Sonntag, 1. April 2018

Many dreams and a lot of hard work



Dear readers,
Although still cold, all snow in Vienna has melted and the temperatures have been above zero the last few days. In the mornings the sun is streaming inside my bedroom window and while loving to sleep late on my days off during cold, grey winter time, spring seems to make me an early bird. So off I am early in the morning, longing for my garden. Having read so many lovely gardening books, gardening magazines as well as amazing garden blogs all winter long, searching for inspiration, there are so many ideas in my head now. These ideas mean a lot of work, but more importantly, also a lot of fun. All winter long I have been dreaming of some more flower beds in my garden. The last days I have been planning, digging, planting, fertilising, watering, ordering plants, and a lot more and my new flower beds are dug up, ready to be planted. Creating new flower beds in the garden is so exciting. At the moment my new borders don´t look like much, but I am already dreaming about how they will look like in some years time. Some plants I have already planted, the rest will be planted in the following days. I also bought two new rose arches as I plan to plant many more climbing roses and ramblers.

After studying many gorgeous gardening books and reading some very interesting gardening literature, the hard work can finally begin.




Creating new flower beds always seems like so much work, but it´s so exciting at the same time. While digging I am dreaming of borders full of fragrant roses and pretty perennials. 


before
after




The borders will provide space for my favourite plants, namely roses, which will be combined with
mostly perennials, but also some annuals. I am dreaming of roses, catmint, lavender, foxglove, aquilegia, campanula, clematis and sweet peas. Most plants will bloom in pastel colours and some in tones of purple. For the new borders I chose rosa William Lobb, rosa Madame Alfred Carriere, rosa Mary Rose, rosa Cardinal de Richelieu, rosa Felicite Parmentier, rosa Brother Cadfael and rosa Province Panachee.

I also chose some of the roses which I made from cuttings- after two years they have developed into plants big enough to be planted in a border-to include in my new borders. As the plants I took the cuttings from where not labeled- I am not sure of the identities of four roses- I am only sure that they are old varieties.  Maybe if I show you some pictures of the rose cuttings I can´t identify, you can help me identify them.

The following three pictures are of a rose I took from cuttings. The bloom opens in a very light pink, which gets even paler before wilting. I think it might be rosa Fantin Latour. What do you, dear readers, think? Any suggestions?



The following rose is my favourite rose from the cuttings. Anyone having a clue which variety it might be?
  


The following cutting is definitely a moss rose, blooming in a crimson tone. But which one?




The following rose, also very pretty, I don´t know the identity of either.

Actualising my ideas for the garden also meant taking out two roses. ´Throwing out plants`, even if I don't like them, has always been  difficult for me. The two roses, both rosa Rosarium Uetersen were planted by my mum some years ago (I took over my parents garden after they had bought a house with a garden) and they are actually great climbers. Rosa Rosarium Uetersen is very healthy and blooms abundantly throughout summer. Now you might ask "What more could I wish for?". Well, it´s the colour. This very bright pink I can´t stand. Some years ago, I didn´t mind. I even planted rosa Rosarium Uetersen in my former garden because I thought it is such a great rose. Back then I didn´t know much about roses, good disease resistance and an abundance of blooms was enough for me. However, over the years I have become very interested in roses. I have started to become especially keen on old rose varieties. I love their beautiful colours- mostly pastels and also some beautiful grayish purple colours, which I think are rarely found in modern roses. And of course their strong fragrance-hardly found in modern varieties. But also knowing that these older varieties of roses will extinguish if people won´t grow them anymore, is  a good reason for me to grow them. My love for old roses meant that the Rosarium Uetersen roses had to go. All winter long I have been pondering whether I should leave them in the garden or not. In the end I knew that in the garden I am dreaming of are no bright pink roses, but mostly old roses blooming in pastel colours and purples. And the good thing, the two Rosarium Uetersen roses didn´t have to die. I carefully removed them from the flower beds and gave them to two gardening friends who were very happy to have  a new rose. 
the Rosarium Uetersen roses blooming in 2017


Over the last month I have also been busy sowing seeds. During my garden vacation in England I bought many seeds.



The sweet peas I already sowed in October. Two weeks ago I planted them into larger pots.


some tomatoes

What are your plans for your garden this year, dear readers? 
Any new borders? New plants your planning to grow in your garden this season? And please, if you have a clue about the identities of my rose cuttings be so kind and let me know.
Have a fabulous gardening season!
Best wishes,
Lisa

9 Kommentare:

  1. Dear Lisa, you have been busy. I love seeing before pictures of a project. I can see clearly that you have been mighty busy already this year. You have done some amazing work already. I can't wait to see what you fill in with around the roses. I don't have all of this wonderful full sun to work with so I don't grow roses. I don't know much about them at all. I wish I could help you with your id of these beautiful old roses. Hopefully someone will be able to tell you.
    I hate to throw out plants that I don't want any more or that don't do well in the garden. I am glad for you that you had someone to take the beautiful rose from your garden.
    I have a few plans for my garden this year. Nothing on the scale that you have undertaken. I have moved a few plants around in the garden. Some that needed more sun than they were getting. I did this right before we were inundated with rain.
    This morning I woke to snow on the ground. A first for snow in April that I remember. It will be awhile before I can get out and work in the garden.
    Your selection of garden reading looks inspiring. I see several books I would like to read in your stacks. I did read the Sissinghurst book.
    Good luck with your new plans. I can't wait to see how it all evolves.
    Cheers, Lisa

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    1. Dear Lisa,
      thank you for your very kind comment! The Sissinghurst book I absolutely loved. Sissinghurst is truly an amazing garden, which I had the chance to visit last year. I am sorry to hear about the snow, hopefully you will have better weather soon! Thanks for wishing me good luck- I will post about the progress of the new flower beds. You too have good luck with your garden projects for this season!
      Have a lovely week!
      Best wishes,
      Lisa

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  2. You've made a wonderful layout for your new beds. I 'm afraid I know nothing about rose varieties so I'm no help there. I'm so glad you didn't throw the climbing rose away, but found new homes for them. I have a hard time tossing out plants too, even seedlings that I find growing in the garden.

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    1. It can indeed be very hard to toss out plants. It really took me long to finally throw the roses out.
      Thanks for commenting!
      Best wishes,
      Lisa

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  3. Dear Lisa, you have been very busy!! I like the formal lay-out of the new rose garden. It will be exciting to see how it devellops. The first rose could be Fatin Latour. It flowers early and only ones. Maybe it helps you observing!. But even if No name is found they are beautiful. Lots of succes digging and planting. Groetjes Hetty

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    1. Thank you Hetty!
      Indeed, the rose flowered early. It was the first one of my cuttings to bloom and it flowered only ones. So maybe its Fatin Latour. Thanks for the info! Have a lovely week!
      Best wishes,
      Lisa

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  4. The new beds look fantastic now, and will be even more beautiful with those old-fashioned roses in them! I love roses like that too. I love all of the soft shades or pink and especially the purples, especially since many are China/Gallica hybrids and they do well even in our hot muggy climate.

    I think the first one does look like Fantin Latour. Whatever these roses are they are absolutely gorgeous! You may try posting pictures on the Antique Roses forum on Gardenweb and see if anyone there can identify the roses if commenters on here can't.

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    1. Dear Sweetbay,
      thanks a lot for your kind words and tips!
      Have a lovely week!
      Best wishes,
      Lisa

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  5. PS For the moss rose my guess would be Henri Martin or Crimson Globe.

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