Saturday, November 22, 2014

Taming the Garden

I have been so busy lately that it has become an achievement just to complete each day's basic chores. Tasks I have neglected for too long are finally coming back to haunt me, and subduing the exuberance of over a hundred overgrown prickly roses is just one of them :).

Rosette Delizy never stops blooming. Unfortunately, it never drops spent blooms either :)

After months of giving the garden nothing but a passing glance it was a revelation to come out today and discover that camellia season has begun...




.... most roses look as if they have not been attended to all summer ....

Mme. Bérard should have been deadheaded a long time ago, but the hips are pretty :)

....but quite a few lovely blooms are waiting for me nonetheless....

Rosa minutifolia

 ...even if most of them are 15 feet up in the air.

Surprisingly good late fall rebloom on my Elie Beauvilain this year. I am not looking forward to pruning all 40 feet of it though :)

The task of bringing under control many roses that have enjoyed a long season of good growing conditions seems as intimidating as ever.

Souvenir de Victor Hugo


Like many other warm-climate gardeners, I am going to spend the next few months pruning, weeding, tying in canes, cleaning up and spreading compost, fertilizer and mulch by the wheelbarrowful - if I can find the time, that is.

Tiger's Eye abutilon

Despite all the daunting work ahead, I am looking forward to seeing the garden restored to order. Until spring...

Mme. Berkeley

Rosette Delizy. Pristine foliage year round


Elie Beauvilain

Jude the Obscure

Hips on Francis Dubreuil/Barcelona

Regensberg



Foliage turning on Persian Yellow

Rosette Delizy

Mme. Bérard


Elie Beauvilain


Mme. Edouard Herriot