I don't get the idea of choosing plants based on cost; I tend to want very specific plants: if I can afford them, fine. If not, I don't get them. I'm perfectly willing to buy small plants or seeds to save money, but I don't see the point of getting something I didn't want just because it's cheaper than the plant I did want. At the moment my budget is very tight, so I'm holding off buying anything at all till matters (hopefully) improve. I do think it's important to pay a fair price for a plant - it did cost time, money, and other resources to produce.
I quite agree Aster. A lot of the plants I want to grow either are not generally available in local nurseries and garden centres or are expensive so I'll be sowing seeds and growing them on and will then, with any luck, have spares to swap or maybe sell for charity at a local fair or car-boot. Nurseries and GCs are in it to make a living and need a profit margin. I don't but that may change too if I need to fund compost and seeds and trays and cold frames......
As for roses having a short season Hortico, you do talk rot. A good one starts flowering in late May/early June and goes on for months if it's well pruned, fed and dead-headed. Don't see the point of old fashioned roses that just flower once unless it's going to produce very decorative hips. Even then I think I'd rather grow a different plant for its blossom and berries and keep roses for flowers and perfume.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
David austin roses: my personal experience is very positive, but i only have experience with these. I bought 12 of those in nov-dec 2015, bare root with some discount from da website. They grew well throughout 2016, flowered from may till oct, didnt get much spots etc. i did spray those once for aphids. They looked much healthier than the ones i see in people's front garden but it could be that i look after my plants.
Why i spent so much on DA roses and not bought something from diy store - i loved their peony like double flowers and i wanted them to be fragrant for sure.
I choose each rose individually, my most recent DA one is Olivia Rose Austin, still looking healthy, flowers were perfection, and gorgeous fragrance, though Alan Titchmarsh has been disappointing so far in it's habit,(flowers all hang their faces in the soil!) hope this summer it will improve, Gertrude Jekyll is just wonderful,even though I have treated mine appallingly ( before I learned more I moved it 3 times and never fed itor pruned it!) I'd love to visit DA but think I may have to enter without means of payment!
I have also had very positive experiences with DA roses and I really like the New English roses because of their flower shape / form, the scent (very variable) and the repeat flowering. They work very well in a mixed border.
I think that if the right plant is expensive I might just have to wait and save my pennies - what would be the point in buying one which is not right just because it's £5 cheaper?
However, (because they are expensive) I did visit the DA garden (and other gardens which make a feature of DA roses) about 6 yrs ago at peak flowering time. I did my own compare and contrast assessment of the most important (for me) features for very many of their roses & made simple notes and scores out of 10 which I refer to when buying.
It is also a good idea to try to research whether gardeners' experiences of an intended purchase match the blurb in the catalogue.
Also learn to read between the DA lines. 'Extremely Good Disease Resistance' and 'Extremely Healthy' mean that if the conditions are good you'll have a nice healthy plant.
Just 'Disease Resistant' or no mention of disease resistance probably means you'll end up treating it for black spot etc every year unless it's grown in absolutely perfect conditions with lots of TLC.
'Light scent' means you probably won't be able to smell it in the open air.
DA produce good roses and I've always received good healthy plants.They are, however, also good at marketing - so learn to read between the lines and try to see the plant you want in bloom to avoid costly mistakes
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
topbird what a great idea to visit and score out of 10, I just note what I like then have a problem narrowing it down, hoping to get back to Mottisfont this year, I will use this system!
It's a bit of a nerdy thing to do RM but it's incredibly useful when (6 years on) I'm looking to add another rose or two. And it's an enjoyable task to undertake of course....
I must try to get to Mottisfont at some stage. If you've got £100 to spare the NT are offering 'Experience Days' with the head gardener there. They are doing Sissinghurst too - but that's sold out.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
gosh I'd love that but it's a long way for us, we're in sunny Sheffield! we stopped once on our way to in laws in Dorset, so we'll try to do same this year, it;'s amazing, would soooo love a day there!
Good morning, I'm looking for some advice please. I've bought seven DA Evelyn roses along with several Charles Darwin and seceralBrother Cadfael with the idea of planting them in groups around a seating area. I'm unsure as to whether either would be suitable to plant as a group next to Evelyn or should I find another companion Rose. Some of my research describes Evelyn as pink tinged with orange others as apricot. I don't want to put them next to one another if they'll clash! Or can anyone recommend something more suitable for Evelyn?
i have a large georgian farmhouse with an acre garden in which I wish to create a Rose garden. These are just a few roses I was fortunate to buy at a very reduced price which are very healthy plants, but I still need to plant with colour in mind. I have a long way to go but small details are as important as the large ones! I would appreciate any suggestions or advice. Thank you in anticipation, Janet
Posts
I don't get the idea of choosing plants based on cost; I tend to want very specific plants: if I can afford them, fine. If not, I don't get them. I'm perfectly willing to buy small plants or seeds to save money, but I don't see the point of getting something I didn't want just because it's cheaper than the plant I did want. At the moment my budget is very tight, so I'm holding off buying anything at all till matters (hopefully) improve. I do think it's important to pay a fair price for a plant - it did cost time, money, and other resources to produce.
