Hi. Noticed these buds this morning - early really. The are on an old deep red climber growing on the garage wall.
Hi Kitty. That Rose is a most beautiful brightish but dark red and is I think quite elderly. When we moved here near 5 years ago it was growing next the front door, was looking extremely sorry for itself and literally had tied itself in (aerial) knots due to lack of care and attention - the wall is north facing just to make things worse . I resolved to give it a chance and with great effort dug it up, the roots were thick and more or less solid - I hacked a piece off with some fibrous roots attached and planted it on the garage wall with fingers crossed but not really expecting it to take off. However whilst it looked very much "will it won't it" most of that year it did at the end of the season manage a couple of blooms though tiny. This year it is looking healthy and happy and starting to grow nicely. So pleased it did and once again it proves the value of TLC in whatever connection be it people, plants or whatever. A win for Ma Nature there for sure - a good show - delighted. Will attach a pic of it. Syd.
Same here, and the nelly moser clematis is blooming already. My rose buds are of the blaze rose. Doesn't go with clematis it has grown into at all. Crazy year. The lilacs are about finished with their blooms and the columbine should be blooming this week. Really nice clear photos. My iPad doesn't have very good quality photos, but it is partially the photographers fault.
Hi Jewell. Lovely to see it all happening but you are ahead of us with plants - our Clematis just making foliage and your Lilac finished already - they have lovely blooms and perfume. The only Lilac I have is a dwarf which I keep clipped to a 3 feet diameter ball and it is right outside a rear door. The blooms are mostly hidden in the new foliage but the scent is around for quite a way, wafts indoors and every time we go in or out that door there it is. Syd.
Both of you are way ahead of me. My roses have begun to leaf up but there won't be any signs of flowers for ages yet. My lilac 'Bloomerang' is showing its first tight flower buds though. It will be a couple of weeks before it bursts into bloom but is well worth waiting for.
Hi Eileen. I love Lilac for looks and perfume - very very well worth waiting for. Heres a pic of the dwarf one I mentioned.
I love the shape you've trained it into Syd. Lilac is one of my favourites too for its wonderful scent and flowers that attract bees and butterflies.
Hi Eileen. I do like to see clipped shrubs but depending on what they are. Its a small shrub anyway and its "twiggyness" lends it to clipping but also next the path and right outside a rear door it needs a regular" haircut" - I do it over immediately after is has finished flowering and sometimes a very light one early autumn. Could not be a better place for it I think wafting its scent indoors as it does. I have four small clipped Box across the front path but its early days for these - also a nice quite elderly clipped Bay which is about eight feet tall and just starting to flower - do not know if the clipping induces it to produce flowers or if they do anyway - have not an unclipped one to compare - do you know?. Will take a pic or two and attach later. Syd. The Bay and its flowers which are little doubles - under training clipped Box x 4. Syd.
I don't do a lot of pruning of mine but as they flower in spring I cut it back, when needed, in early autumn. I don't think that pruning and clipping affects how Bays flower as mine always has despite what I do to it or when.
Hi Eileen. Thanks for that, its something that I never really noticed or thought about before. When we first came here this property was quite a shambles all round - much lack of TLC and regular maintenance over many years I would guess. Anyway and bye the bye that Bay was in a similar untidy unruly state and the only way I could get it back to presentable again (as I like to see it) was to give it a gradual re-shaping so as not to cut off too much at one time. I think they do need to be a "tidy" bush, would not look right to me as a mess. Looks nice when all flowers out. Hope your Spring is in full swing now. Syd.
I think everyone is way ahead of me. My daffodils are not even blooming yet. It's suppose to be down to 27F (2.7C) tonight but the days are sunny and fairly warm. I like your trimmed shrubs, Sydney. They look very nice and your rose bush looks happy.
Hi 2ou. I think for me both Bay and Box are very formal bushes so like to keep them clipped - the Box as yet are still being shaped but eventually I hope for spheres of green as were they at my last address. Your winter sounds to be hanging around but despair not your Spring will come. Syd.
