Roses from the Garden: Earth Song
By Phyllis Smith

From The Charlotte Rosebud, May/June, 1999
Reprinted in The Carolina District Newsletter, Summer, 1999

OK. The winter has taken its toll. A few roses are not worth nursing back to health. Be kind. Put them out of their misery. Shovel prune. Give them the chop. (That's what the English say.) Don't look back. They didn't deserve to be in your garden anyway.

Now you have some room. You've been meaning to try some of those Buck roses. Yes! This is the spring for you to expand your rose horizons.

You want to fit the rose into the empty space. That means that you can't get one of those 6x6 shrubs. Don't worry. Have I got a rose for you.

Buck hybridized Earth Song in 1975. It is possibly one of his absolute best. It is classified as a grandiflora by the ARS. This means you can count on the bush to be upright in growth habit and have wonderful hybrid tea shape for blooms. Sometimes it blooms one to a stem, but mostly in wonderful sprays. Seems like I remember a class for exhibiting hybrid tea you are interested!

Color. Wonderful ruby red and vivid. A real eye catcher in the garden. People gravitate to this rose and so will you. Fragrance. Yes, Earth Song has it all. This makes a special treat when you cut a bouquet for work, home, or as a gift to a special fiiend or neighbor. It is very generous with the flowers.

Foliage. Did I mention that it is dark green, leathery, and disease resistant? Earth Song is truly an outstanding rose. Roses in Review rates it 8. 1.

Form. The um-shaped large blooms have 28 petals with lots of substance and open to reveal beautiful stamens. Sometimes the petals are fluted when the bloom is open.

Availability. About 5 sources in the US currently offer Earth Song. I have been enjoying Earth Song for about 5 years in my garden here at Tall Oaks. I obtained a one-year own-root plant from Roses Unlimited (864-682-7673) and it grew very rapidly. It's not too late for you to obtain this addition for your garden. Pick up the phone. Give them a call.