New Planter

Hello Karen ..
Pretty planting ... nice bright colours
and attractive foliage :o)

Thanks Terra!

lovely

Thanks Paul!

Love it and your Cyclamen too;0)

Thanks Carole...it is nice to ring the changes...especially at this time of year. I was just thinking, I could really do with a bunch of daffs in the house...haven't had any yet, but I think it's about time!

Thanks J :)

That's nice,Karen ..love the colour of the planter as well:o)

Thanks bloomer :)

That is so pretty Karen, a lovely addition :o)

Thanks Annie! :)

I agree very attractive...

I like that very beautiful compination and potting.

Thank you both :)

That's pretty Karen, I think we get broody for flowers this time of year, I bought three african violets the other day for my kitchen window ledge, so I can see pretty colours as I wash up:-)

Absolutely BA. I get absolutely desperate about now.....and there's still February to get through! Thank goodness for primulas! Even my crocuses won't appear for another three weeks.....unless this mild spell lasts a long time!

I have nothing in flower at the moment, but amazingly my Austin roses have kept many leaves, do you find them somewhat evergreen?:-)

All my Austin roses have (kept)leaves too

Yes, they are real toughies, but I pruned mine pretty hard in the autumn as I had a terrible time with black spot last year. I'm dreading the spraying I'll have to do this year!

Bik, I suppose the weather's a lot milder where you are?
I may spray the ones on my small front garden Karen, but I'm afraid to spray anything on the back in case I kill things. I still have done nothing about one of my two Queens of Sweden which has three stems which seem ready to climb. The other one is rather a nice bushy shape. I'm not very confident about pruning, so any advice welcome:-)

well, that's a moot point because my Queen of Sweden was also very tall- growing and I've pruned about half of it right off. I'll let you know how it responds!

yes itis milder here, there wasnt any winter up to know.
I have seen a siringa vulgaris in bloom last NOVEMBER!!!

They bloom here early summer Bik, but we've had some odd weather here for the last two years with plants flowering out of season:-)

Maybe it's her nature Karen, but the other is a good shape. Do you think I should cut the long ones off soon? I'm worried in case it encourages it to shoot up even more. I do have the Austin Rose book, but haven't seen anything to answer this problem. Maybe I just haven't found it:-)

I would go with my instinct on this one BA. I didn't prune mine last year, and by the end of the 'summer' it was up to about 4' high. So this year I gave it a good prune in the autumn, to about 2'. Looking at it nw, I might have to remove at least one old stem to ground level, but I'm waiting for the first signs of life to see how it has fared!

Shall I do it now or wait a few weeks?:-)

I think that's really up to you BA, any time between now and mid March is OK I think. I'm leaving mine until a bit later on in case we get a really awful cold spell before the spring, as I fear that might cause further die-back. But I am a bit of a Maverick of course, and I tend to do things according to our particular climate here. You do what your instinct telly you is best!

I'll wait until the weather is bit more settled then Karen and take the long ones right back ...gulp.... :-)

Good luck! :)

I've found a reference in my David Austin The English Roses book under the heading "Removing extra long branches" it says "Long shoots are not likely to be numerous but they can make the shrub look unbalanced and unsightly. All you have to do is to cut the branch back to just below the average height of the shrub. This process can be carried further and roses given what is known as a 'summer pruning' It should still be only a light one." Earlier in the chapter it says that pruning is best carried out in late December, January or February. I mustn't have looked properly:-) An unfortunate side effect of looking through this book is I have fallen in love all over again and want loads more roses. I'm thinking of removing perfectly good shrubs and planting tall shrub roses against my fence HELP!!!!:-(

BA, remember all that rain we had last year? Just keep thinking of soggy mouldy balls....that will cure your enthusiasm! ;)

Thanks Karen :-))