I learned one big thing.

Never buy a house that has an easement on the property.

Of course, having a blank slate is sometimes fun.

Great thread aqua eyes !
I learned to wait for fall to start digging or early spring. Summer is just too dry here and the soil was horrible.
I also learned ( but I'll surely do it again ) not to buy roses you aren't sure where to put them. I have a couple mega climbers and no home for them yet.
I learned that allysum seeds in my rose pots seemed to deplete nutrients and those roses suffered.

I learned to be careful planting inside hardware cloth. I have 5 Caldwell Pinks in a bed, and too many of their roots an canes grow at ground level -- through the hardware cloth. Ultimately, weeding has been almost impossible.

I love red dahlias, and intend to plant more next year. They brighten the non red beds.

Phlox are beautiful, and next year I will replace the small phlox with larger ones. The newly purchased small ones don't grow as well as the larger ones.

Using spirea in my "transition" area is a good thing. I intend to purchase more next year to go with the seven I have purchased.

Sammy

When a sprinkler valve breaks in April, get it repaired right away rather than relying on precipitation that isn't going to occur!

I planted cannas for the first time this year. I knew I would have to dig up roots for winter but was astonished that I got an entire wheel barrow full of roots from one tiny root that I planted. The "dig up" pretty much ruined one area of my garden and so I guess what I learned is that this plant grows outta control in one growing season and I need to plant it in a less cultivated area.. anyone like some of the roots? (They are red cannas and grew to over 6 feet tall!!

I now have the confidence of keeping my roses alive through a tough summer after the driest winter we've seen here.

My roses are still alive after several years of drought and the hottest and meanest spring and summer seasons I've yet encountered. I've learned to cull roses that were not doing well in the heat because it certainly isn't going to get cooler in the years to come. I've also planted or replanted the majority of roses to areas that have afternoon shade.

Ingrid

Don't plant squash. They took over the garden and the yard. I got one squash for all of my efforts.

Great topic! The responses have been interesting.

What I learned this year-
1. Expect the unexpected and always have another plan. DH's stint in surgery, PT and out of commission this spring and summer and my fall with resulting complications from several weeks ago meant that I needed to do things a little differently this year. I need to think smarter and plan harder.

2. You may not really know which roses survived a hard winter till later in the spring when they simply don't have the energy to support their new growth. I had several that died after putting out a little bit of growth. They just didn't have it in them.

3. On the other hand, don't quit too soon. Some roses just took longer to recover- maybe even June or so.

4. Plant more summer bulbs like amaryllis, crinum (if I find a spot big enough), glads like 'Boone' and 'Carolina Primrose', dwarf bearded reblooming iris and crocosmia. I don't need to dig these in the fall here. They are lovely, easy care (at least for me) have nice manners and look so nice in the back with my yellow and apricot roses. Maybe even try agapanthus with my new pink rose bed. But no more dahlias! Or cannas! Good grief! They spread like wildfire and take on the dimensions of the eggplant that ate Chicago! And limit lilies to only a few that are tried and true. I love them so much but I lost over two thirds of them last winter. I'm sadder but wiser.

5. You never really know for sure what plants, including roses, will do well for you till you try them for yourself and give them at least a couple years to settle in. Even people across the road can grow things that I can't and vice versa.

6. Try to do more with seed sown in the fall and self-sowers. The experiment with sowing larkspur in the fall to bloom this spring went very well. This is so pretty along the edges of the garden and lawn that border wild areas.

7. Think about adding hardy flowers with continuous bloom for hummingbirds next year. So many things didn't make it or grow and bloom as strongly as in previous years that the hummingbirds struggled to find things in bloom.

Lesson learned for next year: Buy more teas. Teas teas teas! They are doing great here! Sadly I only bought 5 teas out of about 35 new roses. I will fix that next year.

