Koko Loco~

On By cindy knokeIn Flowers, GARDENING AT THE HOLLER, MY PHOTOGRAPHS

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“I came to admit I was powerless over”…..roses! (Please click to enlarge).
Which is why I planted more bare root roses last fall in exotic colors, and why they are blooming now.

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“Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
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I see this power in all the creations of nature.
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Can you see the divinity of a rose?
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These are Koko Locos. Chocolate roses, that bud brown, and turn lavender. I only learned of them last year.
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And now they are blooming.
Cheers to you and may roses bring their peaceful power to you~

211 thoughts on “Koko Loco~”

  2. I just committed a deadly sin – on Good Friday, of all days.
    I felt a stab of envy over those beautiful roses.
    I’ll take just another peek, and then I will envy no more….

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  13. The Koko Locos will be much better for bees, as they give easy access to the pollen. Some roses which have been bred to have tightly packed petals (like the top rose) are useless to pollinators. I adore the smell of roses and often can’t resist poking my nose in them.

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      1. What was interesting about that particular one is that the color was real. I’ve seen it when they create purple roses by artificial means, this one was different. The color is deep in the pedal itself.

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  17. Easter is a promise of joy and renewal
    May this one before us
    Marks a new beginning
    Of happiness, love and prosperity.
    Wishing you a Happy Easter!
    With love Maxima

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    1. UGH…….I do not like that problem so I sympathize sincerely! I have to encase my roses roots with chicken wire to protect them from the gophers, but deer must be a a major challenge!

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  29. Beautiful, Cindy. I recall that Anne Bronte once said something about if you are going to smell the rose or maybe lust after the rose you must be prepared to grasp the thorns. I’ve always loved that beauty/danger aspect of roses. And the smell so wonderful.

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    1. YES!!! A favorite of mine as well! “But he who dares not grasp the thorn
      Should never crave the rose.” It tells us there is no joy in life without pain. Powerful! Happy Easter my friend~

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  31. Cindy, What a beautiful flower you have found. But you are the one who nurtures them and makes them beautiful. He lent them to you because he knew you would care for them and share them with others.
    Thanks.

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      1. HAPPY EASTER to you and your family also.

        I called the local flower nursery and they had not heard of it yet. I found some root stock on Michigan Bulb but would rather purchase one locally. But first I must wait to see if my two Don Juan climbers made it through the winter. It was so cold and I planted them next to the garage to climb up a trellis. I am worried that the concrete foundation of the garage may have held too much cold for too long. We will see.

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      2. There are other deeper chocolate roses that don’t change color that I probably will plant once I get more drip irrigation set up. I want another row. Google chocolate roses and google-image search chocolate roses to look at them. They really are exceptional looking. Let me know what you plant!

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  34. Those are beautiful and some I never heard about.

    I am happy my yellow roses are blooming again. We have two other rose plants, but I love the yellow ones. Yes, there is some kind of universal power in plants–especially roses.

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    1. Plants are the bomb! They comfort the soul, and they take in carbon dioxide and give back pure oxygen…..and flowers and fruit! What else does this much good in a single day!!

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  36. I’m so stunned by these gorgeous roses, and they are from your garden! Thank you so much for sharing. Hope to smell your roses in your garden someday 🙂 Happy Easter, Cindy!

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  37. Cindy, I am drooling. OMG! I am drooling. My heart is in my throat. I have at least 30 rose bushes and to SEE them again, well, this rose right here just got my yearning so powerful I feel like bursting. This rose is INCREDIBLE! Whoa! Love, Amy

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    1. I never intended to plant any red roses but this variey captured my heart. I was mesmerized by the deep crimson centers darkening to black at the edges, all covered in deep, rich velvet! So special! I am really glad you noticed and eagerly await your blooming!

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      1. Cindy, when you see my Roses, you will understand why I yearn and long to see them. I still have at least another month before I see any blooms. (sigh) When I saw you Rose, I drooled, really drooled. How sensual and how graceful and how romantic!!! Lucky you!!! xx Amy

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  41. Your roses are stunning, Cindy! And I also love how the first two have such a nice velvety look to their petals, and with such rich colours.

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  52. Reblogged this on Spirit In Action and commented:
    Thank you for sharing these with us Cindy! I love roses. Many of the old China roses bud one colour, bloom another and then fade to a darker shade.I hope to someday have a garden full of them since unlike the hybrid teas, the old Chinas are well adapted to the ridiculously hot, humid climate of the Southeastern United States. I bet Paul Neyron would thrive in your climate!

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    1. Yes the hybrid teas I mostly stay away from because they attract fungus here and are too difficult to deadhead. I like the floribundas, disease resistant, blooms well and easy to trim. I didn’t know about the Old China roses, the kokos were the first I heard of this presto-chango color metamorphisis. I’m looking up Paul Neyron now……….Hugz to you my dear friend and gratitude too~

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      1. Floribundas are my favourite too! I forget which type Paul Neyron is only know he is an antique rose with big cabbage type blooms. The. Butterfly rose I think is the common name for the popular China that has a gorgeous colour effect with multiple stages of bloom in different colors making the plant look like a flock of butterflies; -)
        I have a wonderful book you might like even tho its ostensibly for the South as they do mention some California growers if the roses. It is called Landscaping with Antique Roses. The photos and the stories of “rose rustling” the antiques from old farmsteads and such are worth reading even if the advice weren’t as useful as it is;-)
        I didn’t realize the koko rose was not a hybrid tea! I hadn’t looked closer when I saw it in the catalog because it was in with them. If it is a floribunda I may end up with one eventually as they grow much better here as well.

