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joshtx

Bed Planning?

13 years ago

I have a triangle bed that is East facing, and backed on one side by a 10ft fence. I am planning on making it into a bed, and was wondering what the veterans here think of my rose selections; space is really what I am concerned about. So far I have:

Heritage
Eglantyne
Jude the Obscure
Mary Rose

And I am looking to add:
The Shepherdess
Golden Celebration
Pat Austin

I want a nice mix of yellows, oranges, pinks, and apricots, but due to limited availability of nurseries that carry Austins near me (and budget), these are the roses I have come up with. If the bed is 12 feet on each side, is there any issue with space? I know JtO, GC, Heritage, and Eglantyne grow quite large in my climate. Sun is not an issue, as the bed gets full sun from 7 am - 2 pm, and then the shade slowly creeps from the fence out to cover the whole triangle. The sun gets extremely harsh here during the Texas summers, so I feel that shade will help keep the roses from withering underneath the oppressive heat.

Any questions, comments, or concerns from the crowd here?

Comments (5)

  • 13 years ago

    I don't know how big these roses get in your conditions, so can't comment on the space allowed. Are you planning on adding companion plants? One of the things that struck me with your list is that the varieties you name that I'm familiar with are pretty much soft colored. I would want something bright or deeply colored for contrast in a bed I created (this isn't a law, just how I like color), plus some blues, lavenders, purples. Do you know how tall your proposed roses get, and have you planned to put taller varieties in back and lower ones in front? This is elementary, but after a quarter century I've been gardening I still forget it sometimes. Also, do they all or mostly have the same style of flower? Is there a possibility that they might be too much alike for interest (again a matter of personal taste)?
    Then, what kind of a fence is it and what are you planning on doing with it? If it's an ugly one, I doubt the roses are dense enough to cover it or to distract the eye from it, but if it's yours, you might grow something on it. Do I understand correctly that the roses are going to back up to the fence? Have you allowed space to get between the fence and the roses to do maintenance (weeding, mulching, pruning, etc)? If the fence is solid (I'm thinking more wall, but you said fence) it would help create the microclimate of your bed and might affect it in ways I can't predict as I have no experience with such a situation.
    Wall again: you said it's ten feet tall? Is there anything else going on with it: trees or tall shrubs nearby, vines growing on it, or is the wall itself handsome enough to be a feature? Because these roses I would imagine wouldn't get much over six feet tall (would they?), and that leaves you with four feet of wall to look at above them. Which might be fine, I just wonder.
    Okay, that finishes my first thoughts. I hope they are helpful.
    Melissa

  • 13 years ago

    Pardon my lack of info, I forgot to add that in my climate, JtO, Eglantyne, Heritage, and Golden Celebration all grow to 6 feet or higher. Chamblee's says they get to well over 8 feet (2.4 to 3 metres) tall each. Those warm climates Austin talks about that cause his plants to grow large? Yes, that is exactly what happens here.

    The fence itself is a beautiful handmade solid wood fence with nothing growing on it currently. I will snap a picture of the bed once I get home today.

    As for the colors, Texas' excessive heat makes for bright colors on each of these plants. The only bushes I have noticed that change their colors to adapt to the heat are Sharifa Asma and Ambridge Rose, both of which are planted elsewhere and will not be included in the bed. See Jude's color below. I am personally a sucker for the blushed looks of some of the Austin's, however.

    Thanks for the thoughts Melissa! I will definitely be considering the things you brought up!

  • 13 years ago

    Well, I went to the nursery for the roses listed except Chamblee's doesn't carry Golden Celebration(got it mistaken with Graham Thomas). So I ended up picking up a Pat Austin, and another Jude the Obscure (it does so well in my climate). Then on the way back I called Hollyberry Farms to see if they had any roses left, and she said yes. And in fact they were only $5 for the David Austins. My jaw dropped and I floored it. Turns out the reason they are only $5 is because they are left over from last year, and some roses even have grass growing in their containers. I snatched up the healthiest roses I could, paid $15 for the three (less than what one rose cost me at Chamblee's) and woefully left a near death Huntington Rose behind.

    So today's haul totals to:

    Golden Celebration (HBF)
    Strawberry Hill (HBF)
    The Alnwick Rose (HBF)
    Jude the Obscure (Chamblee's)
    Pat Austin (Chamblee's)

    All for around $56. I'll take it. I have certain opinions towards letting the HBF plants into my garden considering they are direct from DA and thus rooted on Dr. Huey (I have wrangled with this monstrosity before), but for $5 I couldn't resist.

  • 13 years ago

    Good buy! I would have jumped on that price as well.

  • 13 years ago

    Josh, Pat Austin does wonderfully well for me. It is usually the first of my roses to bloom in the spring. I will admit that it is the only David Austin rose that I grow and I chose it because my mother's name was Pat and my son's name is Austin! I will always have one wherever I go! Enjoy!