Know what, Muscovy? I forgot to mention this one, but I learned the very same thing. Roses fail to thrive here more often due to our (frequent) hot humid summers than our (occasional) cold winters. Teas seem to be truly happy when the heat and humidity here are at their most unbearable.

That's so true about the teas. Here in my super-dry climate they do reasonably well, with plenty of water, but never reach the monster sizes I was happily expecting. I still love them and have recently acquired five more but have learned to scale down my expectations. In this instance their smaller size here is a good thing since they're occupying precious (but smaller) real estate in an area that has afternoon shade.

Ingrid

I'm going to be trying some more Chinas and Teas in the near future. I want to expand my "pot pet collection" beyond the red HTs. I love the roses I chose to plant in the garden, but I realized this year that many pause during the hot part of Summer. Many, that is, except for the few Chinas and Teas I included.

This area is tough because our Summers are almost as hot and humid as are those in the South, but we get a bit more Winter cold. Roses which sail through Winter with no problem seem to balk at the heat, while those which like the heat are hit hard by Winter. I lost only 'Jaune Desprez', which was planted in a very exposed spot to climb a tree. The others had to be cut back pretty hard, but rebounded nicely.

I'm going to see how the HTs do in their barrels without extra protection this Winter, and then decide if I want try some more barrels with Chinas and Teas. Hopefully, the garage will be accessible by next year, so I can wheel any potted Teas and Chinas in there for Winter. And hopefully last Winter won't become the "new normal" for here.

:-)

~Christopher

I'm glad I'm not alone in my tea-loving! I'm hoping for some sizeable plants too Ingrid, and whilst we're fairly hot here, we get significantly more rain than you do over there (doesn't everyone?) so it might actually happen. I've spaced accordingly, I hope..

On that note, I was sad to hear the forecast for decent winter rain in your area sounded less than promising. The thought that El Niño was bringing garden relief to someone somewhere in the world, while we are being ravaged by bush fires, was sort of comforting in a weird way. We'll still have fires this year, of course, but the thought that you won't get any rain out of the deal makes the fires seem worse somehow, like there's no pay-off, or something. Ach, I hope you know what I'm saying because I'm finding it difficult to articulate the thought.

Christopher, I really feel for you folks who have both harsh summers and winters. I can't really imagine what that's like, but it sure would make gardening a whole lot more challenging. I admire your dedication.

Our Winters aren't normally what I'd call "harsh", but a "normal" Winter here is just about as cold as a China or Tea can easily handle without added protection. Last year was an extreme (for here) Winter. I'm in USDA Hardiness Zone 7a, which means that, on average, the lowest temperature reached would be between 0 and 5 degrees Farenheit. That "lowest temperature reached" would be the coldest hours of the coldest nights, and usually, that might occur just a handful of times in a Winter. Usually, most days our daytime temps are above freezing, which offers a reprieve from freezing nights. But last year we had weeks-long stretches before temperatures would climb above freezing even during the warmest hours of daytime. And, as Murphy's Law would have it, that was the first Winter after planting roses which came as bands that Spring.

:-/

~Christopher

I learnt a little patience. After half a dozen flowers on MIP, and scrappy growth, I did think of pulling her out after a year. However, after reading comments on here about needing to give some roses up to 4 years, I decided to give her another chance, and she has flowered generously for a couple of months now. Growth still scrappy though, but maybe she will fill out? And two Scabrosas that also were nearly SPed (after 2 years which is pretty patient for me), also got another chance, and are doing rather nicely.
I also learnt that it's better to have a plant that does well, even if it isn't the one you really want!
And muscovyduckling, I love Teas too, and luckily some do very well here. They grow huge though, about twice what HMF says.
I also learnt not to be disappointed by visitors, the vast majority of whom stick their heads out the window, and damn with faint praise. I expect it now!

Trish.

Haha Christopher, that still seems really harsh to me! We have one or two nights a year when it might get to freezing or just below for a few hours, and daytime winter temps always make it into the 50s (F).

