Okay, those are pruned...
...those are pruned...
'Rozanne', it's January! Will you stop it with the flowers? Take a rest!
That's done. Lots of dead wood to remove from that one.
Not only cut back, but taken off the iron, the iron painted, and everything retied...
Quick eye candy...Aloe plicatilis has grown considerably.
Oooh, Aloe capitata seed pods...
Done...
...about to start...
...wow, new foliage already.
This winter they didn't want to quit.
Dug that stingy monster out...
...moved those. That area is too dry.
Okay, springtime, we're nearly ready.
Oh, no! Wait!
Ahhh! How could I have forgotten that one? It's eight feet tall! (Maybe because it's eight feet tall.)
Well, there's still room in the bin. After that, time to mulch. No rest for the gardener yet. There's still some winter left.
...those are pruned...
'Rozanne', it's January! Will you stop it with the flowers? Take a rest!
That's done. Lots of dead wood to remove from that one.
Not only cut back, but taken off the iron, the iron painted, and everything retied...
Quick eye candy...Aloe plicatilis has grown considerably.
Oooh, Aloe capitata seed pods...
Done...
...about to start...
...wow, new foliage already.
This winter they didn't want to quit.
Dug that stingy monster out...
...moved those. That area is too dry.
Okay, springtime, we're nearly ready.
Oh, no! Wait!
Ahhh! How could I have forgotten that one? It's eight feet tall! (Maybe because it's eight feet tall.)
Well, there's still room in the bin. After that, time to mulch. No rest for the gardener yet. There's still some winter left.
You have been busy, all looking neat and tidy ready for spring.
ReplyDeleteWell, getting close. Need to rake some more.
DeleteI am almost jealous on your garden, already so nice and tidy. We cannot even start yet, it is too early because there may be frost in February or March but my hands are itching.
ReplyDeleteYou will be well-rested for the work. Here with no winter, there is no time to rest!
DeleteHi Gail, kudos to you for being finished with the rose pruning! That must have been an awful lot of work. I have way less roses than you and I only finished 2/3 of them by now :-(. Hope I get to a few more this weekend. The photo of the new bronze rose foliage looks as good as blooms. I can't wait for the spring flush of the roses. Hope it will happen before the water restrictions will set in. Wishing you a lovely weekend!
ReplyDeleteChristina
It was a lot of work, but provides a great sense of accomplishment--and plenty of time to think about changes to make, gardening and otherwise. I hope your weekend is lovely as well!
DeleteOoooh, I'm jealous. You're all done and I've just started. Today I got smacked in the face by Pierre de Ronsard and clipped in the temple by Benjamin Britten (which he paid for, dearly). I can't wait to see your garden blooming, and I'm curious: what climber have you trained going up to the balcony? How long did it take to get there? I have a similar balcony, on the north-east side of the house, and I am thinking of what to plant there.
ReplyDeleteThat is Sombreuil. It took--five or six years. I always wear safety goggles when pruning--that's why I can still see.
DeleteI admire your energy and committment to your garden, the diligence shows as the eye candy comes to me with grace all year long. Thank you so much for sharing your garden!
ReplyDeleteYou are very kind, Erin. Thank you. :)
DeleteBeautiful photos dear Hoover,you have been busy all looks ready for the new growth of Spring. I wish roses did not have so many thorns, I wonder why something so beautiful has to be so prickly.
ReplyDeletexoxoxo ♡
Rather than that roses have thorns, better to think that thorns have roses.
DeleteCongratulations (in advance)!
ReplyDeleteThanks (in advance)! :^)
Deletehello - wondering if you have any david austin roses? i have 4 - felicite perpetue (grows madly but only blooms once per season even after deadheading), gertrude jekyll (difficult to get more blooms from during the season, lots of suckering even from flowering canes), madame pier oger (lost 2 fat canes this last year leaving only 1 fat one, also suckering from flowering canes, looks like it's not gonna make it). can't recall the 4th one's name, also a stingy rebloomer. do you find them to be finicky for so. cal? i'm in west hills btw - love your blog!
ReplyDeleteHi adamsid, I have quite a few Austin roses that do very well here. Excellent performers here are: Tamora, Molineux, Bishop's Castle, Darcey Bussell, The Ambridge Rose, Jubilee Celebration, Jude The Obscure, The Wife Of Bath, The Prince, William Shakespeare 2000, Perdita. The newer Austins (introduced after 1995) are typically better performers in Southern California than the older Austins. The older Austins appear to have more Gallica/Alba heritage (cold winter species), while the newer ones have more Tea/Noisette/Iceberg (warm climate) heritage. I highly recommend 'Molineux' as a place to start with Austins in Southern California. It blooms very well and has excellent Rust resistance.
DeleteThe ones you mention as owning are not considered to be excellent performers in Southern California. F-P is a once (spring) bloomer, so you are not likely to get much if any re-bloom. Madame Oger is a large bourbon, and large bourbons are usually poor performers in Southern California also. Gertrude Jekyll I have read that rebloom is possible if the plant is cut back after each round of flowers--the pruning stimulates new flowers. I have not done that myself, however.
Thanks for stopping by!
thanks for your reply, hoover - that was most helpful. molineaux looks very nice. i may end up removing the f-p after it blooms this year - soooo much pruning and for what?? i just planted some bargain bareroots from home cheapo and lowe's - chicago peace, mister lincoln and maggie barry. my olympiad, seashell, sunsprite, perfume delight, an unknown freebie from a bank grand opening from 30 years ago and a double delight are still thriving. i still have some 47 year old survivors - 2 tropicanas doing very well, a queen elizabeth that ain't lookin' so hot anymore. i may be looking to replace our 47 year old climbing peace which is declining and down to one cane, but the replacement can't be red since it'll grow against a red brick chimney - any heat-loving easy-care reblooming suggestions? west hills gets the same temp extremes as riverside btw.
DeleteYou can just never ever go wrong with 'Climbing Iceberg' in Southern California. Quick rebloom, easy to manage as it has very few prickles. Another with no prickles is 'Renae', pink and sweetly fragrant. If you can take a pricklier one, even though you said no red, 'Fourth Of July' is red/white striped and looks great against brick. Quick rebloom, but it does have nasty thorns.
DeleteAll of those can take the heat. The other thing you might try is to take the best, healthiest cuttings you can from your climbing peace and root yourself some new copies.
Great job! What is the rose on the far right on the second picture with a forest of canes?
ReplyDeleteThat cane forest is 'Tamora'. I suspect there's some Gallica in her background!
DeleteThanks :)
DeleteYou leave a lot more height on your roses than I do after pruning. But this year I had to move several roses so I cut them back hard to avoid being impaled and had to cut big diseased canes off another because of black spot. :( Love the idea of roses against the iron work! Fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI cut them a little shorter this year, actually. I did have to move some also--my least favorite job. Six so far, and a few more went into the trash. Drought makes a good time for a cull.
Delete