Seven days on and the garden is blooming. It felt like a long wait, but finally, several of the roses and other plants decided it was time to greet 2024. Since last Saturday and until mid-week we were enjoying a calmer period of weather that was a few degrees higher than it has been for many weeks. Our last warm spell was in May so this was welcome, but typically, it didn’t last. I photographed on Wednesday because one glance at the forecast told me it would be the last calm day and strong winds, plus rain, would make photography impossible on Thursday and beyond. So here it is, my selection of photos for this weekend’s Six on Saturday.
Six on Saturday
Tree Rose ‘James L. Austin’ and Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’. This view is looking across the border and ‘James L. Austin’ is the deeper pink at the top, falling diagonally to the right of the photo. The lighter pink rose at the bottom is ‘Gertrude Jekyll’. Beyond that are several more rose bushes that will probably appear here as the summer progresses. The filler plant between the roses is Geranium psilostemon which made an appearance last week.
Rosa ‘Rhapsody in Blue’. Last summer was not a good one for this rose. Halfway through the summer season, it had barely a leaf left on it as it was so heavily infected with blackspot. The rose had been sprayed as soon as the foliage started to appear, and a few times afterwards, but it made no difference.
I decided to dig it up – but I changed my mind and gave it one more chance. I noticed blackspot beginning to appear on some of the early leaves and it was only then that I thought I’d try planting Salvia ‘Nachtvlinder’ as recommended by Sarah Raven. I ordered some young plants and put three close to the base of the rose, and the other three next to its neighbour. I didn’t have high hopes, but so far, the blackspot hasn’t spread – though, to be truthful, I’m still not 100% hopeful. I ordered a few more Salvias last week and they’re planted next to a few other roses. Time will tell…
Hydrangeas are also starting to bloom and that’s exciting. I don’t have a name for this one, but it was a pink variety and although other pink hydrangeas elsewhere are keeping their colour, this one is turning blue.
Fuchsia. None of the hardy bush-type fuchsias purchased this year are ready to start flowering. This is the only survivor from last year. They look like little multi-legged ballet dancers with brown beehive hairstyles from the sixties. Does anyone remember beehive hairstyles?
Rosa ‘A Shropshire Lad’. One of the good things about the recent calm weather is that the roses are being allowed to flourish and die gracefully with no damage to their petals (see second photo).
Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’. This is the same rose that is shown in the top photo with ‘James L Austin’ but photographed close in and from a slightly different angle. ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ is a beautiful rose. ❤️
Many other gardeners from around the world take part in the meme ‘Six on Saturday’ If you want to join in, or simply see other gardens, follow the link to Jim’s website at Garden Ruminations.
That’s it from me today. Have a lovely weekend!
Catherine 😊
Notes From My Garden 
I say it often, but the rose Rhapsody in Blue is one of my favourites!
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It looks so much better without blackspot, Fred. 🤞🏻
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I love the combination of Gerty with Geranium psilostemon. I must try the salvia/Rose tip as I have a few roses that really struggle with black spot. Funnily enough I took some cuttings of Salvia ‘Nachtvlinder’ last weekend and brought some into the house as it’s extremely fragrant.
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I recently watched a video where Peter Beales Roses suggest that the secret to controlling blackspot is feeding the roses well during their flowering season. So perhaps a combination of both is needed. I wasn’t aware the salvias were nicely perfumed – if I can get them through the winter the plants should be large enough next year to cut a few stems to take indoors.
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Love all those roses.
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Thank you Rosie. I haven’t seen any posts from your garden for a few weeks, have I just missed them?
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No, I’ve been busy with family time. My dad had a big operation recently and mum’s been ill too. They have a massive fruit and veg garden which I am tending as well as my own, so very little time for #SixOnSaturday.
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Oh, so sorry to hear about your mum & dad, Rosie. I can only wish them both a speedy and full recovery. I understand how demanding your task is at the moment.
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Thank you for the very helpful tip about salvias and roses.
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I hope it works, but I’ve also been looking at the topic and have come across a YouTube video featuring the rose expert with Peter Beales Classic Roses, where he details the importance of feeding (and watering) roses to keep them in top condition in order to combat blackspot. Monday morning you’ll find me back in the garden adding more slow release fertiliser to the base of all the roses. That will be followed up with liquid feeds of Tomato fertiliser about 6 weeks later.
Between that and the salvias, perhaps Rosa Rhapsody in Blue + others, will be spared the chop! But I’ll still have my fingers crossed!
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Rhapsody in Blue is incredibly beautiful! And yes, thanks for the tip about Salvias and roses…I looked it up and it seems lavender and Nepeta might do the same thing.
