Friday, May 14, 2010


May is the best time in the garden, almost. The best time is at the end of May when the roses are all in bloom. In May my hostas all come out and their foliage is pristine. Some of them seem to grow a foot in height overnight. It is now when I cannot stop looking out of the windows (this one in particular) which overlooks the back garden) or rarely am I not tempted to make myself a strong mug of tea and go down the kitchen steps into the garden. It is not a natural garden. Our garden is not a native plant garden. We stick into it whatever we like that we think will grow in our climate. There is attrition and we then know better.


May is also the month when three of my roses vie for who’s first to bloom. The first rose to bloom was the English Rose Fair Bianca. By the time I had noticed it the bloom was spent. Two roses came in a very close second. One is the complicated named Rosa x odorata ‘Mutabilis’ (left). The other was Rosa ‘Blanc double de Coubert’ (below). The former (I have two bushes) almost died last year. I cut the dead looking canes to the ground and I was rewarded this year with vigorous growth. It proves that this rose with China Rose heritage has managed to adapt to our colder climate.

Rebecca is in Quebec on an exchange program with her school so I went over to her house to see how her roses were doing. They are in large pots and they get lots of hot sun (more than my roses ever get) so they looked healthy and vigorous. Alas her father had forgotten to water them (any plant in a pot has to be watered more often) and Rebecca’s pride and joy Rosa 'Königin von Dänemark' was an almost sorry mess. Because it only blooms once I am afraid that some of the buds will not open. I watered it well and hope that Rebecca will not be disappointed.

Her potted hostas had survived the drought with aplomb and looked very good. I am extremely proud of Rebecca’s gardening interest.

Lauren is next. I gave her some blue winter pansies (it is a cast iron plant) and she is so happy that they bloom for her every year. The time has come to point out the plants in our garden to her and to give her some of the names and a little of their history.



I do know that when Rebecca comes over (she will be arriving very late on Monday) the first thing she will want to do is to smell the ever Fair Bianca.