@owd potter ..you've done a great job there... you know I had the same problem here, the whole garden was covered in membrane then gravel over that.. it's taken me 10 years to remove most of it and I'm still digging up bits and pieces... it's fine if you actually don't want to garden..
...I'm a little concerned about your rose though... I can't see any thorns at the base, so whilst it may be a low thorn variety, it could also indicate a rootstock sucker has grown up there... we shall have to wait and see on that.. let us look on the bright side for now..
Thank you @Marlorena, Oh no!, if you are concerned, then there is most probably valid cause for concern. There are no thorns at all on the single main stem, but the top growth spurs from the main stem are thorny. I'll grab and post a pic tomorrow. Oh well, all work is done for now and it will be as it will be, but as I am of a naturally optimistic disposition, I agree, let's look on the brightside until we know otherwise. Many thanks for your invaluable comments, input and general interest. I'm sure we'd all be lost without you.
@peteS There is no such thing as a perfect NPK ratio because it depends on your soil. Also no such thing as food for roses or shrubs or vegetables... it's just marketing. Don't worry about it too much. If you don't get a soil test done, it's guessing anyway, so somewhere close to balanced is fine. (Pots are different because they are fully dependant on feeding.)
@Marlorena@Omori I do indeed have Sweet Syrie, its absolutely gorgeous and has the most beautiful scent, honestly one of my favourite roses. I brought it at a garden show, because I could smell the most beautiful rose scent passing the stall and asked where it was coming from... It had ONE flower open, just one and I could smell it across the pathway! Brought it on the spot! I somehow missed it was a climber (!) so its actually just in a flower bed (explains why it needs stakes though oops), but it seems quite happy and I don't want to move it, so I'll just buy it some nicer supports this year to help. Its very pretty.
@JessicaS, In your photo it looks more pink than the apricot colour in the promotional photo that, I think, @Omori posted earlier? Do you think of this as a pink?
This is what Ive been busy doing for the last few days too, took a long weekend to try and get most of the roses in and finish preparing the newly widened and bordered beds (some old turf to remove etc). Ive also added some spring bedding and some companion plants.
Not doing too badly! Ive planted: Lady of Shallott, Lavender Ice, Abracadabra, Raspberry ripple, Lady Marmalade & Black Baccara so far. Tomorrow I'll plant copper lights, Ebb Tide & First Great Western. I do pack them in but they seem quite happy.
Quite a few Roses in here... Just starting to sprout. Im working on clearing the soil heap left from the garden being done. The obelisk just visible has Shallot planted and nepeta & yarrow companions.
Newly extended bed below, ive cleared all the old turf etc today and carefully tilled it. You can see the old edge! Theres a Waltz time and a Fragrant delight in there. Its lovely soil too, used to have my rabbit run over it so its well fertilised!
This is Syrie on the left, Brother Cadfael on the right and Lavender Ice in the front. The other end has my "eyes" roses and ive just put Raspberry ripple in. Ive got some low ground cover etc to underplant once the rest of the anti-basset hound-defence fence arrives for it!
@owd potter Its buds start yellowy pinky - and Id certainly call it more pink than apricot. I'll see if I can find some better pictures. I should add mines in full sun as well. Just found this one, Its almost white as it fades sometimes. Mines next to Brother Cadfael which is pink and it certainly looks pink next to that.
Cadfael for comparison (excuse the BS, Cadfael is terrible for it)
Thanks for that @edhelka...I've always bought and used 'Toprose' as the early feed as it's the product which has always been freely available in these parts, but going off what you've just said, it doesn't seem particularly balanced having an NPK reading of 5-6-12. I would normally apply this to my soil and pots now, and again in July together with a fortnightly application of 'Tomorite' once any buds start appearing.
@peteS Potassium is said to be good for flowering, that's why tomato food is often recommended for summer feeding. But I am quite sure I have enough of it in my soil and don't actually need to add more or at least not much. I now think I need mostly nitrogen which leaches out quickly with our rains and my sandy soil. But I still haven't had a soil test done (I want to), so this is based on my experience and observation only. I am trying DA rose food this year.
Posts
..you've done a great job there... you know I had the same problem here, the whole garden was covered in membrane then gravel over that.. it's taken me 10 years to remove most of it and I'm still digging up bits and pieces... it's fine if you actually don't want to garden..
...I'm a little concerned about your rose though... I can't see any thorns at the base, so whilst it may be a low thorn variety, it could also indicate a rootstock sucker has grown up there... we shall have to wait and see on that.. let us look on the bright side for now..
Oh no!, if you are concerned, then there is most probably valid cause for concern.
There are no thorns at all on the single main stem, but the top growth spurs from the main stem are thorny. I'll grab and post a pic tomorrow.
Oh well, all work is done for now and it will be as it will be, but as I am of a naturally optimistic disposition, I agree, let's look on the brightside until we know otherwise.
Many thanks for your invaluable comments, input and general interest.
I'm sure we'd all be lost without you.
(Pots are different because they are fully dependant on feeding.)
I somehow missed it was a climber (!) so its actually just in a flower bed (explains why it needs stakes though oops), but it seems quite happy and I don't want to move it, so I'll just buy it some nicer supports this year to help. Its very pretty.
This is it last summer:-
In your photo it looks more pink than the apricot colour in the promotional photo that, I think, @Omori posted earlier?
Do you think of this as a pink?
Not doing too badly! Ive planted: Lady of Shallott, Lavender Ice, Abracadabra, Raspberry ripple, Lady Marmalade & Black Baccara so far. Tomorrow I'll plant copper lights, Ebb Tide & First Great Western. I do pack them in but they seem quite happy.
Quite a few Roses in here... Just starting to sprout. Im working on clearing the soil heap left from the garden being done. The obelisk just visible has Shallot planted and nepeta & yarrow companions.
Newly extended bed below, ive cleared all the old turf etc today and carefully tilled it. You can see the old edge! Theres a Waltz time and a Fragrant delight in there. Its lovely soil too, used to have my rabbit run over it so its well fertilised!
This is Syrie on the left, Brother Cadfael on the right and Lavender Ice in the front. The other end has my "eyes" roses and ive just put Raspberry ripple in. Ive got some low ground cover etc to underplant once the rest of the anti-basset hound-defence fence arrives for it!
Cadfael for comparison (excuse the BS, Cadfael is terrible for it)
I am trying DA rose food this year.