Coppertop is now blanketed by beautiful snow that fell Sunday and earlier today.

While gazing at the winter wonderland, I realized I need to make a blogging note of some of the newest planned additions to my upcoming  rose bed. Days of monochromatic landscape tend to encourage dreams of color! I’ve described the new bed and its English roses here, and below is its state just a couple weeks ago. I await deliveries.

Along with the original 15 David Austin shrub roses (five varieties), I’ve ordered five additional roses for the space shown mulched above. To grow on a tall obelisk I selected a faithful Iceberg climber. I look forward to that soothing spot of white amidst the color.

Two beautiful varieties I’ve ordered to stand out among the English roses are orangey Pumpkin Patch, a floribunda, and the unusual Connie’s Sandstorm, a grandiflora that reminds me of muted tones in antique Capodimonte porcelain.

Numbers 19 and 20 to complete the rose garden are two soft-toned shrub roses I simply couldn’t leave out:  Evelyn, and Jude the Obscure by David Austin Roses. I will love cutting these for bouquets, and my hope is that they will stand out as individual highlights among the bright roses in the garden. This brings the total number of varieties in the new bed to 10. Now I’m enjoying firming up the layout based on heights and colors while beginning to plan the placement of perennials like salvia and phlox throughout.