Memorial Day Weekend
Poppies are the traditional flower of Memorial Day. I remember as a kid putting coins in the American Legion can and getting a sweet little red crepe paper poppy fastened to a green wrapped wire to put through a buttonhole and wear on National Poppy Day.
But even though I love poppies, they aren’t shrubs, and that’s what this blog is about! So I had to find something else to write about and still honor Memorial Day.
It would be easy to go with a red, white, and blue theme, but I’m going to go with something completely different: peach. Peach roses, to be exact.
Why? Because peach roses symbolize modesty, sincerity, and gratitude. All laudable qualities at any time, but especially pertinent to this upcoming weekend.
Ringo All-Star™ is one of our newer rose varieties and has melon-colored flowers with a distinctive red eye. They will mellow towards lavender as they age. This plant has really charmed many of us around the nursery with its distinctive blooms and easy-growing nature.
Like the original Ringo® rose, it’s a long-blooming variety with good disease resistance. Both are single-petaled roses, which makes them attractive to pollinators.
Ringo All-Star™ is hardy in USDA 4-8 and grows 2-3′ tall and 3′ wide.
This is a new variety, but if you’d like to read about an old, old rose, check out the story of The Thousand-Year Rose in Germany.
Pause for a minute this Memorial Day
Many people will be busy this weekend with picnics, parades, and likely lots of plants. We’re well into the gardening season in most places, and this is typically when homeowners make a final push to get their yards in shape for the summer.
I hope you can pause for a minute this Monday, Memorial Day. The National Day of Remembrance encourages us all to stop for a minute of silence at 3 pm (local time) on Monday to remember those who lost their lives in service to our country.