In November it is a great time to “play” in the garden. Don’t get me wrong, there is so much to do there is definitely no time to play, but play I do…first there is the constant up close looking that needs to be done several times a day. There is so much to see and it would be a shame to miss something! For instance today I saw a small bloom amongst Mary Rose’s multitude of large pink blooms, that was pale pink with stripes of dark. She is a very sporty girl, Mary, having already produced a white (Winchester Cathedral) and a pale pink (Redoute) sport, so it’s always possible I could be the one to discover a new striped one! Unfortunately usually the sports I find in the garden don’t prevail and are just 1 season excitements. But you must always stay alert!!!
Another game I love to play is picking roses for the house. (They usually end up in someone else’s which is really nice as I have plenty of my own in the garden) I have decided to pick vases of families and photograph them for interest’s sake. I started this morning with the Gallicas. They had to be first as Anais Segales, who is always the first of the true old fashioneds to appear is nearing the end of her flush in my garden. It appears that Charles de Mills is the last of the ones I grow, as he hasn’t opened a flower yet, but I picked some plump buds which should open tomorrow. So the gallicas in the picture, including hybrid gallicas are …Anais Segales, The Bishop. Complicata, de la Grifferie, Rosa Mundi, Dupontii, Charles de Mills, Cardinal Richilieu. James Mason, Antonia dÓrmois , Weiti Wild and Belle de Crecy
So it appears my playing took up all my time in November and voila, it is now December. My rose family games went reasonably well, although I do still have a few families to present.
Novbember was not kind to us on the moisture front, we had a couple of lovely bursts early in the month, but it has been studiously avoiding our valley since and the sodden earth has changed to extra cracked and dry. Luckily the majority of my big beds are mulched, but with the sun beating down mercilessly everyday there is daily watering of the nursery, pots and newly planted seedlings. Flip side, there is always a silver lining….the weeds have slowed down their hatching, YAY!
This post is quite out of control and I need to head down to the potting shed and prepare some orders to post in the morning, so I’ll finish with a couple of November favourites
Eugenie de Guinnoisseau-moss. I chose this one some years ago as Eugenie was my mother’s middle name. It was always quite nice at Weiti, but here in Weiti Waikato it is absolutely stunning…colour, texture, perfume, great picking, floriferousness…what more could you ask for???
I know what I could ask for….that she would grow from a cutting so I can sell her!!! Maybe next year…
And another November love…
Hermosa, the little China rose has been so much more beautiful than ever before this season. And the interesting thing is, it appears the plants know in advance they’re going to have a happy year and the wood I take in autumn already has the happiness thing happening and offers more than usual strong growing cuttings. Sounds fanciful, but appears to me to be true!