@LeadFarmer ..your garden is very attractive, .. green is beautiful.. your arch is a central feature, and fairly narrow?.. so in case you're not aware, Francis E Lester only flowers once for a few brief weeks usually starting mid-late June as I recall.. hips follow in autumn if not deadheaded.. it's quite thorny, some big thorns on the thick canes.. it's trainable though... .. it exudes a mix of fruity scents, although it was never as strong as stated, to my nose...
I'm not trying to put you off, I've had feature arches with once blooming ramblers on them, but these days most people like one that repeats, so I just thought to mention it..
@LeadFarmer I too would give Francis E Lester a miss for your arch. I grow Himalayan Honeysuckle, Leycesteria formosa, in a large pot and the leaf cutter bees absolutely love it. Not sure if that’s an option for you.
Hello again rosey people. Seems like donkey's years since I've been in here, just been too busy with other stuff last year to spare the time, both in the garden and here. I missed it. Garden is a bit wild as a consequence, but I've made a start again and begun pruning. Most of my roses are Austin's planted bare root last year so it is first year pruning. Some plants still retain leaves, others have shed most or all. Should I generally be defoliating any remaining? Cheers, Owd
@LeadFarmer I too would give Francis E Lester a miss for your arch. I grow Himalayan Honeysuckle, Leycesteria formosa, in a large pot and the leaf cutter bees absolutely love it. Not sure if that’s an option for you.
That's a nice looking plant, would it be suitable for training up and over an archway?
I defoliate where practical, I've just done some.. not everything gets done though.. if you ask David Austin's they will say to defoliate at pruning time, that's what they do... old leaves can harbour all sorts of things... I also like to induce some dormancy into them, the weather usually does it, but it's all hanging around this winter. A freeze in Feb. should see most of them fall off..
Anyone's snowdrops out yet? mine are just showing..
'Scented Garden' produces a mass of hips but they take a long time to colour up..
@owd potter - I defoliate (if only because I really enjoy the satisfying, soft snap sound when they pop off!) in February - prune first to save time, unless defoliating makes it easier to see what to prune.
My climbers like Malvern Hills are going to be a "fun" job with how tall they are now. Especially Ghislaine as she's practically evergreen.
Some roses really cling on to them!
@Marlorena - it's a good idea having those timestamps on your photos. Looking back I've realised that on older threads the day disappears above the post. It only shows the month.
If I do pruning photos again this year I must remember to include the date in my post!
@Marlorena , I have some early Russian snowdrops in bloom for the last few weeks. Others are only just a few inches above ground. I planted some under my Claire Austin rose last year, hope they flower soon.
Posts
..your garden is very attractive, .. green is beautiful.. your arch is a central feature, and fairly narrow?.. so in case you're not aware, Francis E Lester only flowers once for a few brief weeks usually starting mid-late June as I recall.. hips follow in autumn if not deadheaded.. it's quite thorny, some big thorns on the thick canes.. it's trainable though...
.. it exudes a mix of fruity scents, although it was never as strong as stated, to my nose...
I'm not trying to put you off, I've had feature arches with once blooming ramblers on them, but these days most people like one that repeats, so I just thought to mention it..
Seems like donkey's years since I've been in here, just been too busy with other stuff last year to spare the time, both in the garden and here. I missed it.
Garden is a bit wild as a consequence, but I've made a start again and begun pruning.
Most of my roses are Austin's planted bare root last year so it is first year pruning.
Some plants still retain leaves, others have shed most or all.
Should I generally be defoliating any remaining?
Cheers,
Owd
Anyone's snowdrops out yet? mine are just showing..
'Scented Garden' produces a mass of hips but they take a long time to colour up..
...and I haven't defoliated that one as yet..
My climbers like Malvern Hills are going to be a "fun" job with how tall they are now. Especially Ghislaine as she's practically evergreen.
Some roses really cling on to them!
@Marlorena - it's a good idea having those timestamps on your photos. Looking back I've realised that on older threads the day disappears above the post. It only shows the month.
If I do pruning photos again this year I must remember to include the date in my post!