Deadheading tidies areas in no time at all
Ilove roses, particularly the old-fashioned shrub varieties, and although our sandy soil isn't ideal I’m determined to grow them. Persistence seems to pay off and many of our roses are flowering better than ever this year. One, a rambler called ‘Belvedere’, has never looked so good. I spent time in the winter tying all its stems in along a wooden support and now it’s positively dripping with blooms. It’s also put on
plenty of new growth, so a job for the winter is tying it all in again! I grow several varieties of phlox, again plants that probably need better soil than our sand, but so far with an annual mulch of compost they seem fine. Many are vibrantly coloured, but my favourite is ‘Grey Lady’, pale lavender in colour, lightly scented and obtained through the Hardy Plant Society Conservation Scheme. The idea with this is that once the plant has spread a little I’ll propagate it and return a plant to the scheme for others to enjoy. Deadheading is a job I like doing at this time of year. I don't relish working outside on really hot days, but this is a task that isn't arduous and can make an area look so much better in no time at all.
I'm generally assisted in the garden by one or both of our Springer spaniels and it's so frustrating when they break a treasured plant! Two casualties so far this year are dahlia ‘Café au Lait’ and a salvia, both newly planted. I've taken cuttings of the salvia and the dahlia tuber will be fine. I was asked by a garden visitor last month if a particular sidalcea is ‘Springer spaniel-proof’ – not a question I’m often asked – but I was able to answer with first-hand knowledge that indeed it is!
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