Whew! My time has been eaten up by back-to-school, weddings, and oodles of Stuff To Do. Finally, a quiet morning so I can catch up on everything!
Big, big problems with sawfly larva over the months August and especially September. Pretty much every rose I have got some. Not happy! I went around hand-picking them off (mostly picking off the chewed-up leaves they were on!) and getting rid of the little buggers. Then spraying. Lots of spraying. I think I went through four bottles of neem oil before things settled down! I used the Bayer product and just kept after them. Once those guys get going, you've got to be regular with control, because the eggs hatch. Also, ugly little brown droppings on my roses! EW!
On the upside, we have some new friends in the garden. I've got a second Harry Wheatcroft, which I ordered under a different name (Caribia). I've potted the two together, and both have given me a blossom or two. I also got an Ebb Tide, which came with two buds on it. I got the adorable little not-quite-two-inch blooms that you get when the rose is a baby. I pinched the first one, which, I have learned, encourages the roots of the plant to grow.
Speaking of new friends, look who moved in! I am pretty sure this is a toad, but I'm not 100% positive. Either way, I've seen him hanging out in the garden a few times now, and the whole family kind of keeps an eye out for him. I've also noticed a drop in the mosquito population - no coincidence, I think!
Because he's white, I've named him Walter the Toad. My husband says he is "the one who hops".
Yeah, we're dorky like that. I like my little buddy, though.
Chihuly had a very nice flush last month. I got some very pretty blooms, which I mostly left on the bush, as I didn't want to cut off too many leaves. Need that growing power! They faded out in a way that I found surprising, going from a light orange and yellow stripe to a translucent white with salmon edges.
Papageno has given me its first bloom! Since my husband's name is Gene, and my kids call him Papa, this one is "his" rose. It's a really nice red and creamy white, and I'm looking forward to more of them. Right now, a good-sized spray has budded up. I don't have a lot of spray roses, so I'm looking forward to seeing how that turns out! I wasn't expecting so many blooms, as he came to me a band, but I sure am enjoying watching him grow! It's a bit more red than my Scentimental, but not so much with the scent yet.
Along with the Papageno, my Osiria has finally rebloomed. This particular bud really took its time. I think I waited for a good five weeks to see it open! Now that it's here, it is a stunner. I'm not entirely sure why my Osiria is growing so slowly. Maybe it needs more sun? I will move the pot in the spring and see what kind of result that brings. Maybe I'll swap its spot with my Commandant Beaupaire - that guy is growing like crazy! He's going to need a trellis soon.
I've also fallen in Big Love with my Hypnotize rose. I can see why it got so many accolades! I get beautiful, big blooms with cream and pink stripes. I catch myself staring! I could wish for a stronger scent, but maybe that will come with a few more seasons under its belt - it really is still a baby. But the flowers! This is one of the few where I'd seriously consider having more than one bush, just to have more flowers. I've got another bud ripening now, and I can't wait!
Big, big problems with sawfly larva over the months August and especially September. Pretty much every rose I have got some. Not happy! I went around hand-picking them off (mostly picking off the chewed-up leaves they were on!) and getting rid of the little buggers. Then spraying. Lots of spraying. I think I went through four bottles of neem oil before things settled down! I used the Bayer product and just kept after them. Once those guys get going, you've got to be regular with control, because the eggs hatch. Also, ugly little brown droppings on my roses! EW!
On the upside, we have some new friends in the garden. I've got a second Harry Wheatcroft, which I ordered under a different name (Caribia). I've potted the two together, and both have given me a blossom or two. I also got an Ebb Tide, which came with two buds on it. I got the adorable little not-quite-two-inch blooms that you get when the rose is a baby. I pinched the first one, which, I have learned, encourages the roots of the plant to grow.
Speaking of new friends, look who moved in! I am pretty sure this is a toad, but I'm not 100% positive. Either way, I've seen him hanging out in the garden a few times now, and the whole family kind of keeps an eye out for him. I've also noticed a drop in the mosquito population - no coincidence, I think!
Yeah, we're dorky like that. I like my little buddy, though.
Chihuly had a very nice flush last month. I got some very pretty blooms, which I mostly left on the bush, as I didn't want to cut off too many leaves. Need that growing power! They faded out in a way that I found surprising, going from a light orange and yellow stripe to a translucent white with salmon edges.
Papageno has given me its first bloom! Since my husband's name is Gene, and my kids call him Papa, this one is "his" rose. It's a really nice red and creamy white, and I'm looking forward to more of them. Right now, a good-sized spray has budded up. I don't have a lot of spray roses, so I'm looking forward to seeing how that turns out! I wasn't expecting so many blooms, as he came to me a band, but I sure am enjoying watching him grow! It's a bit more red than my Scentimental, but not so much with the scent yet.
Along with the Papageno, my Osiria has finally rebloomed. This particular bud really took its time. I think I waited for a good five weeks to see it open! Now that it's here, it is a stunner. I'm not entirely sure why my Osiria is growing so slowly. Maybe it needs more sun? I will move the pot in the spring and see what kind of result that brings. Maybe I'll swap its spot with my Commandant Beaupaire - that guy is growing like crazy! He's going to need a trellis soon.
I've also fallen in Big Love with my Hypnotize rose. I can see why it got so many accolades! I get beautiful, big blooms with cream and pink stripes. I catch myself staring! I could wish for a stronger scent, but maybe that will come with a few more seasons under its belt - it really is still a baby. But the flowers! This is one of the few where I'd seriously consider having more than one bush, just to have more flowers. I've got another bud ripening now, and I can't wait!
Scentimental had a rough couple months. We struggle with blackspot already; then the sawfly larva I mentioned earlier got to her. Poor baby! I gave her lots of TLC, Neem Oil, and eventually a dousing of bug spray. After a couple weeks of reeling, she's showing me lots of new growth, and I have hopes of one more flush before cold dormancy sets in.
This week has been very, very rainy. We had a cold front move in here in South Jersey, so the temperature finally dropped down into the 60s (YAY!) after a few days of Indian Summer weather in the mid-80s. I can see lots of growth as a result of all the rain. I think the bushes will have just enough time to make good on the promise of that growth before it's too cold for them. After that, I think they'll be all tucked in for a long winter's nap. . .what will I do?. . .
