ZEPHIRINE DROUHIN ROSE
Sometimes hard decisions have to be made when gardening. Often you will see, in yours or someone else's garden, a plant that is in the wrong place or is way past its best and needs replacing. Sometimes you see a plant that does nothing for the garden design. That is the problem I face, that the lovely loganberry, that yields an awful lot of fruit, does nothing for the theme of roses all around my garden fence. There used to be the rose Albertine planted in one corner. Then, one day, while attempting to tie in a branch of Albertine, which is a very robust rambler with very big thorns, one of the thorns hooked under the skin of my arm and it was an unpleasant experience trying to get free as I was propping myself from falling into the plant by my other hand pressed against the fence. Anyhow, Albertine had to go and I planted a loganberry there which was outgrowing a tub. Today I decided to replace the loganberry which hogs a complete corner (and which cannot complete with the beauty of a climbing rose), with Zephirine Drouhin so that eventually I should have a continuous band of flowering climbers around my garden.
Zephirine Drouhin has been for sale for 100 years and is still popular. It is completely thornless, can grow 3.5 metres, it is repeat flowering and very floriferous, and it has a strong perfume. It is, however, susceptible to disease so it has to be cultivated carefully with spraying against mildew, blackspot, and rust disease. Literature says it is happier with some shade and if grown up an arch or freestanding support. Tough! Mine is going in a sunny corner of the fence. If it doesn't do well, it will go the same way as Albertine. Hope it's listening. :D
It is going to have the pale pink William Morris (David Austin rose) on one side and white Iceberg on the other. William Morris is being a bit of a nuisance, the blooms keep balling in the awful weather. It is such a shame as that is an excellent repeat flowering rose with a good fragrance but that too is at risk of being replaced. I've had it three years now and each year, the weather being as it is, the rain gets into the buds and causes them to ball and rot.
Not all of my fence will be covered in roses. On the shady, north-facing side I have Jasmine Officinale, Lonicera Scentsation, Aloha (a climbing rose), New Dawn (a climbing rose) and Golden Showers (another climbing rose). The jasmine should really be in a sunnier spot for it is in its third year now and growing very well where it is. For the first time, there are buds forming on it and I am looking forward to the fragrance when they eventually open.
It was a shame to chop down Albertine as I have always grown that rose in other gardens, but it is a savage brute and not a repeat flowerer. It had to go. See below.
The above Zephirine Drouhin rose images were taken from:
http://www.rose-gardening-made-easy.com/zephirine-drouhin-rose.html
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| Zephirine Drouhin - how beautiful! |
Zephirine Drouhin has been for sale for 100 years and is still popular. It is completely thornless, can grow 3.5 metres, it is repeat flowering and very floriferous, and it has a strong perfume. It is, however, susceptible to disease so it has to be cultivated carefully with spraying against mildew, blackspot, and rust disease. Literature says it is happier with some shade and if grown up an arch or freestanding support. Tough! Mine is going in a sunny corner of the fence. If it doesn't do well, it will go the same way as Albertine. Hope it's listening. :D
It is going to have the pale pink William Morris (David Austin rose) on one side and white Iceberg on the other. William Morris is being a bit of a nuisance, the blooms keep balling in the awful weather. It is such a shame as that is an excellent repeat flowering rose with a good fragrance but that too is at risk of being replaced. I've had it three years now and each year, the weather being as it is, the rain gets into the buds and causes them to ball and rot.
Not all of my fence will be covered in roses. On the shady, north-facing side I have Jasmine Officinale, Lonicera Scentsation, Aloha (a climbing rose), New Dawn (a climbing rose) and Golden Showers (another climbing rose). The jasmine should really be in a sunnier spot for it is in its third year now and growing very well where it is. For the first time, there are buds forming on it and I am looking forward to the fragrance when they eventually open.
It was a shame to chop down Albertine as I have always grown that rose in other gardens, but it is a savage brute and not a repeat flowerer. It had to go. See below.
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| Albertine - look at the thorns |
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| Poor loganberry. I will try to find it another home if I can save it. |
The above Zephirine Drouhin rose images were taken from:
http://www.rose-gardening-made-easy.com/zephirine-drouhin-rose.html