Altogether there is a baker’s dozen of roses in the back garden. Most of them are positioned amongst other plants as I prefer that to putting them in special rose beds with almost bare soli around them. The latter is probably good gardening practice and no doubt better in terms of rose health, but mine have to suffer the consequences of a jumbled, crowded existence.
This spring the roses are blooming to perfection. I managed to feed them at the right time during (copious) rain and I’m sure the feed was washed down straight away to exactly where it was needed.
I am again joining the Six on Saturday crowd, now hosted by our new commander in chief, Jim at Garden Ruminations. Do pop over to his blog here, to see what other gardeners are doing as well.
One: This is Rosa ’Perfect Harmony’, the most recent addition. A froth of tutus rivalling the corps de ballet.
Two: Rosa ’Hot Chocolate’, a warming glow on a cool spring morning.
Three: ’Julia’s Rose’, delicious crème caramel.
Four: Continuing with the sugary theme, Rosa Sweet Spot ’Calypso’. There are two of these in matching pots which have had the bottoms removed, so I’m sure the roots are well down in the soil. These flowers begin as a dark red and fade to a custard colour as they age.
Five: These have featured in previous springs, but here they are again, enjoying an unusually clear and sunny morning: ’Crepuscule’ and ’Pierre de Ronsard’.
Six: Not a rose, but certainly pink. This is Aseroe rubra, also known as anemone stinkhorn, sea anemone fungus or starfish fungus. It’s quite common apparently, but I have never seen one before. It is found in woodchips so it must have arrived in the garden some time ago when we brought in some mulch.
Those are my six for this week. I hope none of you noticed that I sneaked in an extra one. We had more rain during the week and strong wind which knocked a branch off the little persimmon tree and flattened some irises. It was cold enough for us to have the wood fire going for two days.
What do you do with your roses? Do you have them in a special rose garden or are you like me and squeeze them in anywhere?
Weather today: Gorgeous sunshine. 9 – 22 degrees C. Happy gardening everyone.
A Six full of roses this week! The first one you presented is my favorite. Which one is the most fragrant?
I’m embarrassed Fred, because I can’t smell anything. Mr MG has been sticking his nose in the roses and seems to think ‘Spirit of Peace’ has a nice perfume, it’s one I didn’t feature today.
So beautiful and all so different! If that anemone stinkhorn is anything like the octopus stinkhorns we used to have in Asturias then it’s a blessing not to be able to smell anything, they stunk of rotting flesh. Give me a rose any day! 😊
Thank you, Lis. I tend to agree with you. I just thought the stinkhorn was such a crazy-looking thing and was quite fascinated by it. The stinky part is for attracting flies, although it didn’t seem to be doing such a great job when I took the photo.
I’m not sure I’d put our common stinkhorn, Phallus impudicus, in a six, though I get it in my garden occasionally. We had a rose for a short while but I gave it away, I will content myself with enjoying other people’s, I just can’t warm to them and for the life of couldn’t explain why.
I think your stinkhorn (which I had to research) would certainly raise a few eyebrows! You’re probably in the minority not liking roses, and I don’t really know why I ended up with so many – unbridled plant shopping, I guess.
Lovely roses and thanks for introducing me to the stinkhorn, very unusual.
My pleasure, Rosie!
It was the stinkhorn at the end of the post that appealed to me. Of course your roses are great, and how wonderful to have a show so early in your growing year.
The roses are great….until black spot starts to appear, and then it’s a constant battle to keep on top of it. I’m making the most of them while they are at their best.
That stinkhorn was spectacular – but we musn’t let it steal the show from the roses. You showed us some old favourites that I’ve almost forgotten – especially ‘Julia’s Rose’ – I think I’d like to try it again! I have my roses both in a particular place (that’s the old roses) – but there’s a carpet of foliage below them that looks good when the roses are flowering. But also here and there with other shrubs and flowers. A lovely six!
Thank you Cathy. I agree about ‘Julia’s Rose’, such a sweet gentle colour and the petals remind me of precious parchment paper.
Lovely roses – and the climbing ones look fabulous. Mine are together in the Rose Garden but I do mix them with plenty of perennials as I’m not keen on the bare soil look either.
The climbing roses are particularly good this year, and they are doing a good job of hiding the horrible metal fence. Thank you.
Anemone stinkhorn is rather fascinating, but it’s ‘Crepuscule’ and ’Pierre de Ronsard’ that stole the show for me covering that fence. Wow. Apart from a few exceptions my roses didn’t fare too well this year (like yours, growing amongst other plants).
The stinkhorn has aroused quite a bit of interest. I’ve not seen another one since. Pierre and Crepuscule are certainly floriferous. I’d love to have a standard Crepuscule which I think would look wonderful, but don’t really have anywhere to put it.😏
beautiful roses, I haven’t grown any for a number of years as they don’t seem to do well for me. Seeing yours, maybe it’s time for another try.
It certainly would be worth a try. Ours give us a great deal of pleasure.
It’s always time for roses! (Or it should be!) Yours look lovely, as someone else mentioned Crepuscule and Pierre de Ronsard especially.
I much prefer roses mixed in with other plants. Some to flower when the roses are resting, some to cover their bare bases, clematis to wander through their canes, and so forth. Happy Spring to you!
Thank you HB. Pierre and Crepuscule are certainly looking their best and covering the fence that I dislike so much. I made a decision to have a rose in each garden bed as well and that is pretty much what I have done. So far they seem to managing in their crowded homes.
Funny, but I don’t associate roses with your part of the world, but they are growing beautifully. I ought to have ’Julia’s Rose’, as my daughter-in-law is Julia and it is a lovely colour, but Cornwall is very hard on roses especially in my exposed garden.
Roses do very well in Mudgee which is normally much hotter and drier than it has been for the last few years. They don’t seem to mind clay either which is a good thing as clay lurks just below my built-up beds. Julia’s Rose is gorgeous, and what better reason for you to have one?
Your roses are beautiful, Jane. I’m envious. Mine are in such a sorry state that I’m seriously considering digging them up and replacing them with agaves and other succulents. In an odd coincidence, I also came across a stinkhorn fungus in my garden this week. It’s not as colorful as yours but its “horn” is very obvious and it was indeed stinky; however, I don’t have a specific species name for it.
I couldn’t smell my stinkhorn, Kris, but it certainly looks like something that would attract flies. It has disappeared now. I’m not really sure how I came to have so many roses as I think they’re quite high maintenance plants, but we are certainly enjoying the blooms. What a shame you may have to remove yours, but then, given your conditions, your suggested replacements make a lot of sense. And agaves and succulents have their own beauty.
Love your first rose! I started out with a rose garden between the house and garage, but soon ran out of space, now have lots more in various places round the garden shoehorned in among other plants.
I think shoehorning is the way to go, Pauline!
Jane, that is an extraordinary looking fungi. I hope it is a good one.
Your roses are so lovely. I hope they get some sunshine and continue to show off their delicate airs. I was quite smitten with ‘Julia’s Rose’.
I don’t know whether the stinkhorn is good or bad, but I did read that it’s capable of spreading itself around. I haven’t seen any others yet. We’ve had days of sunshine since I posted, but also a bit of rain via storms!
Very summery here, Jane, and not at all humid.
I’m with you 100% on putting roses in amongst other plants in the border. They do keep going from May until November……..that is the present time, they may be still going until December.
Roses do keep flowering for a long period. I have some Iceberg roses that would probably flower all year, if I didn’t prune them hard at the end of July.