Friday 7 August 2015

A rose by any other name....

...would make me feel just as smug! Sometime back in March I think, Mr Dunnit had a night at home without me. Not unusual, I go out occasionally. Days later he said that he'd ordered some bedding plants for the garden. My heart sank a bit. And then he added that at the last minute he'd ordered some rose bushes too, because he couldn't help himself. Oh my heart sank further. I am not a gardener, gentle reader. I like it to be tidy but I don't want to expend any energy beyond that. And also, over the coming year, we will have to move and re-bed existing plants because we have building work to do that will impinge on what we already call a flower bed. Ohemgee I thought. Mr Dunnit loves all this, but he has so little time to do gardener type stuff that it just becomes another chore. Oh well.
At the end of May, these teeny sticks with a blob of compost at one end, wrapped in green plastic arrived. I bunged 'em in a bowl of water. We discussed the planting and in view of the disruption we're about to cause to the garden we opted to plant these dead looking twigs in tubs.
We were delighted that they put on new growth and showed green very quickly. Just as well, in the face of my slightly less than enthusiastic response to their arrival appearance!

So you can see why they make me feel a bit smug. And I admit that I didn't order them. I didn't want them particularly. I stuck 'em in a tub and did the things that Mr D hasn't had time to do. And look! We have us a rose garden. They have that new plant 'leggy' look about them and no doubt we'll argue about the need and the time to prune...we always do. He likes to leave them to fend for themselves and I HATE that because it doesn't work! But hey, I'm not gong to anticipate then end of them, I'm thoroughly enjoying them for now! Joining Annie for her Friday Smiles.

26 comments:

Annie said...

Julia they really made me smile. I love roses as did my dad and when he was dying in hospital he asked me to prune his roses 'cos I was the person he had taught how to do it properly' :-) Because of this every April I used to prune his roses as he'd shown me and cut them back just above an outward facing bud....and cut my hands every year by doing it with tears running down my face thinking of Dad. Needless to say I love roses and yours are simply stunning so well done to you for your efforts.
Hugs,
Annie x

Barb said...

Morning Julia, Your roses look stunning. Are they scented too. When we lived in Essex in our first home we used to grow loads of roses as the soil was perfect for them. Now we just have a couple of half standards in pots. I was pruned out years ago! Yes,your post made me smile. Barbxx

JoZart Designs said...

Those roses are beautiful. I dug out all the roses in my garden when my DDs were little as I was fed up giving first aid to their lacerated legs each time they played there.
I've sentimentally planted roses for Dave's 70th then my 70th and other occasions (in safer places) and reallise what I've been missing!
Jo x

Dotty Jo said...

Lovely roses And yes, they will need pruning! I'm married to a gardener so thankfully I don't have to get involved, Jo x

Sue Jones said...

We have a small rose bush this year in a pot too - White roses are my fav.Have a great week. Soojay 8

Twiglet said...

Oh and now, having read Annie's comment I am in tears too!! You will love your roses Julia - especially the white rose of York (spent 40 years living in Yorkshire). x Jo

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Despite your lack of "caring' for these beauties, they have thrived. I would say Mr. D. did well. I've never bought roses through the mail, or anything else that survived. These are stunning. I was happy to read Annie's comment, because I have never been sure when to prune.

Shaz in Oz.CalligraphyCards said...

Ahhh Julia, just bee-you-tea-ful, they are, well done you, my sticks arrived this week, so can't wait till they bloom in summer, love them, I do have thirty five!! :) Shaz in Oz.x

Ohhh Snap said...

I can almost smell the rosy goodness : ). I used to work at a garden that had roses, so it really brings back memories. Well done on converting little sticks into these blooming beauties : D.

Helen said...

I love your roses (I love roses, full stop) I have a few, I tend to prune them when my neighbour complains she can't open her windows... hope you don't disagree too strongly about them, they are too pretty to let die!! x

misteejay said...

Lovely roses Julia. I love roses but hate looking after them so my garden doesn't have any which is a shame.
Continue to enjoy your lovely flowers.
Toni xx

Sue said...

My dad's favourite flower was the Rose. You definitely will need to prune them, otherwise they will get too leggy and will flop over.

Do they have a nice scent?

Lizzie said...

Well, these are certainly thriving in those pots. Hopefully you'll be able to plant them out in the ground soon, so they won't get pot-bound and miserable. Otherwise, try putting a bit of epsom salts onto the soil and watering it in well - it will encourage them to stay green and healthy.
Roses don't need too much fuss and attention really (especially those that are in the garden beds, rather than pots). If you go and cut off the dead flowers, it encourages modern roses to make more flowers - sometimes ours flower right up til Christmas, unless the frosts come early. If you wait til early spring before you prune, then cut them back fairly hard (to the outward-facing buds that someone else mentioned - no criss-crossing branches and messy tangle in the centre of the bush then), they should grow strongly over the spring and give you lots of lovely roses in summertime.
If they stay in the pots, you could remove half the compost in spring and replace it; also give them a good feed with blood-fish-and-bone, or a special rose feed.
Those roses look amazing just now. I especially love that deep pink one. Gorgeous!
Have a good weekend, Julia!
Lizzie

mamapez5 said...

Beautiful roses. They rmind me of Mum. She loved them and I planted a Peace rose in her memory when she dies, but sadly I had to leave it in UK. They´ll need a bit of TLC to survive in tubs, but hopefully you will have beautiful blooms for years to come. Kate x

Robyn said...

smiling!
beginners luck? whatever- lovely blooms !

April said...

Your roses are beautiful! If you'd tried - they wouldn't have bloomed at all! LOL
April

Robyn Oliver said...

WOW Julia your rose bushes certainly love you, look at all the flowers, the pink is gorgeous - I never thought they'd love it in tubs...so they'll be portable till your renos are done. Enjoy your weekend Robyn

Laura said...

Ooh, nice pretties!

Neet said...

We share common ground - I am no gardener but like it tidy.
Hugs, Neet xx

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