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[CLKD]

We love dahlias but they don't last long as we garden on clay and they need lifting - I remember my ancestors having them under the bed to keep them frost free and then planting the cuttings ......... along with spuds to 'chit' 

[Hurdity]

Ah - I didn't read back on the thread (even though I posted when it was first started!) so didn't see that hellebores had come up before - I've only just discovered them really. The two I bought don't have a name - they are the standard type - one a yellowy green, the other a greeny pink with stripey veins in the petals - single. They were cheap ones - all the rest were very expensive named varieties and since I have tried twice in the past with just one plant which has died, thought I'd try the cheaper ones first. Not much choice being the end of the season for them really. Since I am retiring at Easter (yay!) I will have more time to nurture them. 

Also anyone know anything about roses? I'm not a rose buff but we have just dug out the two wrongly placed ramblers round our cottage porch ( have been there for about 20 years!) and want to replace with traditional climbing "roses round the door" - what are long flowering. Anyone know what variety to recommend? I was befuddled with the choice at our big garden centre!

Hurdity x

[dazned]

I love a variety called Maigold,very fragrant and quite fast growing 

[CLKD]

Have a look at the David Austin web-site - many varieties can be shrub or allowed to climb.  If you send them an e-mail or telephone, asking what they would suggest ?  I took out a DA rose a few weeks ago, a real THUG. One I had bought cheap, it was full of mildew and spindly but with some TLC - had I known it was going to be full of nasty thorns  .  It has tiny pink flowers on with a light scent.  Do you want something that flowers once in profusion or repeat flowering?

Clematis need their roots in the shade, hot sun dries them out too much. 

Hellebores like shade; apparently.  Ours do well where ever planted but don't get sun all day. 

[catlover]

Hurdity - re the roses around the door I can really recommend Gertrude Jekyll grown as a climber.  It doesn't get too large, is easily trained and is a lovely long flowering pink scented rose, followed by hips in the autumn.

I've also used ground cover roses as climbers successfully.

[CLKD]

I agree - that's one that we bought back from David Austin when we visited one June/July - we bought 3 different roses and needed to open the car windows because the scent was over-powering 

It also 'takes' from cuttings which of course, can not be sold but it is handy to have several of the same in the garden.  The 1 that we bought that time is now 'weedy' so I feel the need for a trip to DA Nurseries this Summer 

[bramble]

The David Austin site is a wealth of info as well as thefragrantrose site. They will list all the different types of roses as well as strenght of fragrance etc. Just sent away for my very first half standard. Fingers crossed.

[Hurdity]

Thanks for the info and tips re roses - as I said I know nothing about them. Our front garden is small and I have mostly perennials and a few shrubs, (for birds to perch and hide) and back garden is for veggies - but need a replacement. I definitely want a climber not a rambler from (failed) experience trying to grow Dorothy Perkins (over 25 odd years!) round the door. Haven't heard of David Austin but will have a look! I was looking for a pale peachy pink with traditional rose shape - ie not double and frilly, that is long flowering. Do I need to do bare root or potted at this time of year ( SW England likely to get quite dry...)? Was going to buy from local ( large) garden centre......

Thanks

Hurdity x

[catlover]

It's a bit late for bare rooted, they really need to be planted when it's cold to establish their roots.  I'd go for pot grown, but check the one you buy has good root development in the pot as sometimes the bare rooted ones are potted up and you're essentially paying for loose compost.

[CLKD]

  catlover - you took the words right out of my mouth  .

DA is worth a trip in June/July ........ I have tried to grow honeysuckle here but it doesn't like it, 1 will grow where it likes by spreading then the main plant dies back  , the other Winter scented 1 has taken 8 years to get settled - now it's lovely and the bees are in and out when the sun shines.

One shouln'dt plant roses where roses previously have been grown so Hurdity, make sure that the soil is dug right out once Dorothy has been hoiked out!  Buy a good quality compost plus some bone meal; put a small amount of bone meal below the roots of the new rose plant and fill in with compost.  Water gently to make sure there are no air pockets and keep adding compost until the hole is filled.  Sprinkle more bone meal on the soil which will wash in when it rains but not on the stem.  Stand back and admire  .

[bramble]

You have got until the end of the month for bare rooted. After that they will all be potted. Most garden centres don't have bare rooted roses, (unless they are an old fashioned nursery), you will need to send away for them.

[CLKD]

We have access to a proper Nursery who sell bare rooted stock between November-March.

[bramble]

Yes, but will hurdity? And no compost for roses - either put them into the ground, or if in a pot, JI no. 3

[dahliagirl]

........ are you dahlia girl because you love them, you grow them?

I did love to grow them, but he snails got them last year    This is because I have given up lifting them each year as they survive in our warm sandy soil, but it is always a fight with the wretched snails. I am trying to grow them in pots - letting them dry overwinter, then starting them off in the spring - need repotting and rearranging every couple of years though.

I am having trouble with allergies though, and the tree pollen gets me in the spring. <-------- This is me trying not to sneeze.

[CLKD]

We use home-made compost for most things or well rotted horse manure at the bottom of roses, then back-fill with earth dug out : another trick is to put a banana skin/s for the roots to feed on.  Apparently 

As there is a rose already in situ (Dorothy) the soil will need to be dug right out B4 planting another rose so using good quality compost is important to avoid the disease that may be present.  Apparently bone meal is advised at this time and not general fertiliser 

I do buy cheap compost to fill in borders when we run out of home-made ;-).