Hello Ross, many thanks for the suggestion, it looks a nice, clear yellow rose so will investigate further. I see DA Europe still lists it, but it’s currently out of stock. Out of interest, where does your ’friend’ live? Sun strength and temperatures are obviously a lot higher here than in the UK, so it may not follow it would be heat resistant here, but I am always happy to take a punt.

Some gardens in England have their Snowdrops well up and out, mine are usually behind, but today I see signs of Spring, so that's nice. I do have more than this little clump.

'The King's Rose' sets hips I've noticed. Varying shapes.

We are experiencing torrential downpours at the moment and I have some species tulips emerging and teucrium fruiticans already starting to bloom ridiculously early, Marlorena. Perhaps plants are adapting to an earlier bloom cycle to miss the increasing Spring and Summer heatwaves. Or maybe they are just enjoying the rain!

Noticed this yesterday. Other than the random rose blooms, nothing else has newly bloomed here.

I was tying up some climbers/ old garden roses which had long shoots. Wondering if I should cut out the shoot which is growing opposite to the wall, even though it will be a shame to cut a long and healthy stem.

Should I cut it anyways, hoping this would stimulate new growth or better growth in the remaining plant?

I would leave a long and healthy new stem.

@NollieSpainZ9 my ’friend’ is the person I get all my info on DA from as he does stuff with them ( he doesn’t work for them). He’s lived/worked in various different places including America. California/Texas amongst others.

Another rose he said that would be pefect for you is Oso Easy Lemon Zest. Again I’m not sure it’s available to you but he said it can be grown in heat and doesn’t bat an eyelid.

It’s a shame you’re not allowed to bring roses into the country from the US as he’s in Florida at the moment so I could’ve asked him to bring you one or two back😂.

Cooldoc, I don't like shoots growing in the wrong direction, personally, so I tend to cut them back by half, if I can't tie them in. Just done one actually. Depends what you want to achieve I suppose.

This Rosemary flowers early, but mid Jan is somewhat ridiculous.

Lemon Zest is another nice looking yellow, Ross. I see it’s another UK bred rose, by Chris Warner, but it doesn’t seem to be available in Europe.

Marlorena, my Clivia are very confused. They've started to bloom. It's midsummer here and they usually bloom in late winter. Goodness knows what's going on.

That's the way of it Trish, not that I know anything about Clivias, I think they're houseplants for us - that would be dead within a week with me.

Must look nice in your garden though.

I've been following this Beckham family saga with some amusement. Skeletons finally coming out of the cupboard. I wonder how this will affect the new Austin release next May, the 'Sir David Beckham' rose. I do wish they would stop this association with Celebrity endorsements and get back to basics. One false step and they're suddenly out of favour.

Lots of country houses and lovable fictional characters still to use.

Austin could try an Elvis rose. He's been dead long enough that we know all his skeletons. Diane

I was brought up on Elvis records, still some of my favourites, but he's not British. It's a pity they can't use 'Dame Vera Lynn' as I think it's trademarked, but I would certainly buy one.

I didn't realize they were limited to UK celebs. How about a compromise and go with John Lennon? I'd buy that one. An elegant dark red. or purple. Diane

@Diane Brakefield for John Lennon a white rose would be better (the white piano in the Imagine video) and he was in favour of peace. However his name is trademarked as well so they would have to get yoko ono’s permission.

They could release four roses. One for each of The Beatles.

Ross, I totally agree with you. White would be the best color for the rose. I also understand about trademarks. I like the idea of four roses, one for each of the Beatles. Diane

I'm very pleased with my pruning and defoliating of 'Lilac Bouquet'.. can't remember what it's called in US but it's one of my favourite roses these days, for its colour, scent and being thornless helps a lot.

I like to keep it around fence height as a large shrub, but suitable for arches. Long flowering.

Blooms from top to toe..

..exceptional vigour..

The new David Austin Handbook of Roses is available to pre-order now for delivery beginning of March.

Ah yes 'Rise up Lilac Days', I remember agreeing with you Marlorena that was a crazy name.

I hope everyone is just about coping with these trying days. I was heartened to read that tomorrow is the last full moon of meteorological winter. The days lengthening in the afternoon are particularly welcome.

