That looks delicious @Marlorena, a thoughtful gift. I’m trying Summer Song this year, waiting for the ground to not be frozen so I can finish planting out my bare roots. Got about halfway done before the cold snap hit
If the weather people are right...and it's always a big if...we are set to have a blast from the 'beast from the east' in a week or so's time. This part of the world that tends to mean prolonged savagely cold but dry weather, with a penetrating frost. Is there any special precautions needed for my newly potted roses to stop them freezing solid.
Already ‘beastly’ conditions here, -7.8c this morning and forecast to go lower still, brrr! I have surrounded my young potted roses in the poly with insulation - left-over cork insulation panels, cardboard etc. I put fleece over the tops as well yesterday as the top of the soil was frozen despite my precautions. Half are covered with a mulch of grit and they were less frozen than those without (I ran out) so the grit mulch seems to help.
The larger pots outside also froze so have moved them against a sunny wall but they may still benefit from being fleece-wrapped. I plan to keep them fairly dry until it thaws as wet soil makes the freezing worse. Putting the pots within bigger pots so they are double-walled, also helps if you have any lying around that would do the job.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
Thanks for that @Nollie...feels positively balmy here at the moment compared to what you have. No sign of the 'beast' as yet, but I have bubble wrap and cardboard I could use if need be.
I ordered some more plants yesterday evening from The Secret Gardening Club. Plenty in stock so hopefully won't have any run out before they ship. I'll be keeping an eye out still for rosemary Miss Jessop and geranium Russel Pritchard and doing another order when they're available.
I've seen that they've increased the free delivery minimum spend to £40 from £25. But to be honest it was a complete steal before with 20% off already low prices and free delivery. Still good value.
I must look and see what they've got left... all good choices @Mr. Vine Eye and I've had 3 of those... I first saw Helenium 'Rubinzwerg' at the RHS AGM trials at Wisley.. it's quite a strong colour and grows well in dry conditions I found.. a bit expensive though at 4.99 for a 9cm pot but it is a choice variety..
@Marlorena Regarding rose companion planting, my rhodanthemum Casablanca is still flowering and it’s grown quite wide now. Do you prune yours in the spring? Can I take cuttings then as well?
Do protect heleniums from slugs/snails. All my beautiful little plants were left to tiny little stubs which didn't survive.
Thanks for the tip! I'll grow them on into larger pots before planting out.
One half of the garden is a layer of quite dry sandy soil on top of heavy clay. It dries out very quickly in places that I haven't already mulched and amended. I've left part of it as it is and have been using that for herbs and other such things and they seem happy there. So hopefully I'll do ok with heleniums. I remember on GW hearing Monty talking about not being able to keep them for more than a season at Long meadow due to it being so wet.
@pitter-patter ...yes, it's a great plant, very long season, it never stops does it?... I haven't cut mine back at all as I'm just letting them spread, but yes you can trim it back and use the prunings for cuttings purposes... you can take softwood cuttings in Spring if you have a greenhouse or cold frame.. I haven't tried it, but I would expect them to root easily.. I'm more inclined to yank a piece of stem with some root attached..
...although a much shorter bloom time.. till early summer, I prefer the variety 'Marrakech' and will propagate from this one.. the foliage is superbly beautiful, evergreen and soft like an Artemisia, and equally forms a spreading ground cover plant.. I love to stroke it, and I notice it's got flower buds developing already...
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The larger pots outside also froze so have moved them against a sunny wall but they may still benefit from being fleece-wrapped. I plan to keep them fairly dry until it thaws as wet soil makes the freezing worse. Putting the pots within bigger pots so they are double-walled, also helps if you have any lying around that would do the job.
I've seen that they've increased the free delivery minimum spend to £40 from £25. But to be honest it was a complete steal before with 20% off already low prices and free delivery. Still good value.
Do protect heleniums from slugs/snails. All my beautiful little plants were left to tiny little stubs which didn't survive.
and I've had 3 of those... I first saw Helenium 'Rubinzwerg' at the RHS AGM trials at Wisley.. it's quite a strong colour and grows well in dry conditions I found.. a bit expensive though at 4.99 for a 9cm pot but it is a choice variety..
One half of the garden is a layer of quite dry sandy soil on top of heavy clay. It dries out very quickly in places that I haven't already mulched and amended. I've left part of it as it is and have been using that for herbs and other such things and they seem happy there. So hopefully I'll do ok with heleniums. I remember on GW hearing Monty talking about not being able to keep them for more than a season at Long meadow due to it being so wet.
I'll take cuttings!
...yes, it's a great plant, very long season, it never stops does it?... I haven't cut mine back at all as I'm just letting them spread, but yes you can trim it back and use the prunings for cuttings purposes... you can take softwood cuttings in Spring if you have a greenhouse or cold frame.. I haven't tried it, but I would expect them to root easily.. I'm more inclined to yank a piece of stem with some root attached..
...although a much shorter bloom time.. till early summer, I prefer the variety 'Marrakech' and will propagate from this one.. the foliage is superbly beautiful, evergreen and soft like an Artemisia, and equally forms a spreading ground cover plant.. I love to stroke it, and I notice it's got flower buds developing already...