David Austin Roses

Last week the Gardening Club had an outing to David Austin Roses.  We were still in the middle of the very wet season thanks to the Jet Stream's position, I had a nasty cold, and home was a big pull...sounds sad, yes it was, but I was really pleased that I went despite all this.  I even forgot my camera.......

We had a wonderful tour and heard all about the development of the wonderful shrub roses by David Austin and his family.  In addition to the roses I particularly liked the sculptures by Mrs Pat Austin, placed around the 'rooms'.  After our cream team, with pretty crockery, I returned to the gardens, then went looking for a little souvenir...

I bought two potted rose trees, and fertiliser and special planting magic granules...all the way back, I was wondering how to get the roses home as I had cycled to the pick up point in Kenilworth.  I had already discussed this with a friend and had as first plan: walking the plants round to her house, for collection later by car.

I had already salvaged the plants from the luggage compartment of the coach, and put them on seats, held tightly with seat belts, and realised that even carrying them 300 metres or so would be awkard.  The second option would be to phone home, with an eta so that the car would be there ready to take the plants home.  However, I still thought of another way, and that is how the rose trees arrived back home, each one in one of my cycle panniers!!!!!  Only possible because I restricted myself to two plants, but I was not thinking of that at the time. 

I bought a lovely small flowered climber: Super Excelsa to go over the arch near the shed..and Constance, I loved  the small round green bud, the long bud, and then the rose.  The colour is a warm and mellow apricot.  To me there is not much scent, but recently I have found the scent of some roses too overpowering some days, so this means than I shall be able to have them in the house even when I am going through my very sensitive days....

I think the plant has recently been re potted, so I have temporarily placed it in the gazebo, and am giving a little water twice a day in this heat. 

My new RHS The Garden Magazine arrived today, and under 'climbers to treasure', Open Arms is mentioned twice.  I agree with the height, growing to just above head height, with nice arching stems, and flowering all season long.  I have bound the stems loosely together about 60cm from the ground and allowed the stems to arch outwards.    I bought this rose about four years ago, and it is doing very well.  The flowers are loved by the bees and insects, and I bought this with Hubby in mind, who much prefers plants which look close to wild species with small blooms.  I don't spray, use the finger method to crush any green fly, and welcome all tits etc who love to look through the rose trees.  Open Arms does get a little black spot here, and when I dead head, I pick off the leaves and that seems to keep the plant healthy.

There is just one more rose tree which I would like to try to cram into the garden and that is the old Mutabilis Rose.  One more reason to visit nurseries!!  Although this is not the best time of the year to plant roses, I am now of the opinion, that you need to see the rose exactly.  A bare root  bought a couple of years ago: Ice Berg is nothing of the sort, and I ought to have known just from the thorns.  In previous gardens, I have always had an Iceberg Rose, and it has been almost thornless.