'La Belle Rouge' on the obelisk, 'Lavender Dream' between the tulips. 'Empereur Charles IV.' in the distance, in front of the greenhouse, and 'Paul Transon' next to the pergola. 'Astronomia' almost invisible in this photo, still not looking good, small and deformed leaves. It has this year to show something. Spinosissima 'Dunwich Rose' finally growing leaves. A friendly plant. Some fur from my cat on it better than a grooming brush. 'Gabriel Oak' - a new plant and a one year older plant. New 'Olivia R. A.', 'Purple Lodge', 1 year old Olivia. 'Souvenir de St. Anne's'
Thanks @Marlorena much better this year than last, when they were suffering from being crowded by self seeded ground cover and oriental poppies, they perked up well when I cleared their feet. Just hope I get flowers this year.🙂
Cheers for the replies, yes despite being in North Yorks I've never known April to be so dry, thanks for the tips on watering in the morning, school boy error of doing it in evening!
@Marlorena I’m squishing as many sawflies as I can, being so tiny and living under the leaves it’s a nightmare. I also have the curled and hairy sort that keeps on reproducing throughout the summer so there is no respite. I don’t spray, but if I could get hold of some Spinosad (I believe that’s the only thing that works) I would use it as it is approved for organic gardening. Unfortunately, it’s only authorised for commercial use over here.
@edhelka your garden has such a lot of early interest, really inspiring. I am puzzled by your Astronomia though, since we got them at the same time. Its a very vigorous, healthy rose here, even the sawflies don’t seem very interested in it’s thick, shiny leaves. It’s not often a rose does better for me, in fact I think that’s a first! This is mine:
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
@Nollie I think it was a bad plant from the beginning (small, weak roots), possibly a dud. I'll try to water it more and watch it. Yours is truly impressive. Lavender Dream (the same batch from TCL) was also small and weak but got going in the second half of the last year. I am still hoping that my Astronomia could be similar, just needing more time to establish. I love the blooms.
Finally marked out the circular bed today but difficult to picture when the grass is so dead from where the chicken coop was. We've made it 2m diameter so just need to dig out now. The other issue is what to use for edging and also take into account the slope of the garden because I want the bed to be flat and not on a slope. Once done I can move some of my potted roses and then will have to decide which ones. Far too many decisions. It may end up looking like this for the next year.
I know what you mean @Ditsy. I've been all guns blazing for the last year or two and now it's marked out I'm dithering. At the end of the day if it doesn't work out we can always put it back to lawn.
Posts
'Astronomia' almost invisible in this photo, still not looking good, small and deformed leaves. It has this year to show something.
Spinosissima 'Dunwich Rose' finally growing leaves. A friendly plant. Some fur from my cat on it
'Gabriel Oak' - a new plant and a one year older plant.
New 'Olivia R. A.', 'Purple Lodge', 1 year old Olivia.
'Souvenir de St. Anne's'
@edhelka your garden has such a lot of early interest, really inspiring. I am puzzled by your Astronomia though, since we got them at the same time. Its a very vigorous, healthy rose here, even the sawflies don’t seem very interested in it’s thick, shiny leaves. It’s not often a rose does better for me, in fact I think that’s a first! This is mine:
Lavender Dream (the same batch from TCL) was also small and weak but got going in the second half of the last year. I am still hoping that my Astronomia could be similar, just needing more time to establish. I love the blooms.