my garden - year 2

20 years ago

Thanks to everyone who has provided advice and to the several dear friends and members of this forum (and also rose exchange) - they know who they are - who have provided invaluable advice, cuttings, roses, sweat and laughs. My garden is actually starting to look like a garden - if I can keep ahead of the weeds just a fraction with my trusty round up sprayer which I now need to do almost daily (18L at a time). I have no inclination or time to spray anything and the roses and their companions are all healthy (I guess those that did not like the conditions have hit the dust) with regular loads of various types of manure. Pretty high rainfall here and all the house and B&B plumbing and loo water is treated and sprinkles onto the rose beds now. This is how I manage to keep some roses healthy that are planted next to gum trees. I am looking forward to the years ahead when these roses will get bigger and better I am sure.

The two new large beds that I sought help on from this site have been planted now - one with 5 marie van houtte and 5 crabapples- and because I am not as organised as I would like to think - with those roses that I didn;t know where else to put them - nevada, gloire lyonnaise, dove and mrs br cant and a white dogwood. The other big new bed has a variety of about 50 roses in yellows/ mauve and peachy pinks then red and deeper pinks - all just put in. Photos of these in another year or so. Outside my back door I still have about 20 roses to find a place to plant - will I ever stop buying and feeling guilt every time I open my back door and realise I have plants to put in.

5 crepuscules on front balcony

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crepuscle weeping and unknown callistemon in front of balcony

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lamarque up established gum tree - loaded with buds

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Leonnie Viennot up gum next to lamarque

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monsieur tillier (archduke whatever actually) - backside of lamarque in background

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dark lady - most stunning of the reds in front bed

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Comments (12)

Snodge
20 years ago
Looks like things are coming along nicely Kevarose :o)
Sparaxis
20 years ago
Lovely to see your progress!
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Thrip
20 years ago
How old are the balcony creps' Kevarose ?
Thrip
cimmaron
20 years ago
Looking fabulous Kevarose-can't wait to see more pics.
You should worry about weeds and roses in pots! HA!
I got heaps.:)
best regards
sandie
SteveTL
20 years ago
That balcony will be stooo-pendously spectacular in 2 years .... you can really look forward to enjoying the fruits of your gardening skills and labour.
ashmeri
20 years ago
from nothing to all that beauty insuch a short time, I can only imagine how it will look when you have finished, if you ever do finish in a garden, that is.

I love the idea of the rose up the tree, now I know where to plant the Lamarque when I get it, there is a big Ironbark in my yard that is all trunk with a top knot.
Marion
kevarose
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks all for your encouraging words. Trip the creps were planted in the summer after I moved in so 18 months old. I now realise 5 is far too many as this rose is so big and may move one or two out next winter. I go along with hedge clipeprs and lop of all the branches and flowers that stick out more than a few cm so I guess I am espaliering it but I have to do that as it is a walkway. I like that the crep hedge on the balcony flowers as well on the non-sun side - I am looking at it 4 feet away as I type in my living room.

Marion - I think the reason for the success of lamarque up that gum - and now leonie viennot starting - is the frequency and quantity of water as every time someone has a bath or shower, the sprinklers turn on and there is also heaps of cow manure around the gum - I do not think it would work without that water as the gum would be a better scavenger. But having said that, the stupid one here is currently planting a new gigantea next to a massive gum on the hill above my house to replace one that died, and every morning I troop up and hand water a wedding day I have next to another gum and I am about to plant a rambling rector and a gift from a friend here that was not kifsgate - I do see these massive roses bedecking the gums on my hill and I am not really dealing with how they will cope with the gums taking all the water - but I am taking the advice of Larry from rose exchange and planting them next to the gum trunk not out further where there is likely to be more feeder roots - it is an exercise that is likely to end in tears unless one has a biocyle to automatically water every day or two like Lamarque and Leonie have but then hope sprinks eternal and you never know, maybe I will get these giants to take up on the hill ....
User
20 years ago
Lovely to see it coming along so great in such a short time.
Those Crepuscule along the railings will look magnificent in years to come.
Same as the weeping one what a beauty that will be.
So many you have there and all roses are pretty what a beautiful garden it will be
When they are all flowering in profusion. Everything looking good, Well done ..Cheers..MM.
gardengirlWA
20 years ago
Congratulations Kevarose - I know how much hard work you have put into this garden - and I am so glad it has all worked out so well for you!! it will be better and better every year as the roses get older and more established - this is my 3rd spring with roses, and it is just wonderful now so many roses are bigger and more established.
Enjoy - Rach
scubamid
20 years ago
Looks great Kevarose, you are doing well.
Cheers
Judy
kevarose
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks Judy, Mistymorn and Rach

Visited a great gharden today with 600 roses and many many companion plantings - superb - fell in love with Complicata, Vanguard and Mrs Oakley Fisher - not all toghether that different in hue - so now to find a place to put them and a place to purchase them from ....
sallybcs
20 years ago
This looks fantastic. That Crepuscule will be magic shortly. I'm glad you are enjoying your garden. I keep threatening to get a weeping rose. Hmmm.

my garden - year 2

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Snodge

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my garden - year 2

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