Beautiful photos and I really like the colour of your helianthemum fire dragon - i'm going to have to find a way of co-opting a sunny bed at my parents' or brother's ... not enough space here! - edit to add - i posted before i saw the close ups of your french ( although all the french people i know seem to call it spanish!) lavender and was going to say it looks less dwarf than mine - beautiful , will maybe try replace my more straggly not-really-hidcote ones with it!
... here's a picture of a very clean looking rose... this is 'Armada' on an obelisk in my Tea Patio area.. Anyone looking at it might wonder where the Aphids are... hardly any.. I don't spray, there's no need, and all my roses are like this.. I let things be and it takes care of itself.. ..rarely, a few early blooms can be spoiled a little by them, but wind and frost does more damage.. they do not need to be hosed off, or brushed off, unless one is picking blooms for the house, then of course you want them nice and clean..
Using spent tea leaves as a mulch around the base of roses is also thought to be a deterrent, if used regularly, as it contains a substance that works through the rose to make it distasteful to Aphids.. I have found it reduces the numbers, or they don't stay around long...
Hope you're getting plenty of sunshine today... sweltering in London I imagine..
.. another shot of one of my favourite roses 'Mme. Antoine Mari'.. I'm always photographing it, I find it photogenic.. this is almost the whole of my south bed Dry Garden, there's a bit missing on the left.. it's about 10 feet long by 3 wide.. the purple Geraniums are 'Russell Prichard'..
..this Divide border, which is about 12 feet top to bottom and 4 feet wide going through the railings.. separates the shocking conditions of the Dry Garden to the left, and richer soil in the Pebble Beach garden to the right.. ..I leave it a bit messy as I sometimes find a frog in there.. there is also a rose but it's yet to fight its way out... it will in time.. ...the Geraniums I like very much, this is clarkei 'Kashmir Purple'..
I have many different Geranium x cantabrigiense varieties, some are difficult to tell apart... this is 'Biokovo' which is popular... another very similar is 'Hillary Rendell'..
..what can I say... 'Desdemona' in these warm dry conditions just gets better.. what a fabulous bloom.. and such a healthy rose with good scent.. 'Lady of Shalott'.. first bloom should open tomorrow.. one of the few Austins I can grow in my Dry Garden.. although this took years to establish.. ..in the north bed, Dry Garden, where David Austin roses go to die... California roses, like their Poppies, thrive, with little help from me.. 'Wild Blue Yonder' doing really well first season from bare root.. unwatered.. ..along the Pebble Beach, shady side.. sun early and late.. I 'm totally in love with this 'Scented Garden' rose.. I've never pruned it, it's so healthy and floriferous.. loads of buds waiting to open.. this is the lower part, against an obelisk.. ..and higher up..
@bcpathome ...oh thanks so much, and for looking in at my garden... I'm sure yours is very lovely..
..in a smallish garden I have to pretend it's a bit bigger than it is, and I like it varied, so I make these little nooks and crannies as Lizzie mentioned... I did this one during the winter mainly to enable easier access to this area.. this little beach path.. I don't like edging with anything other than plants.. it's quite a deep gravel path.. ...on an obelisk in the Rose Island Bed. this clematis 'Belle of Woking' has been trying to open for a month or more.. I thought it would collapse on me at one point, but it's getting there.. lots of buds to open.. it's quite a large flowered double variety.. ..on my developing Rose Fedge, this winter planted 'Mutabilis' is taking off in the heat.. it will soon be as high as the fence.. I'm expecting first bloom maybe tomorrow..
So glad you like Desdemona as well.. I do think the blooms have the neatest arrangement and the scent is pleasant even though it isn’t the most powerful. It is so apt to describe the blooms as pure.. a pure joy indeed. Looking at fellow members posts here it seems to be a consistent early bloomer as well..
I love that pink foxglove as well.. it’s such a delicate shade of pink..
Also, regarding the use of spent tea leaves.. I vaguely remember this was discussed in the previous year’s rose thread.. could I use tea bags (opened and contents scattered) or does it have to be loose tea leaves.. does it matter if it’s breakfast or early grey tea leaves?
Posts
... here's a picture of a very clean looking rose... this is 'Armada' on an obelisk in my Tea Patio area..
Anyone looking at it might wonder where the Aphids are... hardly any.. I don't spray, there's no need, and all my roses are like this.. I let things be and it takes care of itself..
..rarely, a few early blooms can be spoiled a little by them, but wind and frost does more damage.. they do not need to be hosed off, or brushed off, unless one is picking blooms for the house, then of course you want them nice and clean..
Using spent tea leaves as a mulch around the base of roses is also thought to be a deterrent, if used regularly, as it contains a substance that works through the rose to make it distasteful to Aphids.. I have found it reduces the numbers, or they don't stay around long...
.. another shot of one of my favourite roses 'Mme. Antoine Mari'.. I'm always photographing it, I find it photogenic.. this is almost the whole of my south bed Dry Garden, there's a bit missing on the left.. it's about 10 feet long by 3 wide.. the purple Geraniums are 'Russell Prichard'..
..this Divide border, which is about 12 feet top to bottom and 4 feet wide going through the railings.. separates the shocking conditions of the Dry Garden to the left, and richer soil in the Pebble Beach garden to the right..
..I leave it a bit messy as I sometimes find a frog in there.. there is also a rose but it's yet to fight its way out... it will in time..
...the Geraniums I like very much, this is clarkei 'Kashmir Purple'..
I have many different Geranium x cantabrigiense varieties, some are difficult to tell apart... this is 'Biokovo' which is popular... another very similar is 'Hillary Rendell'..
'Lady of Shalott'.. first bloom should open tomorrow.. one of the few Austins I can grow in my Dry Garden.. although this took years to establish..
..in the north bed, Dry Garden, where David Austin roses go to die... California roses, like their Poppies, thrive, with little help from me..
'Wild Blue Yonder' doing really well first season from bare root.. unwatered..
..along the Pebble Beach, shady side.. sun early and late.. I 'm totally in love with this 'Scented Garden' rose.. I've never pruned it, it's so healthy and floriferous.. loads of buds waiting to open.. this is the lower part, against an obelisk..
..and higher up..
...oh thanks so much, and for looking in at my garden... I'm sure yours is very lovely..
..in a smallish garden I have to pretend it's a bit bigger than it is, and I like it varied, so I make these little nooks and crannies as Lizzie mentioned... I did this one during the winter mainly to enable easier access to this area.. this little beach path.. I don't like edging with anything other than plants.. it's quite a deep gravel path..
...on an obelisk in the Rose Island Bed. this clematis 'Belle of Woking' has been trying to open for a month or more.. I thought it would collapse on me at one point, but it's getting there.. lots of buds to open.. it's quite a large flowered double variety..
..on my developing Rose Fedge, this winter planted 'Mutabilis' is taking off in the heat.. it will soon be as high as the fence.. I'm expecting first bloom maybe tomorrow..
I love that pink foxglove as well.. it’s such a delicate shade of pink..
Also, regarding the use of spent tea leaves.. I vaguely remember this was discussed in the previous year’s rose thread.. could I use tea bags (opened and contents scattered) or does it have to be loose tea leaves.. does it matter if it’s breakfast or early grey tea leaves?