Roses

All I got was sorry the Gallery is switched off while they update the software..Hey Ho have to wait til after the holiday I suppose, thanks any way.

Thanks Jazid, I'll just pop over to wildflowers right now! All the best Roy

Thanks for the descriptions of the books Liz - I was thinking of getting a rose book, but from the sound of it I will need two :rolleyes:

Thanks for that, i will have a look at the plant when the rain stops...

I have a rose that comes out a deep red in early summer. Later - like now - it flowers again. This time the flowers are smaller and much lighter in colour. Dunno why, perhaps it just gets a bit tired

If you plant chives near your roses, this is should reduce the risk of blockspot and is also supposed to deter aphids!

superb

I pruned back the roses really hard this year, thought I had lost one of them but on Wednesday last week I noticed that it had finally decided to get going. It was nearly dug up to! :rolleyes:

I love Sharifa Asma, it's so pretty think I may try that one too :DAlso love Handel Liz, lets hope it picks up.

Also we should point out a fair few roses produce lovely hips, so at least leave a few on the plant to find out if you are lucky in this respect.

I think yours is just as pretty Liz - I think mines a bit of a ground cover rose - its hanging over the edge of my wall! Its not going to be very big though Im all for freebies

Lovely Paladin - can just smell them mmmmmmm

I like them for seed trays, where I use tap water as advised here, but it's true that water from the butts clogs them up. I'm always losing them so like to have a variety at hand!

The highest risk to bees is when roses are in bloom. At any time, you will also be killing ladybirds and lacewings which eat greenfly. Blue tits and other birds eat greenfly too. There is no safe insect spray. All will kill friends and foes alike. There is no need to spray with anything other...

you can take cuttings from any rose, but they don't have a high strike. I have only had much success with climbers, for some reason see http://www.rosemagazine.com/pages/propagating.asp and good luck!

I would add that disease resistance in the UK is unlikely to be equivalent to that in Italy, the growing conditions are so different. Roses may require more water and heat stress resistance, and their growing season will be quite different. You might be advised to wander around a couple of local...

Beautiful and thanks for the suggestions on disease resistant roses.

No, they've got no nose....I'll get me coat... :D

You may recall my first rose in flower - rosa de l'hay, well this is it now

thankyou very much Hornbeam.must apologise for those little nasties in the back ground.