Nothing much rosey to report. I am late this year but have finally started pruning the pots (garden long since done). A nice discovery was a rooted horizontal cane on White Meidiland, I cut and potted it up. Lots of the roses have sprouts and even new leaves, eek I haven't cleared the old ones yet. I am hopeful for some of the cuttings I took last summer; Jude TO, Dames de C and The Prince.

Nollie, do you prune your So Cool? And if so, by how much? Mine are starting to take over!

Grossherzogin Luise today for a bit of colour

So, Trish, I thought your gorgeous rose looked familiar, and I was disappointed that the Grand Duchess Luise was not for sale in the US. Was she related to Augusta Luise, perhaps? Noooo, darn if she isn't called Sespe Sunrise here. Those rose names drive me nuts. And you have a beautiful winner of a rose. Yes, I think Deborah grows it. Diane

Hi Trish, yes So Cool can get big but it happily takes a hard prune. In winter I whack mine down to about a foot and a half all round and thin it by pruning out some of the thicker stems in the middle back to the base. I also lop off wandering growth intermittently throughout the growing season and it doesn’t seem to mind that either.

Thanks, Nollie. Very happy to hear that.

Diane here she's called Spicy Parfuma. You have to be multilingual in the rose world!

Does anyone here grow Wellenspiel/Tallulah? I planted three this season, and so far, am pretty happy with this rose. I'd love to hear others reports on it.

For anyone that grows Absolutely Fabulous (Julia Child) look out for a rose called Beyond Fabulous. It’s a rose bred by Brad Jalbert. It’s healthier and more floriferous than ab fab.

It's gorgeous, but the color reminds me more of Bernstein-Rose, and my Julias simply can't be out bloomed here. I wish Jalbert roses were available in the US. Diane

@Diane Brakefield Jalbert Roses are available in the US. Heirloom Roses sell them including a new rose from last year that I love the look of ‘Sister Darling’. In fact they have the mother plants to alot of his roses.

Believe me Beyond Fabulous out blooms Julia Child (Ab Fab) anywhere.

She wouldn't outbloom my two Julias I've grown since 2006 that are monster bloom machines. Sorry, you haven't convinced me. And Heirloom's roses are own root. I like grafted. I also have an own root Julia, and she can't hold a candle to the grafted Julias. So how long have you grown Beyond Fabulous, anyway, and how many BF do you grow? Diane

I too like the look and scent of Spicy Parfuma @titian1 10b Sydney

I think the plant should be paired up with perennials/ small shrubs to disguise its bare legs (In my climate).

I heard about this new breed of roses from Jalbert in a Youtube vid, wonder if the fragrance of this new rose is better than Julia Child.

I fell into the temptation of buying last min bareroots. I blame the cold winter😎

Well, I admit that Julia doesn't offer a lot of fragrance, especially here in a desert. I apologize for being defensive about my dear Julias. I have really bonded with those roses, which I will have grown for 20 years this March. They have never let me down, blooming nonstop beyond any other rose in my garden--last rose standing with any blooms persisting sometimes into December, which is unusual here...... If you get a chance to go to HMF (roses), take a look at the rose Discovery. This was bred by the original owner of Heirloom Roses, John Clements. It's a gorgeous thing, sold only by Heirloom. It's one Heirloom rose I'd love to grow, But I do think Beyond Fabulous is a beauty, too.......Has David Austen really retired Munstead Wood? For Shame, if Austin has. It is a spectacular rose, just about my favorite Austin. I've grown two for years, one on either side of Twilight Zone, so there is a flow of dark reds and purples. MW blooms nonstop from late May until (2025) December. We had a late fall, and not a lot of winter, so the season was extra long. Yesterday, I posted on the seasonal thread, MW in bloom through all those months. Only Julia outlasted MW. Here are some of those photos. Diane

This is more Twilight Zone than Munstead Wood which is beyond TZ. Blooms are in late May.

Munstead Wood

MW

MW

Late September TZ in front and MW

Mid November MW

I prefer the clearer yellow colour of Julia Child/Ab Fab @Ross13, but it would be a truly astonishing rose if it really did out-bloom it! Where did you get yours from? Which nurseries sell it in UK/mainland Europe?

