Well, my first summer as a rose grower has been... wet.
Palais Biron/Purple Lodge has looked miserable since its first, glorious flush, with some sick-looking leaves and zero blooms. It's finally put out two small buds, but no colour yet. (Side-note: An insect/fly with a bright yellow butt, which hangs out on my rose... is it eating aphids, or is it eating my rose...?)
Enchantress has been very healthy and continued to give blooms... but because of the rain (and, I assume, it being deeply cupped) has balled horrifically. Also, something ate a bunch of the fresher green leaves, stripped it down to the stems. I have no idea what.
Is it too early to be planning this November's rose purchase(s)??
I have very limited space with enough sun for roses, so I'm TRYING to stick to just 1 this year, and I have my heart set on something light/medium pink and blousy - but hopefully not as deeply cupped/balling-prone as Enchantress.
Current contenders are:
Penelope Lively
Olivia Rose Austin
Jacques Cartiér
Sunset Isle
Lovely Parfuma
Any suggestions or feedback would be most gratefully appreciated! (Or even additions, because who doesn't need an ever-growing rose wishlist!) I'm looking for the usual - excellent health, lots of flowers for as long a period as possible, scent, and small garden and/or pot friendly.
@Herbloom does it look anything like this? If so its a rose sawfly, the little blighters lay eggs in scars they make in the stems and caterpillar like grubs hatch and eat all the leaves to shreds
@Herbloom does it look anything like this? If so its a rose sawfly, the little blighters lay eggs in scars they make in the stems and caterpillar like grubs hatch and eat all the leaves to shreds
That's the one! I shall go on a squishing spree. Ah, it's certainly been an educational year. Earlier in the season, we learned that the beetles my other half had dedicatedly been rescuing from our murdering cat turned out to be vine weevils... 🙄
@Herbloom dont worry, weve all done it not realising somethings a pest! Those weevils are devils too. If you find brown scars on your rose stems scrape your nail down to remove any eggs. The birds eat most of my sawfly larvae but they can grow quickly and do some leaf damage if not eaten quickly. The larvae look like catterpillars but the tail end tends to stick up in the air so you can tell.
@WAMS that Alnwicks lovely, looking forward to picking mine up from my friend. My munsteads busy budding again. A firm favourite its just gorgeous.
Love everyone's photos, especially the unusual flowers with waggy tails
Still waiting for the blooms to open here. Some plants have flowers on them, such as a Whiter Shade of Pale. Yet this is the sole rose I have snail issues with-they climb all the way up it, and seem to be eating the leaves, and are eating the actual petals for sure. Everyday I go out see 5+ have climbed all the way up again. Why just this one?? Anyone else experienced this??!
@JessicaS yes I had that happen on my James Galway rose and it shredded the leaves to literally nothing.
@Herbloom I don't know Sunset Isle but I know the rest. If it were me I would go Penelope L or Lovely Parfuma. Olivia RA is a lovely flower but little fragrance whereas the ones I just mentioned have both.
Rosa 'You're Beautiful' which was new this year is flowering really well at the moment. The flowers last soooooo long, some of them 2 weeks.......
Nice flowers and a decent scent. Flowers remind me of my pink camellia.....
My Graham T standard that @Nollie has kindly given me advice on to turn into a weeping standard is growing big fast. Loaded with buds for the second flush.........
Here it is when I bought it in June............
Giant hollyhock I planted is now 2.5m and it showing no sign of stopping. Nothing left to tie it in for support!
Posts
Palais Biron/Purple Lodge has looked miserable since its first, glorious flush, with some sick-looking leaves and zero blooms. It's finally put out two small buds, but no colour yet. (Side-note: An insect/fly with a bright yellow butt, which hangs out on my rose... is it eating aphids, or is it eating my rose...?)
Enchantress has been very healthy and continued to give blooms... but because of the rain (and, I assume, it being deeply cupped) has balled horrifically. Also, something ate a bunch of the fresher green leaves, stripped it down to the stems. I have no idea what.
Is it too early to be planning this November's rose purchase(s)??
I have very limited space with enough sun for roses, so I'm TRYING to stick to just 1 this year, and I have my heart set on something light/medium pink and blousy - but hopefully not as deeply cupped/balling-prone as Enchantress.
Current contenders are:
Any suggestions or feedback would be most gratefully appreciated! (Or even additions, because who doesn't need an ever-growing rose wishlist!)
I'm looking for the usual - excellent health, lots of flowers for as long a period as possible, scent, and small garden and/or pot friendly.
Munstead Wood and Darcey Bussell... both easily in my best 10 performing roses this year.
Along with the Alnwick Rose...
All three discontinued by DA last autumn, of course. Another, Winchester Cathedral, is full of buds again.
Boule de Neige... ever-blooming
Gladiolus "Murmansk"... did not bloom last year so am delighted with these lively spires now
@WAMS that Alnwicks lovely, looking forward to picking mine up from my friend. My munsteads busy budding again. A firm favourite its just gorgeous.
Still waiting for the blooms to open here. Some plants have flowers on them, such as a Whiter Shade of Pale. Yet this is the sole rose I have snail issues with-they climb all the way up it, and seem to be eating the leaves, and are eating the actual petals for sure. Everyday I go out see 5+ have climbed all the way up again. Why just this one?? Anyone else experienced this??!
@Herbloom I don't know Sunset Isle but I know the rest. If it were me I would go Penelope L or Lovely Parfuma. Olivia RA is a lovely flower but little fragrance whereas the ones I just mentioned have both.
Rosa 'You're Beautiful' which was new this year is flowering really well at the moment. The flowers last soooooo long, some of them 2 weeks.......
Nice flowers and a decent scent. Flowers remind me of my pink camellia.....
My Graham T standard that @Nollie has kindly given me advice on to turn into a weeping standard is growing big fast. Loaded with buds for the second flush.........
Here it is when I bought it in June............
Giant hollyhock I planted is now 2.5m and it showing no sign of stopping. Nothing left to tie it in for support!
Flowers are huge.........
@Alfie_ That's really good to know re: scent, thank you!