I've learned that I'm going to use alfalfa next spring to helps roses have more beautiful blooms and growth and I've leaned that not every rose I see or read about on this forum will do well in my climate and to stick with what does, TEAS! I am excited to be planting my first teas next spring :)

I'm in zone 7b and I had established teas die down to the ground from the polar vortex. Luckily they were own root, and all but one came back. It did get to below zero for two successive nights, a bit out of my cold hardiness.

Boncrow, if it grows the same for you and you have space, Smith's Parish is really taking off with nice bright green growth

Thanks Kippy, I will look into that one!

Love threads like this!

1. Not every rose is as vigorous and healthy as my first (Quietness) and some are downright unhappy (Angel Face) but more than one year will be needed to tell how the Hybrid Musks are actually doing.

2. I love cleome, never noticed it before this spring and now will have to have some every year.

3. I also love columbine, any kind, any color...they just make me happy. Plus they seem to like my new sun bed as much as my older shade bed.

4. I need a way to communicate with my sister (who I share a garden with and who uses plant shopping as therapy) that there actually is such a thing as too many plants. I do most of the day to day care and was overwhelmed long before summer was over.

5. After replacing most of my small (less than 10 inches) pots I'm finding that big containers really are better. Almost all the annuals bloomed longer and better and required far less care this year than in the past. I'll still use some of the small pots for temporary displays, or early spring pansys and such.

6. in the past I've grown dahlias in pots, this year I planted in the ground and was rewarded with the biggest, healthiest dahlia I've ever had (from a tuber even). Next year I will spend the extra money for the dahlia I really love and put it in the ground!

7. Next year I will try onion sets, rather than seeds. The seeds did almost nothing. Also, I will grow more carrots!!!

8. The sudden and unexpected death of dear friends is no longer allowed at the height of the planting season...just saying.

muscovy, thank you so much for your kind thoughts about our El Nino. I do know exactly what you mean, because I also feel better if at least somewhere people who need rain are getting it and are happy. I only wish it were you so that the fires could be put out. I think we gardeners do wish the best for each other and rejoice in others' successes and commiserate with the bad times because we know about the sweat and tears (and with roses, sometimes the blood) that come with trying to have a beautiful garden. Add a hostile mother nature and it's a real bummer for all of us.

Trish, you are not alone. Visitors get out of their car here, walk by dozens of blooming roses and other plants, cast a cursory glance over the whole thing and proceed to walk into the house without a single word. Lately I can't blame them but they did the same thing when the place actually looked good! Maybe next time I'll plant rows of regimented hybrid teas in screaming reds and heart-stopping oranges and wait for the oohs and aahs. But truly, I'm not nearly as miffed as I sound because the garden is mainly there to make me happy.

Ingrid

Trish, I have a newly planted MIP and Mme Ernest Calvat next to her, to espalier over a wire fence. I recently saw a mature specimen in Perth treated in the same way, loaded with lovely fragrant flowers, but still looking kind of scrappy/sparse. After hearing you say that, and seeing it in person, I think perhaps that's just the way she rolls, so I will plant some clematis or star jasmine with her, to help cover the bare patches :)

This is a great thread!

I've learned SO much this year as it was my first true "gardening year". There definitely were a few bumps in the road but overall I think it was a great first year considering I had very little to no experience, and a sad, naked patch of grass when I started. I must credit the many experienced, helpful and friendly people on this forum for all the invaluable information you have shared on this forum over the years, as I have picked it apart this year and it has been a priceless source of knowledge and inspiration.

Here are a few lessons that stick out to me right now.

1- Give roses SPACE... apparently more than you think they need. As someone that is brand new to roses, I made what I assume to be the most common error made by a new rose grower & planted my roses way too close together. And a few of them too close to my house. This has caused me all kinds of trouble, most of all it has encourage blackspot to spread from one plant to the next, down the line, eventually reaching the other side of the boarder, I'm still not entirely sure what to do about certain layout problems that I've got, but several things will be moved/removed this fall, so I'll just have to sit down and plan it out... which leads me to ...

