..all my roses will be in full bloom next week - I tell myself.. meanwhile, here's a bit of foliage colour for today.. Griselinia 'Bantry Bay'.. Pittosporum 'Tom Thumb'.. Rhodanthemum hosmariense 'Marrakech'.. soft foliage makes good spreading ground cover and will start to flower late winter.. Iberis sempervirens 'Appen Etz'.. always the first to flower.. Scabious 'Perfecta Blue'..
Im waiting to see what DA and co release this year (I want Usha ki kiran from Dickson when available in April too) so busy tidying etc meanwhile. I hate bare fences, and wanted some more climbers for the rose obelisks so I just received my order from Taylors clematis, lovely healthy looking plants. The catalogue is full of beautiful temptations for later in the year too!
Do new UK clem releases work in the same way as roses? Does the trend for plant releases pull to small cultivars, to suit pots and balconies etc? It seems so to me.
I have Mme Ernst Calvat arriving later this month and I originally planned for it to stand amongst perennials in a shady border as I read it does well in shade.
A question though please, if anyone knows this rose, does it require support and if so what kind of support (i.e is it bendy enough for an obelisk)? Flicking through the photos on HMF it looks as though it does need support and I do have an alternative spot against a wall.
A couple of photos of the unkempt winter garden. A tree peony in the front of the first photo and a a banksia at the back of the second. It has been too wet here, that I haven’t been able or inclined to do anything. I am hoping that Feb will be a bit drier.
@Littlegarden - unkempt is best overwinter anyway, for the wee beasties.
I've done some rose related jobs today.
Mostly standing and staring at them as I felt too cold to actually bring myself to do anything. I think my brain slows down in the cold and I struggle to remember what I'm meant to be doing! 😄
Harvested some seeds from a few rose hips. Not sure they were all ready but I'll have a go anyway. Just letting them dry a bit then I'll show them in march like I did with the rugosa.
I thought I'd have a go at sorting out Kew Gardens now that I can see the structure a bit more. It really does want to be a climber!
I spotted that half of its growth had gone behind the very bottom wire. Most awkwardly! So I had to very carefully bring down 7ft lengths of cane, complete with blossom and side shoots, through multiple wires and other plants - very gently easing it below that lowest wire. Thankfully I managed to do it without snapping any main canes! I thought for sure I'd have to prune them off and lose them.
So here's it just after I'd freed the canes
After tying in.
It has a big basal cane that shot up into the buddleia during summer, I've now trained that to the side. Bottom right photo (with white flowers showing on it)
@Marlorena - you said last year that it would be interesting to see if the own-root KG cuttings are as vigorous as the grafted plants.
They seem to be. This is the one of them at my parents house - first season in the ground. Think they're two years old now since being first taken as hardwood cuttings.
..yes doing very well @Mr. Vine Eye taking off nicely, as is your grafted plant.. seeds look ok, worth a try..
.. nice to have a Tree Peony in the garden @Littlegarden I look forward to seeing that this Spring..
@Victoria Sponge .. either/or is the answer I would give to your Mme Ernest Calvat query.. you don't have to give it support if you can appreciate the graceful [floppy] habit which can be reined in with training and pruning, or simply inserting a stake or two at the right places, and tying to that, so it works as a mostly freestanding shrub, but it's flexible enough to train on a wall or obelisk as well if you prefer and have that available.. I grew it upright, with cane support, much like I had to do with 'The Poet's Wife' an Austin rose, another wide spreader with a floppy habit.. As much as I use obelisks here, if I had the space, I prefer the more relaxed approach but I don't have that luxury..
Well, it's been such a lovely day today in East Anglia, like Spring, with lots of sunshine.. I don't normally garden in January, but I had a couple of hours outside and got busy moving things around.. lots of jobs got done that I hadn't anticipated doing just now.. So I'm having a cup of tea and an Eclair as a reward for my efforts..
Posts
Griselinia 'Bantry Bay'..
Pittosporum 'Tom Thumb'..
Rhodanthemum hosmariense 'Marrakech'.. soft foliage makes good spreading ground cover and will start to flower late winter..
Iberis sempervirens 'Appen Etz'.. always the first to flower..
Scabious 'Perfecta Blue'..
Welcome @Penny_Forthem
I hate bare fences, and wanted some more climbers for the rose obelisks so I just received my order from Taylors clematis, lovely healthy looking plants. The catalogue is full of beautiful temptations for later in the year too!
A question though please, if anyone knows this rose, does it require support and if so what kind of support (i.e is it bendy enough for an obelisk)? Flicking through the photos on HMF it looks as though it does need support and I do have an alternative spot against a wall.
I've done some rose related jobs today.
Mostly standing and staring at them as I felt too cold to actually bring myself to do anything. I think my brain slows down in the cold and I struggle to remember what I'm meant to be doing! 😄
Harvested some seeds from a few rose hips. Not sure they were all ready but I'll have a go anyway. Just letting them dry a bit then I'll show them in march like I did with the rugosa.
I thought I'd have a go at sorting out Kew Gardens now that I can see the structure a bit more. It really does want to be a climber!
I spotted that half of its growth had gone behind the very bottom wire. Most awkwardly! So I had to very carefully bring down 7ft lengths of cane, complete with blossom and side shoots, through multiple wires and other plants - very gently easing it below that lowest wire. Thankfully I managed to do it without snapping any main canes! I thought for sure I'd have to prune them off and lose them.
So here's it just after I'd freed the canes
After tying in.
It has a big basal cane that shot up into the buddleia during summer, I've now trained that to the side. Bottom right photo (with white flowers showing on it)
@Marlorena - you said last year that it would be interesting to see if the own-root KG cuttings are as vigorous as the grafted plants.
They seem to be. This is the one of them at my parents house - first season in the ground. Think they're two years old now since being first taken as hardwood cuttings.
.. nice to have a Tree Peony in the garden @Littlegarden I look forward to seeing that this Spring..
@Victoria Sponge
.. either/or is the answer I would give to your Mme Ernest Calvat query.. you don't have to give it support if you can appreciate the graceful [floppy] habit which can be reined in with training and pruning, or simply inserting a stake or two at the right places, and tying to that, so it works as a mostly freestanding shrub, but it's flexible enough to train on a wall or obelisk as well if you prefer and have that available.. I grew it upright, with cane support, much like I had to do with 'The Poet's Wife' an Austin rose, another wide spreader with a floppy habit..
As much as I use obelisks here, if I had the space, I prefer the more relaxed approach but I don't have that luxury..
Well, it's been such a lovely day today in East Anglia, like Spring, with lots of sunshine.. I don't normally garden in January, but I had a couple of hours outside and got busy moving things around.. lots of jobs got done that I hadn't anticipated doing just now..
So I'm having a cup of tea and an Eclair as a reward for my efforts..