Sharing surplus plants is one of the great benefits and pleasures of having the time and space to grow your own. Last week I was kindly offered a splendid passion flower. It has been grown from seed by my next door neighbour, who has the touch when it comes to raising plants and propagating them. She advised me that it is a white and blue flower, so I immediately thought of the little space we have in the monochrome planting on the sun terrace. Passion flowers are something I have never grown before so I will be keen to see how this one behaves. If blue predominates then it will probably be relocated, but for the time being it fits in well next to the hebe (Midnight Sky). The tall obelisk shape canes it is being trained up gives a lovely contrast in form in that particular border.
Elsewhere on the terrace the roses are now looking their best. It is a little bit of a pity that the rain, wind and hail has given them a little bit of a battering. The Alba Semi Plena (White Rose of York) is doing particularly well and my dear wife tells me that the fragrance is just divine. I will take her word for that, I am simply chuffed that this year the blackspot is quite minimal and the aphids seem to have been discouraged by the harsh meteorological conditions.
Top tip: do not stress too much about your roses. It is often just a matter of chance whether or not they avoid infestations but being vigilant can minimize any negative consequences. Simply rub off aphids when they appear and remove diseased leaves with clean secateurs.
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