2- PLAN PLAN PLAN where to put big things like roses, trees, and other shrubs. Most of my most frustrating gardening errors revolve about my placement of something, be it a rosebush or another large plant.

3- I need to pay more attention to the shrub sizes given in online reviews and forums and less attention to the shrub size the nursery lists in the description.

4- Rose slugs are jerks. They really are the worst, and now that I know what they look like and where to find them hopefully they won't cause as much devastation as they did this past spring.

5- Plant everything immediately or ASAP. From my experience in trying to care for plants that are still in their nursery provided pots I have gained a whole new respect for nursery gardeners & the magic they must use to keep these masses of fledgeling plants alive. These baby plants (mostly talking about perennials, but tiny bands fall into this too) in their poor quality soil and flimsy nursery containers are the equivalent of a ticking time bomb when left in my care, even on a mostly shady porch and watered regularly. I have lost so many plants that were waiting on me to plant them, for no apparent reason at all other than they were tired of waiting on my unrelenting schedule.

5- Cut back the rose more severely after big blooms. So many of my roses are looking scraggly and overgrown right now and it is driving me crazy, but I know cutting them now could put them in danger of suffering more winter dieback, so I guess I just have to live with it. Next year they will be getting more regular haircuts.

6- Sweet potato vine, my newfound love this year, was both a blessing and a curse. I think someone above mentioned putting sweet potato vine in with their roses for container interest, but I would have to recommend against it. These things form a thick, chaotic network of roots like I have never seen before! Every planter that they were in they choked out all the other plants that went in with them. They completely killed all their companion annuals, and just plain sucked the life out of their companion roses. Just for an example, I bought the famously free-flowering Easy Going and Living Easy as bands, put them in GIANT containers with a small sweet potato vine in each, great soil, full sun, consistent water and they haven't done anything all season. I think easy going had maybe 2 tiny flowers and Living Easy had zero. Neither has grown any taller or wider than when I got them, meanwhile the fragrant cloud (not the most free flowering plant) which I got at the same time, in the same shipment is in a tiny pot off to the side on my porch with only afternoon sun & is already 2 feet tall and blooming regularly. It has to be the sweet potato vine, it is one hungry, fast growing beast. I love the bright green foliage and draping nature of this vine so much next year I might just put it in its own pot on a tall plant stand behind the shorter pots so that it may drape down behind them all, but it will never be a companion plant for me again.

there is so much more but I don't have enough time to write it all!

Jessica

Ingrid, I am astonished (and oddly cheered) that your visitors can do that. How can people not see the beauty? Thankfully, I too garden for me. But it was lovely to hear my daughter say the other day that the garden looked amazing.
How I wish I could visit many of the gardens on this forum. How I would love to walk round yours in the early morning with a cup of tea.
Muscovy, I was afraid that was true of MIP. I've planted the salvia Megan's Magic near her to hopefully soften the look.

One of my favorite memories if of my neighbor's HUSBAND staring thunderstruck at my garden over the fence. One late June morning when everything was blooming at the same time.

Jessica, judging by your comments you've made great strides in just one year. Some of the issues you're already aware of took years to sink into my plank-like cranium. Good job!

Trish, I'm afraid I can't invite you until next spring, because right now you'd be hunting for something, anything positive to say about my garden. The problem is many fledgling roses that I hope will have turned into junior swans by that time and empty spaces that I need to fill with non-rose, tougher plants. It will all get done and if the weather will cooperate I hope to have an at least half-way decent spring flush.

I too would love to visit everyone's gardens, partly for the sheer joy of seeing what others have done but also to gain inspiration. Gardening in a vacuum can be a lonely business which is why I never miss visiting the forum at the very least once a day. I truly don't know where I'd be without it.

Ingrid