In the garden

[xenith]

The buds on my roses are promising many flowers this year. A change from last year when I had about one from the lot of them.





In particular, I am excited about James Mitchell. A moss rose, hence the furry bits, introduced in 1861. Last year it had no buds. The year before, the first flowering season after I bought it, the buds turned black and fell off. This year there are about four buds.

It's supposed to have a profusion of pink, highly fragrant flowers.



Pink seems to be right.



Just Joey has only one bud this year. My first rose, I guess it is a bit tired. The leaf there looks a bit tired.



Castle Balthazar isn't as enthusiastic this year either. This might because it's had to put a lot effort into producing new growth (as seen in photo) after I cut off all its leaves. A bad attack of black spot, again. If you look at it sideways, it gets covered in black spot.

So all the affected leaves got cut off. The flowers will be a plain red, like my user pic, openig to single row of petals with a yellow centre.



The might explain some of the weird looking buds it has thrown out too.



Unfortunately, the Cardinal was growing up against CB so the spot got passed on. Cardinal de Richelieu, Gallica, introduced about 1840, has lovely dark purple, if a little untidy, blooms. I've had one of these since I bought (and it the most expensive rose I have, possible the most expensive plant). It took a beat last summer, but this year I'm keeping the water up to it.



Not roses, but some self sown Sweet Peas. I can't remember the name, but it's the species/original variety. A lovely flower to have en masse. I'll have to remember to actually plant it next year.

Comments

[zzinnia.livejournal.com]

How beautiful.

Here in the US, my own garden is onthe decline, so it's lovely to see some new life.