David Austin vs Poundstretcher

Snorky, grow something better than roses :rasp:
Hope WO doesnt read this . If he does I do grow a few christmas roses.....H. Niger

Clean air is, ironically, not good for roses so at least you know you are living in a healthy place Snorky.

 

@Verdun but i couldn't bring myself to get rid of them! There are so many in the front garden!

 

Can I have a say too please?

I moved to Scotland a year ago, previous to that I was living in one of the cleanest air places in the British Isles - the Isle of Man. Living on the west coast there, often with dreadful weather and gardening with sandy soil I had no problems growing roses. The only rose of nine in a bed that suffered black spot was one that was prone to it and it didn't infect the others. 'Rob Roy' (floribunda) only suffered black spot late in the flowering season.

Rob Roy


The bed was mulched with home produced compost twice a year and the roses fed with chicken manure pellets twice in the growing season and once with blood, fish & bone.

I believe shrub, climbing and rambling roses thrive directly in the ground as it's not restricting root growth, no matter which type of soil. We all know they are hungry and thirsty plants and trying to maintain that is very difficult in any pot or planter.

I have never owned a David Austin rose and never intend buying one. In my opinion they are expensive and over rated and the name is what draws buyers to them. All my roses, with the exception of Rob Roy above (it wasn't listed) were bought bare rooted from a fairly well known grower/supplier in Essex, at less than half the price of David Austin roses and all were good healthy shrubs on arrival.

Condition of roses I believe is down to the individually named plant and how it is tended, some are more susceptible to disease than others.

All my roses were Floribunda's and I chose those because they are hardy and coped with the climate of the area I lived in.

 

Can i add also that i for one am glad that GC's etc sell bedding etc in March ( or Winter months ) . I tend to buy my new Fuchsias for example around November.
If people buy tender plants without doing research and then leave them outside to die thats their fault not the GC's.
As for labelling etc , i can't remember the last time i bought a plant which wasn't labelled hardy/half-hardy, tender etc.

 

Pennisetum Rubrum often labelled as perennial yet only now being offered in the gc's in full flower; even if correctly labelled as tender perennials they are unlikely to survive our dark, cold winters in a cold gh because they need extra care and luck. So this is not right. A forum member bought some and expected them to continue year after year......they will deteriorate in a matter of 2 to 4 weeks! I see so many people buying plants in the gc's that simply wont grow in their gardens.....trolleys with dianthus and rhododendrons for example; the former needing lime the latter hating it. Many people DO this. They buy on impulse. GC's do not generally advise them properly; many working in the GC's simply do not know either

However, have to say Sheal has made a lot of sense about roses and I agree with most of it. Cornwall simply is not an ideal place for roses .....it is accepted here.....but with knowledge and diligence they can be grown well here. Remember, Cornwall can boast some of the finest gardens and roses are grown to perfection. I accept roses are loved by the majority but there are better choices for many situations.

Re advice to customers, I used to grow and sell plants and visitors from "up country" would call in good numbers. Many would crave the many tender things I had but I would ask where they lived and gave full advice.....the gc's didnt. Often it meant the loss of a sale but year after year they would return.

 

I have a mixture of cheap and cheerful GC roses bought in less affluent days and Peter Beales shrub roses (our local rose nursery) which have been specially sourced and have been more costly. Both perform well.
My garden is clay based improved considerably over the years. The roses do well and they all flower profusely. However I too get the foliage problems but I happily overlook the thorns and occasional blackspot and mildew to embrace the beauty of the flowers.
I couldn't have a garden without roses.

 

Roses have to be an individual's passion to give them the attention they need. If that passion isn't there then there's no point in considering them.

 

I am so annoyed with this rose (queen elizabeth i think) I had it looking lovely and I go away for a couple of weeks and the black spot has gone mad. Id been takig leaves off as soon as anything appeared, didn't leave any infected leaves around, used rose clear, fed the roses. It has such pretty and sweet smelling flowers but the bad leaves make it so annoying. Humph.

 

Sssshhh Snorky.........replace with a choisya or daphne odora aureomarginata. In a corner here I have a large choisya and the scent from a reblooming is wonderful this morning .
In spring there is nothing as intoxicating as daphne

 

I've got a lovely callicarpa next to it that's starting to turn purple.

Will have to look into doing a full redesign @Verdun

 

It's late in the season @Snorky85 and black spot at it's worst now.

I'm fond of Choisya too @Verdun but wouldn't replace the roses.

Choisya is a tough plant and my 'Sundance' survived a snow burial on it's side for four weeks but fought it's way back.

 

That's lovely @Sheal! Definitely going to look into getting one of those!

 

Thanks Snorky. It brightens up a dark shady area which is why I chose it for that corner.

 

What a coincidence!!! I was going to suggest Choisya Sundance next to Callicarpa. here it is superb all year round. It does need dappled shade
Re the rose, I think black spot will spoil it every year and at peak time too so in that show spot you need something looking good all year round Snorky.