It’s not all roses this week but the garden is full of them. They seem to have enjoyed the conditions even as I was fretting at the lack of rain. Last night rain arrived and the water butts are filling up again. They are not all full but there’s a good quantity and more rain is forecast. Here’s the six for this week.
One
Almost open and not damaged by the rain, the beautiful ‘Lady of Shalott’.
Two
‘Darcy Bussell’, a lovely colour, susceptible to black spot but I persevere.
Three
‘James Galway’, a climbing rose so intricately petalled.
Four
‘This Scepter’d Isle’, a lovely shape, delicate shade and wonderful scent.
Five
Now I divert, here’s ‘Johnson’s Blue’ and absolute doer of a hardy geranium. Mid height, so useful for filling holes!
Six
The phlomis russeliana has absolutely forged ahead this year, borderline thuggish! Described as vigorous and spreading and tolerant of drought it has clearly got its feet into the ground. I will have to watch this one but for the moment it is doing a great job of filling out what was a difficult spot in the border. It’s just about to flower so it will be sure to feature again soon.
My garden will have loved the rain, I fear that in my daughter’s garden the bindweed will be greedily sucking up the moisture ready for another surge. But we are getting there. I took a tray of seedlings over yesterday. Today I fear they may have been flattened by the rain. The next project is to get the lawn back in to better shape. Bare patches to be seeded and some of the tougher grasses to be dug out. Last week my daughter dug up a collection of iron bars – the purpose of which is far from clear. Gardening eh!
Jim’s page Garden Ruminations is the place to go for more gardening news and all the links. There’s also the Participants’ Guide if you want to share your favourite garden goodies. Happy Gardening all.
n20gardener 
The roses look really well. I couldn’t grow them in my last garden as it was too damp and shaded and they finished up covered in nasty fungal diseases and mildew. It is so nice to see such healthy specimens. I grow ‘Johnson’s Blue’ it’s a great plant but I find it a bit invasive.
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Interesting re JB. Hasn’t been invasive here. I divide it to get more! I think the DB rose suffers because it’s in a little more shade.
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Gorgeous roses
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I’m trying a solution of Bicarb of soda and water sprayed on the blackspot this year.
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That’s interesting. I’ll try to give it go.
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Love the roses, but I struggle here with the damp and I replanted my ‘Fighting Temeraire’ rose behind a thalictrum which has gone crazy this year and completely covered the rose! Need to sort that out come the autumn. How come finding the ‘right plant, right place’ is often so hard?
‘Lady of Shalott’ is a lovely sunset colour. Scented? Perhaps the iron bars were planted to ‘feed’ some plant or other? It sounds like your daughter’s garden is challenging, but I am sure she’ll get there with your expert help. As for bindweed… that and cleavers and the dreaded cinquefoil are back in earnest.
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We share that cinquefoil! It’s probably my least favourite weed.
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I stupidly thought I had got rid of it from one bed, but no, back it has come…
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What a lovely selection of roses, are they all perfumed too? I think roses are so much better when they have Geraniums at their feet!
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Yes the roses are all perfumed. It makes for a great walk down the path in the evening.
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Love seeing the roses! So delicate and lovely! I can’t even decide which I like best! The geranium is great too!
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Geranium is too pretty to be so unfamiliar. I just got my first from Tangly Cottage Gardening last year, and it is already not liking the arid climate here as much as the climate on the coast of Washington. I will find a spot for it. I am determined to grow it like so many others do.
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So many great roses. ‘James Galway’ is particularly beautiful with its many petals.
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‘Lady of Shalott’ is a sure bet and has a very pretty colour.
Are the phlomis yellow ? I saw whites too but yellows are my favourite
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Yes they are yellow. I’d like white ones! I’ve not seen those.
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’Darcy Bussell’ has such a red, rich velvety color. Alas, hybrid tea roses just became too much work for me but I will enjoy yours.
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I have a few and dead heading is a mighty job!
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Oh, yes, your Roses are wonderful. Mine aren’t quite blooming yet, but now I’m getting excited for them to open. Beautiful photos!
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BEautiful roses. My favoruite is the James Galway 🙂 Love the colour and petal formation
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