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That’s good to know about lavender & nepeta, every idea helps, Chris.
Also have a look at my comment above to Topdock re feeding roses.
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A timely reminder to feed them – and I have LOTS of tomato fertilizer 🙂
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Lovely roses. I have never heard oft the savia trick. Christopher Lloyd said that a mulch of lawn clippings keeps away black spot. But he dug up his rose garden at Great Dixter so I don’t know whether he is a reliable source.
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Perhaps Christopher Lloyd would have benefited from having a garden full of modern roses, though I think having salvias around the base of roses is much more attractive than lawn clippings. 😄 See my comment above to Topdock with some additional thoughts on blackspot that I’ve just come across.
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Wow, you had me with the Roses at the beginning of your post. Sigh. All are just beautiful! And your other plant pics/picks are fabulous, too. That Hydrangea has a unique flower form, color, and foliage. And I’m a huge fan of Fuchsias–they like the summer weather conditions here. Keep us posted on the Salvia treatment.
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Thanks, Beth. I’m hoping some warmer weather will bring all the fuchsias into bloom, though the new plants are still unusually small when I compare their growth in previous years. I’ll definitely post again on blackspot and I think the next few weeks will let me know if it’s as bad as previous years or not.
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Your roses and the geranium photos are very beautiful. What a combination of colours! As for blackspot, my daughter messaged me today about her roses which have blackspot. I recommended Uncle Tom’s Rose Tonic. Apparently it helps roses to be healthy enough to withstand pests, IF you remember to use it (I am terrible at feeding any plants). If I remember correctly the Prop swore by it.
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Thank you, Jude. Somewhere in the past I’ve used Uncle Tom’s Rose Tonic, but completely forgotten about it. Thanks for the memory jog! I’ll have to go have another look at that, but like you, I forget to feed the plants. I must start a feed calendar and stick to it!
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haha… I did once try to stick with Monty’s Friday Feed day – but even that fell by the way. 😂
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The day I use most for plant feeding is a Saturday – but it’s weather dependant and that really throws careful planning out the window!
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‘Gertrude Jekyll’ is a beautiful rose Catherine with outstanding fragrance. I like the look of ‘A Shropshire Lad’ too now sadly retired. My roses are suffering dreadfully from blackspot this year 😢What spray do you use? What I read the salvia tip last year and took cuttings from salvia ‘Nachtivlinder’ to overwinter in the greenhouse with the aim of planting them near the roses. Unfortunately the parent salvia plants which had been in the garden for several years died overwinter so I’ve had to replace them. I will try again this year. Glad to hear that it’s finally warmed up in your neck of the woods.
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I didn’t know that ‘A Shropshire Lad’ had been retired. Seems to be so many of the old favourites have gone that way. I haven’t sprayed the roses this year, Anna, it didn’t seem to help at all last year so I’m trying a more natural approach – but I’ve used Top Rose in recent years to spray them.
I think, if it’s possible, I might try to dig up the salvias, pot them up and overwinter them in the cold frame. I’ll try taking some cuttings during late summer or autumn. The only salvia that survives in the soil here is ‘Caradonna’.
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All your roses look so beautiful. I’m very interested in hearing how you get on with the salvias and whether they work to prevent blackspot.
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There has to be a way of controlling it, though I doubt if it will ever disappear completely from the garden. I know that roses in an ordinary garden will never look perfect, but it would be nice to try to have them looking their best. I’ll report back in due course! 😃
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That rose, Rosa ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ is a real stunner.
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Yes, it’s quite the attention seeker, Suzanne. 😁
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Super roses this week, Shropshire Lad is my favourite along with Gertrude Jekyll, I have both in my rose garden. I also have Geranioum psilostemon in the driveway border but have never put it with Gertrude, must try moving a bit of it as they go so well together!
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Geranium psilostemon is a good match for Gertrude, though the match was purely accidental – I can’t claim credit! 😆 The geranium will have to be kept in check in the rose bed though, as you’ll already know it’s a large & vigorous variety.
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Love the roses! Can’t grow them here – between the Japanese beetles and high humidity fungal paradise, it would be too much work. My mm had nearly 200 roses in dry San Diego.
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Beautiful roses, Catherine. And interesting about salvias… I must pass that on to my Mum as her roses have terrible blackspot this year. I do love that Geranium you have planted beneath the roses. Your description of the Fuchsia flowers is so funny! I can see what you mean! I think beehives were more or less over by the time I was old enough to notice such things, but I do remember Pan’s People on Top of the Pops and this could easily be one of the weird outfits they sometimes wore! LOL! Hope you and your roses get calmer weather and sunshine this week Catherine.
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