@agnasia for me it’s nepeta ‘Kit Kat’ plus Vanessa Bell / Olivia Rose Austin roses, with alliums for punctuation. I had lavender before but my border is on a slope so the lavender didn’t like the combination of heavy clay soil, soaking in water at the front of the border and lack of sun half the year (although the border is south facing, the garden is overshadowed by houses)…
With nepeta you can get two flowerings — pruning in late winter and then again in late summer — but lavender has a much nicer scent.
Lovely pot bases @marlorena! I must admit I have these now for my big rose pots. Kind of ugly but with a large pot you barely notice it, and I can move them to get at fallen leaves or rotate for more even sun exposure.
@Marlorena I remember reading on one of the earlier rose threads that Sceptr'd Isle was one of your favourites. Now that we have The Ancient Mariner and Silas Marner as fragrant pinks, how would you rank the three of them against each other?
I'm just in the process of finishing off my pruning and this damage from sawfly is becoming more and more apparent. After battling the blighters in the early summer months last year and thinking I was on top of them I had 5-6 weeks away, but came back to devastation with practically every rose badly affected. I'm retiring in a few weeks, so I'll be able to concentrate my efforts on 'em this year...so they better watch out.
^that's a sorry state... going to be a bad year for those it seems..
@Athelas Lovely borders, I like the plant holders on wheels, handy for moving around I should think. I'd like to get Nepeta's back here but I had problems with cats when I had them,.. such a pity as they're so good with roses, although one variety, can't remember the name but a big one, I found to be invasive at the roots.. do you not have these issues?
@Dasha Yes 'Scepter'd Isle' was one of the best for me, perhaps black spot resistance not quite as good, but it didn't bother me too much.. otherwise it had just about everything going for it..
@Marlorena I only have Kit Kat and Purrsian Blue, which are small varieties — they’re not invasive at all, just staying in little rosettes every year — but then I have clay soil. Also, luckily, my cat and neighbourhood cats seem to have no interest in the nepeta.
'Julia Child' was a magnificent floribunda rose in my garden for a few years before I let it get too big. I'm not one for cutting back too much. About 5' x 6' wide after 3 years. Aniseed scent, large quite healthy foliage most of the time. Almost continuous flowering.. Undoubtedly the best of its class in this colour.
..however, 'The Poet's Wife' beat it for continuity of bloom and perhaps a better scent.. ..you might also like 'Golden Beauty', one of the healthiest roses I've ever grown, just about disease free..
.. 'Scented Garden' is one of my favourites in a light colour.. and the only one of these that remains here, due only to space reasons..
You should also consider 'Molineux'.. and 'Arthur Bell'.. amongst many others..
@Athelas your rose and nepeta border is lovely! This is getting harder! Good to know you get two flowerings rather than one. What does it look like once pruned in the winter? I love the alliums coming through as well. May I ask how many roses you have in that border?
We have lots of cats locally @Marlorena so that may be something to think about, do they lie down on it? So perhaps the smaller varieties better than the larger - is it six hills giant?
I think I’m as far as deciding I need three Desdemona’s, it’s just what sits between them.
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After battling the blighters in the early summer months last year and thinking I was on top of them I had 5-6 weeks away, but came back to devastation with practically every rose badly affected.
I'm retiring in a few weeks, so I'll be able to concentrate my efforts on 'em this year...so they better watch out.
@Athelas
Lovely borders, I like the plant holders on wheels, handy for moving around I should think.
I'd like to get Nepeta's back here but I had problems with cats when I had them,.. such a pity as they're so good with roses, although one variety, can't remember the name but a big one, I found to be invasive at the roots.. do you not have these issues?
@Dasha
Yes 'Scepter'd Isle' was one of the best for me, perhaps black spot resistance not quite as good, but it didn't bother me too much.. otherwise it had just about everything going for it..
..however, 'The Poet's Wife' beat it for continuity of bloom and perhaps a better scent..
..you might also like 'Golden Beauty', one of the healthiest roses I've ever grown, just about disease free..
.. 'Scented Garden' is one of my favourites in a light colour.. and the only one of these that remains here, due only to space reasons..
You should also consider 'Molineux'.. and 'Arthur Bell'.. amongst many others..
We have lots of cats locally @Marlorena so that may be something to think about, do they lie down on it? So perhaps the smaller varieties better than the larger - is it six hills giant?
I think I’m as far as deciding I need three Desdemona’s, it’s just what sits between them.