I quite agree Aster. A lot of the plants I want to grow either are not generally available in local nurseries and garden centres or are expensive so I'll be sowing seeds and growing them on and will then, with any luck, have spares to swap or maybe sell for charity at a local fair or car-boot. Nurseries and GCs are in it to make a living and need a profit margin. I don't but that may change too if I need to fund compost and seeds and trays and cold frames......
As for roses having a short season Hortico, you do talk rot. A good one starts flowering in late May/early June and goes on for months if it's well pruned, fed and dead-headed. Don't see the point of old fashioned roses that just flower once unless it's going to produce very decorative hips. Even then I think I'd rather grow a different plant for its blossom and berries and keep roses for flowers and perfume.
David austin roses: my personal experience is very positive, but i only have experience with these. I bought 12 of those in nov-dec 2015, bare root with some discount from da website. They grew well throughout 2016, flowered from may till oct, didnt get much spots etc. i did spray those once for aphids. They looked much healthier than the ones i see in people's front garden but it could be that i look after my plants.
Why i spent so much on DA roses and not bought something from diy store - i loved their peony like double flowers and i wanted them to be fragrant for sure.
I choose each rose individually, my most recent DA one is Olivia Rose Austin, still looking healthy, flowers were perfection, and gorgeous fragrance, though Alan Titchmarsh has been disappointing so far in it's habit,(flowers all hang their faces in the soil!) hope this summer it will improve, Gertrude Jekyll is just wonderful,even though I have treated mine appallingly ( before I learned more I moved it 3 times and never fed itor pruned it!) I'd love to visit DA but think I may have to enter without means of payment!
I have also had very positive experiences with DA roses and I really like the New English roses because of their flower shape / form, the scent (very variable) and the repeat flowering. They work very well in a mixed border.
I think that if the right plant is expensive I might just have to wait and save my pennies - what would be the point in buying one which is not right just because it's £5 cheaper?
However, (because they are expensive) I did visit the DA garden (and other gardens which make a feature of DA roses) about 6 yrs ago at peak flowering time. I did my own compare and contrast assessment of the most important (for me) features for very many of their roses & made simple notes and scores out of 10 which I refer to when buying.
It is also a good idea to try to research whether gardeners' experiences of an intended purchase match the blurb in the catalogue.
Also learn to read between the DA lines. 'Extremely Good Disease Resistance' and 'Extremely Healthy' mean that if the conditions are good you'll have a nice healthy plant.
Just 'Disease Resistant' or no mention of disease resistance probably means you'll end up treating it for black spot etc every year unless it's grown in absolutely perfect conditions with lots of TLC.
'Light scent' means you probably won't be able to smell it in the open air.
DA produce good roses and I've always received good healthy plants.They are, however, also good at marketing - so learn to read between the lines and try to see the plant you want in bloom to avoid costly mistakes
topbird what a great idea to visit and score out of 10, I just note what I like then have a problem narrowing it down, hoping to get back to Mottisfont this year, I will use this system!
It's a bit of a nerdy
thing to do RM but it's incredibly useful when (6 years on) I'm looking to add another rose or two. And it's an enjoyable task to undertake of course....
I must try to get to Mottisfont at some stage. If you've got £100 to spare the NT are offering 'Experience Days' with the head gardener there. They are doing Sissinghurst too - but that's sold out.
gosh I'd love that but it's a long way for us, we're in sunny Sheffield! we stopped once on our way to in laws in Dorset, so we'll try to do same this year, it;'s amazing, would soooo love a day there!
We've been to Mottisfont.
They're mainly old types of roses, not known as " repeat flowerers". We went , I think , in August and there was hardly a bloom to be seen.
Choose your timing carefully.
Good morning, I'm looking for some advice please. I've bought seven DA Evelyn roses along with several Charles Darwin and seceralBrother Cadfael with the idea of planting them in groups around a seating area. I'm unsure as to whether either would be suitable to plant as a group next to Evelyn or should I find another companion Rose. Some of my research describes Evelyn as pink tinged with orange others as apricot. I don't want to put them next to one another if they'll clash! Or can anyone recommend something more suitable for Evelyn?
i have a large georgian farmhouse with an acre garden in which I wish to create a Rose garden. These are just a few roses I was fortunate to buy at a very reduced price which are very healthy plants, but I still need to plant with colour in mind. I have a long way to go but small details are as important as the large ones! I would appreciate any suggestions or advice. Thank you in anticipation, Janet