Roses

Hip, hip, hooray:D

"I use a rose food once in the spring and spray fortnightly"I do the same Pro. Toprose at the beginning of the season (although I think I'll do it again because its been so wet), and I spray with a propriety Rose spray as close to 1st and 15th of the month as I remember to.

Personally having been in the nursery trade and used to go to the bulb auctions in Spalding twice a week I learned that there are some firms in Spalding I wouldn't touch with a barge pole. We used to watch them buying up all the cheap lots of bulbs and roses etc that we as nurserymen wouldn't...

Lavender, Nasturtiums, and Chives are are all supposed to help with blackfly control, so would be helpful from that point of view. I tend to agree with Roders but Gypsophila sounds very pretty, and Woos' picture looks great.

Wish I was having this problem. Mine are as bad as ever!

Did someone mention St Geoff, you`ll get me all misty again. That man was the single most important inspiration to get me off my backside and in my garden. And he loved sweetpeas too. I think anyone who tries them once, does them forever more.

Queen Elizabeth is a strong plant usually, often used for hedging so would suit what you are looking for. Some others which may suit includeCorvedale reaches 5x4 they claim, mine is about 6', growing conditions...

Yeah but it's a much better class of Seaweed at Sandbanks.

Thanks for your advise, wiseoldowl. Ok, I'll collect the dead leaves from underneath (I have done it before, but I probably overlook some!), and I'll keep spraying, even though it looks as though it is not helping much. The plant's so big I use up half a bottle every time I treat it (which is...

so just cut those 3 long stems NOW - and the rest in March then?x

I have a new 'Wisley' Rose and it has the same problem. It has double blooms and they are too heavy for the stems as yet. Next year I'll prune it earlier and see if it improves it's strength.

I'm with Dorset Mike - whilst happy to buy plants on line - not roses. I like to see the stems and foliage before buying if buying container grown. Bare root I still like to see the strength of the pruned stems. If you get a strong plant at the start, then your much more likely to grow it on...

Healthy roots equals a stonger plant which can grow better. For a lot of the more tender plants i am keen to get the roots well established before they push out top growth. For things like palms it does help them get though winter.I would have thought that all plants beneft from a better...

I suppose it could be Pam, but I really don't know.But never in all my years of growing rosemary have I seen one die so quickly?

OK thanks for the reply much appreciated.

OK thanks for the reply much appreciated.

Hi, flower. Never heard of them attacking patio roses. I don't think it'll do them any harm to sparay them, at least it'll keep the Aphids away!!

Hi JB, how about Fred Loads for your orange hot bed (see pic above), may be a bit rampant, mine often reaches 9' tall although the book says 6' - 7', maybe Fred likes the farm muck I give him, just prune heavily if you need to keep it in check or try training it fan or espalier shape like a...

Thanks for the link Mike,Its a cracking read just a shame about the fruit and veg store not getting a mention m8:thumb: