RESPLENDENT ROSES

Wild Eve, a David Austin rose, is resplendent.  While not the largest of blooms, it is fragrant and copes so well with the dismal weather - rain and wind.  Its buds open without balling or rotting, the plant does not seem prone to insect attack or disease, and it undemandingly grows in a shady border.  While considered a bush rose, it can be grown as a climber and mine has almost reached the top of my 6ft fence.  I have mentioned it before, I know, but you know how I am with roses.  I mean, just look at them. 

Resplendent 'Wild Eve'

Earlier in the year I made the great mistake of not tying in my climbers and when a strong wind came along I paid for the error of my ways with a lot of damage.  Roses were ripped apart and this set some of the climbers back for this year.  I was hoping that they would have reached the top of the fence this year and because of my neglect, some didn't.

Yesterday, I noticed that The Generous Gardener desperately needed tying in.  A few weeks ago it threw out a rather tender but huge, reddish branch and I began the process of carefully bending it down in order to trigger off side shoots.  It is the side shoots that provide the flowers and as you can see from the below photos, I was successful in getting many side shoots to grow.  I don't know that I will get any flowers on them this late in the year.    Yesterday, I was able to bend the strong branch down even further.  I want to get it as horizontal as I can.  If you don't bend down climbing rose branches and just let them grow straight upwards, all you will get is a bunch of flowers right at the very top and nothing much going on lower down.  You must have seen that happen in lots of gardens.

The Generous Gardener

Tender-looking new growth on The Generous Gardener

The Generous Gardener

 

I brought in a number of Compassion roses yesterday which I arranged in a vase and placed on my bookcase which is behind me when I read or watch TV.  The perfume from them is divine and they look so beautiful too.  Not so great when they start dropping petals all over the place, of course.

Changing the subject, the yellow hollyhock that I planted in late spring has yet to bloom.  The buds on it are fat and look ready to burst.  I do wish they would get a move on though!