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      2. The books sounds incredible. I know nothing about the process of hybridizing roses and I would like too. I am googling the butterfly rose right after this comment. Roses do become an obsession in the best meaning of the word, something you love and tend. Here at The Holler we have room for them which is a joy, as are you!
        I am not at all surprised you love roses. Us rose lovers need to stick together~ Thanks for all the interesting info I am now going to follow up~

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  58. Exquisite and I loved the bee in the centre of the last one which came as a nice surprise when I enlarged it on my screen! Happy spring…although none of our flowers have yet to bloom thank you for sharing yours.

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    1. What really surprised me was the hidden fly in the purple rose!!!! I didn’t see it until the photo was on the screen. Happy Spring to you and well and hoping your flowers bloom soon!

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    1. About 30 years ago I spent a summer in Burford UK in a 400 or so year old Gardeners Cottage on an family owned estate. It had Dutch doors in the front and back, and the stone walled back yard was filled with ancient roses that had completely taken over the entire yard. I, to this day, have never again seen roses like this. I picked boquets all summer long and filled every room. It was incredible, so old fashioned roses? I was sold long ago. They must have been truly lovely~

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    1. If it’s green, I understand it!! Plants are pretty straightforward that way, Laughing….so happy you liked the roses! Us rose lovers need to stick together!! 🙂

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    1. Oh yes, take heart, we all do. It would have been more accurate for me to say that nature’s creations function as a link to my higher power, helping me to work to keep my demon’s in check. Find yours and put those inner demons back in the lock box where they belong! Best of good luck with this. It me eons to get here, but it does work~

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    1. Oh thank you, the amazing thing about roses is their multiple sensory inputs, visual of course, olfactory yes, but also the more elusive tactile textures, their soft velvet skin. Thank you for noticing~

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  72. I have never seen or even heard of chocolate rose!
    It is so beautiful. Its color is so rich and mild at the same time.
    I never thought I’d find such color in a flower!
    Thank you for sharing these photos, Cindy!
    😀

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    1. I had exactly the same reaction as you more than a year ago when I first learned of them! Just remarkable. Now I want to get my hands on the newly invented blue rose from Japan!

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      2. I think so but am not sure. They somehow spliced Blue Hyacinth genes into a white rose. I hear there are some glitches, but I would so love to see one! The eternally sought blue rose afterall is almost a holy grail!

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  75. I’d never heard of a chocolate rose before, Cindy. Mathair and I have quite different tastes in flowers. I prefer simple ones like daisies and dandelions, while Mathair loves hydrangeas and poppies, but I have to say that the chocolate rose is climbing high on my list thanks to your breathtaking image. 🙂

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    1. Well consider one would have to please both of you…….maybe the koko would do it because after being chocolate, it turns to lavendar!! 😉 Hope you both are doing awesome~

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  78. Wow, such amazing colors. I had never heard of Coco Loco, such a perfect rose for the desert, hidden secrets and metamorphosis. 🙂 What a great place you have!

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  80. Les roses en leurs jardins sont reines
    Et vous photos sont si belles
    Que vous en mériteriez mille

    A poem for Cindy, by FGM

    (Roses in their gardens are queens
    And your pictures are so nice
    That you’d desserve one thousand)

    Kind regards, FGM

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  84. Beautiful roses Cindy and photographed superbly. One of my favourite flowers, especially the scent of some species 🙂 Cheers Cindy, have a nice weekend 😎

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  87. Wow! But Wow!. They are fab. I wish I had slightly greener fingers. Alas, I have an unfortunate tendency to kill off my plants. Those really are lovely. Especially the peachy one at the end and the dark red one you started with. Great photos, too. I can almost smell them.

    Cheers

    MTM

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  88. I am feeling so good and having a great pleasure looking at the beauty and divinity you placed on your blog… Thank you for your sincerity and feelings you share with us. Bravo!

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      2. Yes for compulsive rose planting addiction. On second thought, I like dong this and don’t think it’s a problem…….
        Uh oh, now I really sound like an addict!!!

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      1. Cindy, I have some bushes that don’t seem to be doing well anymore. I was thinking of putting them in the Rose Cemetry and buying bare roots next Spring. Where did you get your Roses from? They really are outstanding, both in color, and in shape. The first one in fact, I have never seen a Rose form like that. Roses are not easy to grow, as you well know, but I absolutely LOVE them. Your photographs as well are outstanding, finding my mouth hanging wide open as I viewed each one. You have given me ideas on how to shoot a little differently and experiment more with light. So that is another thank YOU. (((HUGS))) Amy

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      2. I buy my roses at a place called “Plant World,” in Escondido CA. I research before I go, but always end up with at least one unplanned. I like to google roses and learn about the profuse blooming, hardy varieties which I tend to favor. So far they all are thriving. I use Bayer 3 in 1 Rose Food for them twice a year. It stops rust, black spot, and powder mildew which can be problems out here and it has a systemic fertilizer. Roses out here need this extra help. I have used this for years and swear by it.

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