For a golden yellow, South Africa/Golden Beauty is a really healthy, good bloomer. Extremely, wickedly thorny though and I found the colour rather too brassy for my taste.

Comparision of Julia C

with Marselisborg castle..

M Castle is in a pot, first year. It is the only which I have not made up my mind yet and remains in a pot. Why I kept it- a nice yellow with good re-bloom in its first yr. Why I din't plant it in the ground yet- coz the scent wasn't as strong as I thought it would be. I will give it one more year to prove its worth in terms of scent. Posted both to highlight the difference in their shades of yellow.

Climate differences I guess, but my Julia is rarely a golden yellow like yours, Cooldoc. Marselisborg looks good, nice healthy-looking foliage.

Tack, thanks, it's not a rose name I would likely remember too well.

Cooldoc, not a rose I've heard of, you certainly come up with the rare and unusual, it's a nice strong yellow.

No idea about our 'Beyond Fabulous' from Canadian breeder Brad Jalbert, we don't get those roses here unless some iffy Facebook seller is offering them. There used to be one or two of Eastern European origin selling on Facebook, I think they imported from Poland, probably without licence, otherwise maybe an import.

Londoner, Nigel McCollum seems to be getting them from somewhere. Perhaps he'd like to send me the details.

Talking of continuity of bloom with yellow roses, I had Julia Child in a dry location and it was superb, but during my hot July drought, no irrigation, it took 2 weeks off, whereas roses like 'Poet's Wife' and 'The Country Parson' never had a break, and probably 'Golden Beauty' and 'Korresia' as well, but they were in moister conditions.

Going way back, one of my old favourites and I'm pleased to see has stood the test of time is 'Chinatown'. In my days of spraying roses this never needed anything like that, and as I recall seemed to be constantly in bloom. I used to be in awe of it then. In a Floribunda garden it would still have its place and I still see it here and there, often neglected but flowering away.

Not much to report here except I've removed paul scarlet today after removing the fence it were attached to. I've finished building my wall now but for two pillars which will have to wait until more stone appears, I've been busy filling it in today and digging out the old fence posts. its been a much bigger job than I thought but I can see the end in sight I can then start planning for planting .

Looks ok just hope it doesn't fall down. Took the fence down on the right which Paul was on took the sambucus as well with it . The other fence on the left will be going to with two pillars for the entrance, I may put some iron rails up if I can't get used to it being so open .

Beautiful stone work, Perki! I love it.

Great work there Perki, far too ambitious a project for me. I hope you enjoy the result.

Gosh I feel for you all down in the SW UK, the rain is unrelenting. It has been very wet and grey here, seemingly for months but luckily the rain volumes haven't yet tipped into flooding territory. You can see a full river here behind the early phase of the fairy ring, snowdrops, white and yellow crocus, one purple one and one iris so far.

After last year's summer drought the 'lawn' is mainly weeds and moss. Ah well, it is green and has very pretty flowers in due course.

Thanks judi & Tack it's been a long slog filling it up over the weekend looks much better now, iI had a brilliant stack of soil saved over years a lot of it were turf originally. I've been spending to much time looking for new plants, I have plans on it being a hot / exotic border dahlias - alstroemeria - lobelia hadspen - kniphofia. I've got a cercis eternal flame to replace a parrotia already there

Made a start yesterday on rose pruning only got a couple done and Mary delany tied in around a pergola leg. I'll finish the rest off this week.

Weather here hasn't been to bad rains everyday except from when it's freezing which is about normal

Peter Aberdeen. Looking at the headlines and the weather forecast compels me to send you best wishes, what a miserable winter you are having weather wise. Hopefully you are a hardy type living where you do and the north east has other compensations. In the meantime please get on and restock the mandarin and raspberry flavoured tipples.

I heard on the news that Aberdeen had 15 days with no sun and almost felt bad. But then realised that I have been having similar weather here🤷‍♂️

That's hard work @perki6 I have not started pruning mine either. I am wondering if I should wait until the frost later this week.

With ongoing bin strikes here, it is such a task to keep on top of garden waste. Rose prunings would not be composted either.

