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Big Choices, Hard Decisions.

14 years ago

Hmmm, fortunately, being a bit poverty stricken this year, I only ordered half a dozen roses. These have now arrived leaving me with problematic choices to make. Originally earmarked for the allotment and 2 for my home garden, this is now all up in the air. Although I could pot the roses up, I still have to decide which ones will be coming to Norfolk. Probably not my new hulthemia (Bright as a Button)or purple Weeks rose (Royal Celebration). Having doubts about Dawn Crest too. Although luckily, my daughter has a new rental house in Norwich and a tiny, but empty little garden (not empty for long though!)..... Golden Wings, Hebe's Lip and Marbled Pink are more likely to fit into a marginal woodland setting, I hope. Of course, this points up the much larger choices I must make regarding the 100 or so roses at the allotment (as well as the dozens of fruit bushes and hundreds of perennials). Obviously, they would be rapidly bulldozed once I give up the allotment lease so I want to rescue as many as possible while they are in winter dormancy but there are going to be a few casualties. For example, an enormous moyesii is unlikely to survive a hasty transfer. Also, many of the roses are just not very appropriate for a new life in the woods. But......my predilection for the wilder types of ramblers, scramblers and sprawlers seems to have been a fortunate pick - a surprisingly large number may well fit in a woodland setting. At a cost of only 35 pounds per annum, I can keep the allotment for an extra year so I can try to transplant as much as possible over 2 growing seasons. I will use the time to undercut as many of the roses and fruit bushes and even trench a few of the apples. Capability Brown successfully moved fully grown trees using a two year trenching method while undercutting will definately encourage a nice fibrous root system instead of the usual laxa taproot. Even so, I predict I will have to have a triage system to prioritise which plants will either survive the move or thrive in a new habitat. Not a list I am looking forward to attempting....just yet.

Comments (10)

  • 14 years ago

    My immediate thought, Suzy, is to take ALL of them since you have so much acreage. You know best, but if I loved a rose and it could be moved, I'd overlook appropriateness. Don't know what makes a rose inappropriate if I love it. :)) Being able to do the moving over a period of time is a great luxury. Keeping them in pots until you have the plan and time is what we do here, assuming water is no problem. Taking your fruit trees will be good and a learning experience for you that you'll enjoy, knowing you. I moved a Limelight hydrangea today. I hope it survives. It's much cooler now so maybe it'll be okay, and I'm only stiff rather than half dead. I hope the moving process is an enjoyable one for you, that is, that you find the joy in it.

    Keep us posted.

    Sherry

    Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

  • 14 years ago

    Will you be taking your greenhouse with you? I hope it's possible.

    Sherry

    Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

  • 14 years ago

    I'm with Sherry. What does appropriate have to do with it. If you love it, take it.

  • 14 years ago

    Hi Suzy, I'm glad to hear from you, I have been wondering how you are doing: Yes, take what you love ... I love Kim Rupert's Annie L. McDowell, although it died in Seil's zone 6 winter, and mine is colder than hers. It surprised me still green and perky in many frosts. My motto in life is: "do everything for love, it helps me to take risk and enjoy life more."

  • 14 years ago

    I don't know if all your single roses will do well in your wood but I am sure they would look well. I don't have a real wood, just a wild strip of pines, oaks and birches left by those who built my house but dog roses and a bird sown Finnish white spinossissima grew there already. I have put nearly all my singles at the edge, Nevada, spaldingii, Louis Riel, Single Cherry, majalis, pendulina, moyesii, Austrian Copper, glauca, the canina hybrid Freya. They struggle where it is a bit too dark but they look very natural as if they'd always been there. There are some semi-doubles too, Betty Bland, Dr. E. M. Mills and a hugonis flore pleno. Betty looks most out of place, too double and the pink flowers are too big in this context.

  • 14 years ago

    If there is a chance that what you leave behind will be bulldozed----take them all or as many as you can handle--they will fit in and look good.
    Wishing you luck.
    Florence

  • 14 years ago

    Good to see you post. All the above have great ideas. Perhaps I can suggest one more. Of those you are sure won't work. Take cuttings, surround the stems with moist newspaper, then put in plastic bag and into the fridge. Kind of buys you time. I did that a dozen years ago when I moved cross country and knew there would be no going back for more cuttings. My cuttings were grately abused and mistreated. Approximately 30% made it. Four years later I did it again..6 babies survived and live in my present garden.
    Thank you for finding the time to post for us how its going in your world, We care ya know.
    Love surrounds you from across the pond.
    Jeannie

  • 14 years ago

    As for appropriateness, let the rose decide. If inappropriate, it will die. If appropriate, it will live. If, that is, you have the strength. Good for you for working out a way to have ample time.

    Cath

  • 14 years ago

    Oh dearie me - off to babysit in Norwich this weekend and, as promised, arrived bearing roses (and some other stuff). The couple who own the house had obviously started to make a garden because I had previously noticed a little rose on the trellis. I spied a label so looked to check....only to lurch backwards in shock. The tiny, tiny little garden and 2 foot wide bit of trellis has Rambling Rector planted on it. For those not familiar with this monster rambler, this is tantamount to planting a dahlia in an eggcup. It is obviously a baby rose, planted just this year but will, in short order, eat the whole of the garden (it is even smaller than mine at around 28 square metres).Will have to contact the owners and hope they are reasonable and will agree to a replacement (we should get away with rose replant syndrome). Naomi is now custodian to Royal Celebration and the hulthemia, along with a purple salvia and some penstemons and a slew of tulips. Mild wet weather makes garden planting and dividing easy, if a bit damp.

  • 14 years ago

    This is good news that that there is another garden that you can save plants with. I know you will save as many as you have time to move. Even if you have to crowd them in, they can get replanted again when you have more time.

    I have a sale every year of all my extras and maybe you can raise some money that way to help buy pots, etc. for the plants that need them. I often get people who are willing to help me dig out bulbs in exchange for getting a big basket of them. There have to be people who are willing to help you dig plants in exchange for some things they don't have. If you get help you can probably save most of them from the bulldozer.

    I agree with you about the Rector....Impressive rose but completely wrong for that small space. The new garden is going to be looking exceptional in a short time with all your treasures in it.

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