“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.”
Anne Bradstreet, 1612-1672,
I am enjoying the changeable weather of Spring, including the early morning and evening cool weather of the past few days. Although the wind, typical for Spring, has been excessive and not so enjoyable as it has blown all the blossoms away and destroyed many new shoots on the roses. According to the weather experts we are heading into a week of what one might call a heatwave which will be difficult because of the intense dry, conditions of regional Australia. The new growth on the roses is easily destroyed by high winds as I found out this week.
Despite the weather, the flies and the lack of rain, everything in the garden is rosy this year. The roses in my garden range from newly planted roses either bare root or potted, to roses in the second year of planting, with a few in the third year. All are lovely to watch unfold. Spring is later in a rural area than in the nearby town, where I’ve seen superb Spring gardens full of blooming roses over the past few weeks. My garden is perhaps colder and we have only a couple of roses out so far, but thousands of buds poised ready to delight us with their fragrance and colour.
The rose below called Bantry Bay was planted to help cover the wide archway at the front. Bantry Bay is a stunning Floribunda, climbing rose that is expected to bloom all summer long. The foliage is bright, glossy, green and healthy with plentiful thorns on the long canes that I’ve attached to the archway.
Lavender planted on masse along the sides of the path is the first area to flower this Spring. The bees love it and can be heard buzzing all day long. Hot sunny weather with not much rain is perfect for Lavender and it appears to be thriving.
“Each moment of the year has its own beauty, a picture which was never seen before, and which shall never be seen again.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
I’ve posted this image below of a Pelargonium because it is truly stunning and so brilliantly white. It is easy to have a sense of awe during Spring when such fantastic colours suddenly come to life after the desolate dry winter of 2019.
Twilight Glow and Joseph’s Coat roses are well and truly out and flowering and are simply stunning. I only bought these Twilight Glow plants a month ago as potted roses from Eureka Plants Open Day. They shot straight out into bloom. Starting out as deep orange buds, opening to a beautiful apricot and then fading to soft blush cream. They are dazzling and ready to climb in profusion up the new arch seat.
Twilight Glow is a large flowering climber from the Meilland Renaissance ® Collection, Romantica ™. It was bred by Jacques Mouchette in France around 1991. The flowers now are a warm apricot shade with huge petals and what’s more there is a strong old rose fragrance.
All in all, the garden is quietly unfolding to late Spring bloom. If I can keep the water up and the nutrients to all of the roses it will be a magnificent year and well worth all the effort.
“All through the long winter I dream of my garden. On the first warm day of spring I dig my fingers deep into the soft earth. I can feel its energy, and my spirits soar.”
Helen Hayes, American actress, 1900-1993
Header image are the bright blue Lobelia flowers in a low pot at the back door, considered the front in the country!
All Content and photos by Di Baker 2019 All Rights Reserved
