As with David Austin English Bush roses, these Shrub and Climbing varieties are characterised by the shape of their blooms — the quartered, highly perfumed blooms of old roses. These sumptuous blooms, combined with the graceful growth habits of Shrubs and Climbers, make this category of roses particularly appealing.

These varieties grow between 1,5 m and 3 m high when self‑supporting, but long climbing shoots can be trained to a height of 5 m on walls, pillars and pergolas. Since they willingly push out basal shoots, winter pruning consists of removing older stems from the centre. Basal stems often grow to a length of 2 m and more. They can be pruned, or if left unshortened, they will arch gracefully and carry blooms along their entire length.

Once spring flowering is over, the main stems can be cut back to about 1.2 m, which will encourage a new flush of blooms. Alternatively, the stems can be shortened in winter, which will increase the length of the flowering stems and size ofthe blooms. Read the rest of this entry »

picaninni

Des Wright, past president of the Federation of Rose Societies of S A, and an amateur rose breeder, created this new Miniature rose. The blend was shrewdly composed, and ‘Picaninni’ inherited the super- healthy, glossy foliage and sweet fragrance of ‘Bella Rosa’ with the bright orange-yellow tones of ‘Little Jackie’. The truly miniaturised blooms are of superb exhibition shape. The plant grows vigorously into a fairly substantial bush and is covered with pickable stems

pierine

A perfect Miniature companion for the Hybrid Tea, ‘Esther Geldenhuys’. Urn- shaped, pointed buds open into deep, coral-pink blooms of classic rose shape. These are carried on long stems and make superb little cut flowers for table arrangements. The bushes are very vigorous and dense, growing to about 60 cm high and wide, and always decorated with masses of pickable blooms. Read the rest of this entry »

gee gee

A real charmer. Sharply pointed buds unfold gracefully into blooms of a classic rose shape. The colouris deep cream and even light yellow during summer, but in autumn, the blooms are suddenly transformed into admirable shades of apricot. The overall performance is

astonishing. The bushes grow to nearly I m, and fill out on the sides almost as much. Slender stems are produced in great abundance and deliver charming, long-lasting cut flowers.

ood morning america

This vigorous, tall and dense- growing Miniature rose is never without long-stemmed cut flowers of a light-yellow colour. The buds are urn-shaped and open into exciting exhibition blooms when the light yellow intensifies, with pink and red on the petal edges. Use in pots, borders or small groupings. Read the rest of this entry »

Miniature roses originated from the Chinensis roses. Over the past 50 years, a few breeders have concentrated on cross-pollinating the original Rosa chinensis minima, cultivated in Europe since 1815, with a multitude of Hybrid Teas, Floribundas and even Climbers. This has resulted in an extensive range of varieties in virtually every colour and shape of bloom. Miniature roses are identified by their small blooms and leaves. Plants of some varieties can grow to a height of 1 m, and Climbing Miniatures are able to cover 3-m-high fences and pergolas.

Miniatures are ‘everywhere’ roses. They grow on garden tables, in old stone wash tubs, window boxes, pots around a bird-bath or in tiny townhouse or duplex gardens where one can simply take up a few flagstones in a paved courtyard and substitute good soil. Miniature Standards make beautiful backdrops for pathways or add colour to patio walls. To keep plants well shaped, they should be cut back twice a year (this can be done with hedge clippers) and they must be heavily pruned in winter. For best effects they should be planted in groups of about five, 30 cm x 30 cm apart or in beds, spaced 30 cm apart, with 60 cm separating rows. Read the rest of this entry »

jhb garden club

A lovely, neat Shrub covered with abundant delicate, single blooms of an exquisite soft coral, which dance like butterflies in the wind. Should hard rain spoil the delicate open flowers, it takes no longer than a day for new flowers to unfold. A hot favourite among gardeners for free form landscaping and planting in pots and tubs.

memory bells

The plant builds itself up with short sideways-growing stems bearing dense clusters of flowers at the tips. Small, round buds unfold into pom‑ pom-type double blooms of clear, strong pink, with quartered centres. A superb rose that looks stunning in a pot or on a short Standard stem; healthy and needs no spraying to perform. Read the rest of this entry »

Colourscape roses are defined by their unusual and informal spreading growth habit and not by the shape of their blooms, which can look like Hybrid Teas, or Miniatures, or be produced in Floribunda clusters. Most Colourscape roses are less subject to fungal disease and leaf drop than their more glamorous cousins, addressing a universal demand for low-care plants. Many of the new roses released every year thus fall under Colourscape or Informal roses. They require little or no spraying and hardly any grooming during the season.

