Reveling in Rugosa's during National Rose Month

I've always thought roses were pretty flowers and had a lovely scent. But I couldn't understand the great fussing over them. Relatives who had gardens of beautiful and fragrant hybrid roses clipped, snipped, sprayed, spritzed, dusted and coddled them endlessly to get the delicate blooms. I certainly appreciated the result. I still do give great credit to those who grow these fragile flowers. However, I am a less patient gardener. And that is why I have several fabulous Rugosa Rose bushes growing in my yard.

I first fell in love with these wild beauties along the shores of Normandy Beach - New Jersey that is. They grace many of the beach entrances and bay parks in the area and grow in abundance in Island Beach State Park. The air was filled with roses and

sea spray and magic.

These bushes can grow to be very tall (like mine) or remain squat and sturdy. They are very tolerant of salt and storms and can be cut and pruned back heavily and still keep going. Most tend to be rust and disease resistant (although Japanese beetles love them - maybe because these roses originally came form the orient?) They provide fragrant - and easy - beauty.

Rugosa's have many nicknames, including beach tomato or sea tomato, saltspray rose, Japanese rose and beach rose.

My bushes have been blooming like crazy, and I've been busy gathering as many petals as I can. I use the petals to make wonderful rose hydrosol and rose honey. I also dry batches of petals for teas and to use in our Rose N Dew Sugar Scrub.

I can certainly understand why it's National Rose Month. The roses have been growing and blossoming and just as happy as they can be. And that makes us happy!