I can see your fairy ring coming back reliably @Tack UK

@Marlorena M Castle was a TCL purchase if I remember correctly. And it is not completely healthy either Nollie. It does get black spot. Last year was a year for Mildew IMO.

Here, the weather has been yo-yoing all over the place as usual. There has been a civil alert for severe winds throughout Catalunya, but it’s only been a little breezy today and a warm and sunny 21c. We have had snow in mid February and heavy frosts as late as the end of April in the past though, so there is still plenty of time for the weather to take a turn for the worst!

In the garden, everything is pruned, fed and mulched and most of the roses are leafing out or at least breaking bud along the canes.

Rehabilitating the huerto is my main project at present, after it has been pretty much neglected for a few years. It’s been hard keeping the beds sufficiently watered and coaxing vegetable seeds and plants to fruition for some time now, because summer heat kept arriving far too early. Even if we get little to no produce again this year, at least cleared and mulched beds will look better than an overgrown jungle.

21 degrees Nollie!! That is British summer..

Hope everyone enjoyed a lovely 'sunny' Valentines day yesterday in UK.. It was almost like the clouds took a break to have a date😉 ..... and they are back again today...

I just hope this continues next month as well.. I don't want the extremely dry spring/ summer as we had last year..

Enjoying this catalogue in the meantime and managing my urges not to buy more..

Was let down by this totally dry packaging by Ashridge nurseries (the box was half open as well).. Surely expected more from a 'Which' recommended plant supplier..

Cooldoc, Beales catalogues are the best, way better than anything from Austin, they are a joy to rummage through.. Lots of glossy photos without all the waffle.

Ashridge I associate more with trees, so whilst that's a paltry specimen, I've had worse. Clearly they need to do more with their packaging too. I don't think I've ever ordered roses from them.

Blizzard conditions here today. Yesterday was lovely and in case anyone grows Clematis and isn't sure what to do with them, now is the time to prune, or over the next 2 weeks. I did mine yesterday. I was disappointed to find my 'H.F. Young' had died back to about 6 inches above ground. It should be a gr. 2 - light prune, but I had no living growth.

Reassuring to see a hairy arm Cooldoc, - I got you right. We could do with a few more of those here. ooh err..

Just had to look up what a 'huerto' is Nollie. Veg patch,..

Ha, yes, roles reversed here @Marlorena I hate it when my orders come through and she is at home. I don't get time to hide the evidence😁

Clematis is something I have not had the success of growing. Ordered just 2 and 1 died straightaway, the other came back last year but withered away again without flowering.. probably the dry summers did not help.

I know the feeling Cooldoc, our guilty pleasures know no bounds..

Pity about Clematis for you, I do hope you try again. Gr. 3's are rarely failures. Consider the herbaceous types. I'm sure you'd like Clematis x aromatica as it's scented.

I am reminded that today would have been the late David Austin's 100th birthday.

''more interested in how a rose lived in the garden than in accolades''.

David Austin UK

'Kew Gardens' remains my favourite creation of his, although I admit that 'Sally Holmes' gives it a run for its money.

Today may be Presidents' Day in the US, but to rose gardeners all over the world, it's David Austin Day. I have too many Austin favorites to list, but here are a few.

Eglantyne 21 years old

Golden Celebration

Jude the Obscure 21 years old

Munstead Wood in November

Beautiful. I have no room for Golden Celebration.. I mean I really have no room. But oh how I’d like to grow it.

Munstead Wood. I’ve had it since 2014. Heat and drought don’t faze it. Stays small. Fragrant even here.

@Marlorena Fair Rosamund and Rhapsody are the ones I had ordered.. Not sure which one keeps coming back as I haven't seen the blooms and lost the labels as well.. Will keep Aromatica in mind for future orders..

Happy Presidents day all.. Lovely roses as usual @Diane Brakefield and growing them for decades..!!

and a nice MW shot @sylviaww 9a,hot dry Inland SoCal Dropping MW from catalogue was such a stupid idea IMO..

I am feeling so bad about pruning roses now.. I am already late to prune, but lot of lady bugs still over wintering among plants.. I thought I will prune only roses and leave the perennials for later, but then there was quite a few under the leaves or branches among roses as well..

Anyone else planning to delay clearing their gardens?