Rose Report

I was going to do more hole digging today but everything needed watering and then I got really involved in some of this:

I went around and pruned the roses again, then crawled underneath and pulled weeds. That got me kind of on a roll and I spent a couple hours ripping out Bermuda grass in glee. I also dead-headed the roses again, and was delighted to see that many of them are still putting out buds. I'm not so happy about how fast the blooms seem to get rotty, but that's English roses for you. I will be reading up on this soon, I guess.

One really nice thing is how well the violas I planted under the roses are doing. They've filled in and are doing their job by blocking the weeds. And they're really pretty.

Here's my only disappointment: 'Spirit of Freedom,' which has weak stems and rotty blooms and is covered in thorns. I'm definitely unimpressed by this rose, and I'm seriously considering digging them out and replacing them with something else.

As a contrast, I give you the ripening hips on 'Bonica,' quite possibly the best rose in the rose hedge. Completely resistant to mildew in a climate where mildew is inevitable, no rust, nothing. And all this with no spraying at all. If I were recommending a rose to a non-rose person, it would be this rose.

Technorati Tags: bermuda grass, gardening, roses, weeds

posted by ayse on 09/07/06