Low Shrub or Informal roses encompass many Heritage- style plants, and grow tobetween 1,2 and 2 m, either arching their branches or filling out to a rounded specimen, flowering all over. Read the rest of this entry »

St John nonacentenary

The bush is hardy, vigorous and healthy, and flowers profusely, in dense clusters at the tip of each firm stem. White, pointed buds unfold slowly into shapely, open blooms, revealing a soft apricot-cream in the centre. At the point where other roses would shed their petals, the blooms of this novelty expand further to the next stage of a quartered centre, and finally the firm petals reflex down-wards, creating the effect of an old-fashioned, immaculate white bustle. This excellent, multipurpose garden rose of medium height will supply an abundance of long-lasting ’spray roses‘ (cluster-flowering roses)

Isidingo

In our search for new climbers that produce Hybrid Tea-shaped, pick- able blooms and that flower more or less continuously from springinto winter, we were most impressed by a novel rose in our trials, bred by Messrs Orard of Lyon in France. The name suggested itself. The tight, full bud is green-yellow with an attractive rosy pink on the edge of each petal. As the bud expands and unfolds into a large bloom of extraordinary exhibition shape, the pink^-intensifies into a luminous coral, contrasting and intermingling with deep gold rising from the centre. Read the rest of this entry »

During the last three centuries, rose breeding has resulted in tens of thousands of new varieties. Not all of these have proved to be extraordinary, but a few have set new standards. Here is a small selection of some of the latest releases.

Even after thorough testing during the ten-year trial period from cross-pollination to release, a breeder cannot be certain as to how good a new rose really is. We now know that ‘Crimson Glory’, bred in 1935, represented a breakthrough in fragrant, velvet-red Hybrid Teas and today, all the popular red Hybrid Tea roses are derived from that variety. ‘Peace’, created in 1937 and released in1945, was another breakthrough in terms of vigour, health and colour. ‘Super Star’ arrived in 1960 as the first vermilion-orange rose.

Although this variety was found to be susceptible to powdery mildew, it became the basis for the creation of a wide range of orange roses. Read the rest of this entry »

Temporary or Permanent

Some container plantings are relatively permanent; the plants can stay in the same pot for many years. Other arrangements can be more temporary, perhaps planted to look attractive for just one or two seasons. As temporary plantings pass their best, provided they are not too heavy, you can move them to less prominent situations. Alternatively, dismantle them and replace the plants with others for the future. A third alternative is to add seasonal colour to the more permanent plantings, if there is sufficient space in the container.

Permanent plantings can consist of shrubs, trees, or perennials, either grown as single specimens, or as a grouping of several of the same type of plant in one container. Temporary, seasonal plantings consist of annuals, biennials, and bulbs that look attractive in mixed selections, as well as planted on their own. Read the rest of this entry »

Correct Conditions

Growing plants is one of life’s greatest pleasures. It is so simple, either to start them off from seed or to buy them once they are over their teething problems and tantrums, and raise them, watching the response to a little loving care. I cannot pretend that all plants are easy to grow, but the great majority ask for little more than to be planted in the correct potting mixture, to be given enough water — as well as a little nourishment — from time to time, and to be placed in the right situation. They are rarely over fussy and soon adapt to conditions which, while they may not be absolutely ideal, are not diametrically opposed to their likes and dislikes.

Growing in containers is a very controlled method of raising plants. Each plant, or group of plants, can be given exactly the right type of soil and amounts of water and food. The situation chosen for the placing of the container must be taken into account when selecting the plants. Read the rest of this entry »

The traditional flower pot,with sides that slopeoutwards slightly, has been used in gardens since the Roman times. Until recently, this type of pot was always made out of terracotta, a once-fired, porous, red clay, which is very attractive but can crack and flake with weathering in very cold temperatures. Sometimes, elements are added to the clay before it is fired to make it frost- proof. If you live in a cold area where frosts are likely, make sure that the terracotta you buy has been treated in this way.

Decorative, glazed ceramic pots, often from the Far East, Italy, and Spain, are now widely available. They come in a beautiful range of colours, but tend to be even less frost-proof, as glaze can easily crack. However, many are frost-resistant so always check before you buy. Read the rest of this entry »

Low bowlsare comfortable-looking containers for plants.

Unpretentious, and often hardly visible below the planting, they should carry a mound of plants just a little above the ground. They are at their most attractive when they can be seen from above, or at least from a fairly high angle. If the bowl is very shallow, there will be only a little room for the roots, limiting the type of plants you can grow. In very shallow bowls, only succulents, such as houseleeks, will grow well. If you want to grow low annuals and trailing perennials, use bowls that are at least 15cm (6in) deep.

Kitchware

Many containers used in the home can easily become low bowls in the garden, although if they started life as watertight vessels you will need to drill holes in them to provide adequate drainage. Read the rest of this entry »

I love looking out of thekitchen window at the rich, golden-green plants sitting in the window boxes, just beyond the pane of glass. It is a spot that never catches the sun, but it is quite bright and the plants always look happy. Nearly everyone can have a window box or two, even if they live high above the ground with no garden at the front or back. Of course, window boxes need not be used only in window recesses. They can look most effective resting on the ground against a wall or a fence, or edging a balcony so that trailing plants can cascade down the side of the building.

Close Fit

Window boxes on sills look best if they almost fit the window recess. Boxes are manufactured in a range of sizes, so that it is usually possible to find one that is a suitable size for your sill. They are also made in a great range of materials: plastic, fibreglass, composition wood, and terracotta. Some of the plastic ones are not very strong. Read the rest of this entry »

A window box, being long and narrow, is not the easiest shape to plant effectively. Some people make the mistake of planting a single subject and setting the plants in a row. Try to avoid this: it will look too regimented and unimaginative. Aim for more shape in the design by using a mixture of plants of varying sizes and habits.

