Thursday, December 1, 2011

Blooms on the Roses at Brueckner Rhododendron Garden

The end of November, and the blooms are still on the roses at the BRG in Port Credit!  Brother Cadfael, Evelyn, Sutton Place, Iceberg, and The Ingenious Mr Fairchild reward garden visitors with a splash of white and pink. At this time of year, any flower in bloom anywhere in Canada is a real treat!

Late Blooming Pink Rose ~ Brother Cadfael
Fallen leaves blanket the ground, a nice contrast to a late-blooming Brother Cadfael.

Brother Cadfael ~ Pretty in Pink in December at BRG
Here's another blooming Brother Cadfael; though the occasional frosty morning has taken a toll on the summertime roses, this is still a good show.
Brother Cadfael Pink Rose and Rose Bud
One rose bud coming to bloom in December: Will the snow flurries stop the roses, or will the forecast of a sunny weekend keep the blooms alive? Time will tell.

The Ingenious Mr. Fairchild ~ Pink Rose
Not to be outdone, The Ingenious Mr Fairchild sported a few blooms of its own!

Perfect Pink Rose ~ Still Blooming Long After Summer
The occasional rose in bloom can be seen most years at Brueckner, but the mild weather this year brought forth more roses than usual. November, 2011, is the second warmest on record.

Evelyn ~ Peach Pink Late Fall Blooming Rose
Most Evelyn roses are done for this year, but a few are still flowering.

Iceberg White Rose in Bloom in Early December
True to its name, Iceberg seems to laugh at the cold, and several plants still had flowers.

Sutton Place Rose ~ White with Pink Edges
 In summertime, Rosa Sutton Place shows more deep pink on its edges, but even in late November, it's still a gorgeous bloom. Several Sutton Place are over-wintering with Evelyn, and will be moved to a new bed in the spring.

On The Waterfront at Brueckner: Bouquet Blossoms on Beach
 The fall color is not limited to the rose garden: The lakeshore at BRG showed some flowers of its own. A  few days before, a strong wind and rain storm roared through, with resulting high waves on Lake Ontario crashing ashore at the BRG waterfront. The waves brought in remnants of a large bouquet of flowers.

Close Up of Blossoms on Beach at Brueckner
At first glance, it was hard to tell if the blossoms on the stones were real or artificial. A closer look proved they were indeed real live flowers.

Not to be outdone, a few Herb Roberts nestled under the rhododendrons were showing pink flowers.

The reds, golds, yellows and oranges of fall leaves may be over for the season., but how lovely to see flowers in the garden at this time of year.