatives who lived there), we visited The Antique Rose Emporium. It was a road trip for us, and we had our van filled with luggage. On the way home, we also had roses filling the walkways and menacing our children! Valentine was one of the roses we brought home that trip. We had visited in August, and Valentine was one of the few roses blooming his pretty head off. He has made himself at home in my garden, but he misses the warmer winters terribly. Freezing temperatures are very hard on him, so he remains tiny. It's just as well considering how Marie Pavie has taken over! By the way, if you ever have the opportunity to visit The Antique Rose Emporium, go! They specialize in antique roses, so you won't find fussy hybrid teas there--just healthy, beautiful roses in gorgeous settings. I haven't had the opportunity to revisit them, but they ship!
It's not all roses. Sometimes, lantana and petunias find their way into the garden. But it is mostly roses!
... with a few ornaments tossed in. Our children gave me that as a gift one year--probably Mother's Day.
One final look at Aloha in all her glory. She does have salvia planted at her ankles, because climbing roses tend to get nekkid legs, and I like a lush, filled-in look.