A California Rose Garden

Today I have an entirely different garden to post.

During the last week, I made a quick visit to San Diego, California.  The event was a sad one: the sudden and very unexpected death of one of my uncles.  It was a time to be with family, all the more painful as my uncle and aunt were preparing to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary less than two weeks later.  So most of my visit was spent in an attempt to help and be a comfort, but I did manage a little photo tour of my cousin's rose garden, which is something I have wanted to share here for a long time.

I had only my phone camera, and weather was a bit gray and misty, but here are my photos.

First is "Bow Bells", a cluster of blooms from a shrub that must be around nine feet tall.

If I were to guess, I think my cousin's favorite rose of all is "Darcy Bussell" - a very rich rose in form, scent, and color, and much redder than my phone could catch, of course!

But if I were to choose my own favorite from among her roses, it might be "The Ambridge Rose", which she grows as a standard.  As its form is nice and bushy, I think it is a very happy choice to grow tree-form.  Besides, I don't think I have ever been there when it was out of flower!

Overall, the roses were a bit between bloom seasons there; the enormous "James Galway" climbing over an arch was mostly full of bright hips (and a hummingbird, not visible here).  She says this variety does not repeat as well for her in any case, but I know from experience that its main bloom season is magnificent.  In fact, this bush is the reason there is a "James Galway" in my own rose border.

It may not be exactly rose season right now, but it is certainly the time for anemones, shown here against the bright hips of rose "Gertrude Jekyll".

More lovely anemones...

She has used catnip (Nepeta cataria) freely as a ground cover - very appropriately as she loves cats!

Her Pentas were in vibrant bloom and rather inspiring as I've read they will grow well here also.

Back to the roses...

Here is the rambler "Snow Goose", which she has mingled with the soft pink "Wisley" (not shown).

She is growing the old tea rose Sombreuil (I think!) against brick and lattice. 

Her Anne Boleyn is lovely, but I have not grown it due to her report that it is always among the first nibbled by rabbits - even more of a consideration in my garden than in hers.  Too bad!

Teasing Georgia is such an elegant color...

...as is this one, whose name I can't remember.

English Garden is a beauty too...

I wish I could do more justice by her plantings, but after a quick visit it was home to Arizona again...

Weather Diary (my garden): Very sunny; High: 95 F (35 C)/Low: 68 F (20 C); Humidity: 13%-41%