How much a window box is covered by plants should be determined by the box itself. If it is highly attractive, then it will be a pleasing feature in its own right and should not be covered by plant growth. However, a plain box is best covered with trailing plants.

There are various ways of arranging plants in window boxes. You could go for the pyramidal design: the tallest plants are set in the middle, with shorter and shorter plants grading down to each end. The ends and the front could be planted with trailers if desired. Read the rest of this entry »

As with patio containers, spring and summer bedding plants, spring bulbs and other temporary specimens can make very colourful window boxes. Also as with other containers, a few permanent plants can be arranged in window boxes with bedding plants or bulbs planted around them. This gives variation, particularly in shape and texture.

The choice of bedding plants and bulbs for window boxes is the same as for patio containers, with a few additions and deletions. Obviously one would not use very tall plants like Indian shot and castor oil plants in window boxes.

With window boxes it is important to consider designs for both sunny and shady positions, for some parts of the house will be bathed in sunshine all day long and other parts will receive little or none. Sun-loving plants will grow poorly and produce few flowers in shady positions. However, all of these recommended here for shade will also grow in sunny locations. Read the rest of this entry »

Plants chosen for hanging baskets and wall pots are usually temporary bedding plants that bloom for one particular season, generally summer. There are some permanent plants that can also be used, if desired. Bear in mind that in areas where the temperature drops below ^—4.5^°C/25^°F it can be difficult to winter any plants in baskets or wall pots outdoors because the soil quickly becomes frozen solid in freezing weather. If you wish to overwinter planted baskets and pots, keep them in a cool but frost-free greenhouse.

Many people plant glorious mixtures of summer bedding plants in baskets and wall pots: trailing lobelia, sweet alyssum (Alyssum maritimum) with its masses of white flowers, and petunias, with perhaps zonal pelargoniums or bush fuchsias in the centre, maybe with silver-leaved cineraria. There is nothing wrong with such designs and indeed they look most attractive in an English cottage-style garden, but the trend is towards simpler designs using fewer plants, and even towards single-colour designs coordinated with the house colours. Read the rest of this entry »

The planting period for aquatics is between mid- and late spring. Most people will prefer to plant water lilies and other aquatic plants in special plastic lattice aquatic baskets. Small baskets are adequate for the plants recommended here.

Heavy loam is the best soil to use for aquatics. Place some in the bottom of the basket, firm it well, then set a plant in the middle and fill in with more loam, again firming well. Finish off with a layer of pebbles to prevent the surface being washed away.

Then gently lower the baskets into the water. It is best not to lower newly planted water lilies to the full depth to start with. At first lower them so that only a little water covers their crowns. Then lower them gradually as they grow. This is most easily accomplished by standing the basket on bricks and then removing the bricks one at a time as the lilies get larger. Miniature water lilies can be grown in water as shallow as 30cm (12in). Read the rest of this entry »

If you want colour in the summer as well, choose one of the purple-leaved cultivars.

SILVER BERRY (Elaeagnus commutata) — This extremely hardy shrub has intensely silver foliage and, in late spring, fragrant white flowers.

For windy sites certainly all of those small hardy evergreens can be recommended, but some larger shrubs may be required to give height:

BAMBOO (Arundinaria japonica) — Although only moderately hardy, this bamboo takes wind in its stride. The wind easily passes through its clump of olive green canes, rustling the long, lance-shaped, dark evergreen leaves. Read the rest of this entry »

If you do not want to go to all the trouble of regularly changing planting designs, choose permanent designs instead. Alternatively, you may find some permanent arrangements that you planted in liners useful for filling in gaps between flowering periods. For instance, there may be a gap between spring and summer or autumn winter bedding.

For Sunny Positions

Miniature roses, which are becoming incredibly popular today, are very nice for summer-long colour in window boxes. Try planting small silver- or grey-foliage plants with them, such as the cotton lavender (Santolina chamaecyparisus ‘Nana’) or the lavenders Lavandula angustifolia `Munstead’ or L. lanata. Read the rest of this entry »

Being high up, balconies and roofs are often more prone to the effects of cold winds than lower levels. Wind can lash plants around and damage them. Drying winds can quickly dry out the soil and give the foliage windburn. Plants may also receive too much sun. Extremely hot sun may not only damage the plants themselves, it can also dry the soil.

If you know that wind or sun is going to be a problem, try to choose plants that will tolerate them. Or provide some sort of protection against the elements.

Rather than trying to block out the wind entirely with solid panels that could look awkward or lead to turbulence as the wind travels over them, filter or slow down the wind with trellis panels. Ready-made wooden ones are generally available up to 1.8m (6ft) in height. When fixing them to the boundary walls or elsewhere make sure that they are really secure. One can only partially screen balconies, of course; perhaps trellis panels at each end would do the trick. Read the rest of this entry »