They say by mail, but it's really UPS.These two huge boxes arrived Monday from David Austin. One said This way up and was the Other way up. Panic. I hustled them onto the terrace, keeping the upside down one sideways.
First, Eglantyne. I had wanted Alnwick but it was sold out. The rose was in full bloom. In a box! From Texas!
I was really surprised. Talk about instant gratification.
Next, the sideways rose. I don't know what happened, but it hadn't been squashed. Either it had been packed upside down, or inspected en route, but whoever had handled it subsequently, had done well.More luscious roses. It took one week, from placing the order last Monday to receiving the shipment, which left the Lone Star State on Wednesday.
I am impressed.
I had ordered containerised roses after catching sight of that option on the David Austin website at the last moment before ordering bare root roses. The $13 difference in price seemed worth the extra size, though I am curious to know what a bare root would look like after one season. I'll have to keep an eye on Deb's roses, which arrived last week. Now I've just seen that standard roses are available, too, as bare root, budded at 3 feet. Rats! Perfect for the corner where I'm putting one of the roses. That rose's back will be to the walls and I foresee leaf loss and possible black spot issues there. It should get 6 hours of sun. Taller would have been better.
Desire, desire, desire.
Now I want my roses back. Bugger!
ReplyDelete(If you can be diligent about it, spray your leaves regularly with milk/water solution. It does help. Poulsens, the Danish breeders, trialled it and so did I in the sub-tropical Brisbane area.)
You caused me to check the David Austin website, but we need something for partial shade and they seem sold out of those. However, maybe next year if I act early!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that your roses arrived in good shape. I'm also happy that you can see there are beautiful things in Texas! ; )
ReplyDeleteWow, you may have a convert here. I was planning on getting more Knockout roses for my patio, but I'm now in love with the Abraham Darby climber.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'm ordering several Scadoxus bulbs from Easytogrowbulbs.com to put in a large flowerpot so that I can put them up in the fall.
You are a bad, bad influence, Marie.
Wow, I want a box of already-blooming plant! Of course I have a brown thumb when it comes to both roses and vines for some reason...
ReplyDeletewow! these are so lovely! i am so jealous! mine are...well...bare roots.
ReplyDeletegrrrr....
unbelievable
ReplyDeletethere is a partial shade rose? low-maintenance, i.e. disease-resistant?
ReplyDeletethere is such a thing as a partial shade rose? disease-resistant, too?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful new acquisitions.
ReplyDeleteJust like my other fellow comments posters, I felt like buying some plants soon after looking at your pics. And I did.
(not roses but Sporobolus heterolepis aka prairie dropseed grass, to each his own!)
I am SOOOOOO jealous. I want roses in full bloom, arriving in a box. Oh how backward are we......
ReplyDeleteWhat is the second one? It looks like my Centenial Rose.
dinahmow - milk and water! I've never heard of that one! Really? Milk...lactic acid? About to Google :-)
ReplyDeletePam - partial shade, hmm, I'm always very sceptical. Roses can bloom if they get spring sun (from deciduous trees' bare branches), and then bloom no more. Have you had success with the varieties that bill themselves as partial shade roses?
Donatella - I'd love to see Texas, I've heard about lots of beautiful things!
Karen, that's great! Why must you wait for fall? I would have thought they're almost ready to bloom by then?
m.heart. A brown thumb for vines? That's funny :-)
Deb, I know, I'm sorry! But I'm sure yours will be flowering in a matter of..weeks? Four weeks?
frank - yup.
Donna - yeah, me too. Not sure. I would say no.
Lambert, that's a wonderful grass! I don't suppose you want some small allium to go with that? :-)
Dearest Hen - the second one is Pat Austin (David's wife)...xxx
Sorry, I meant I can put up the flowerpot in the fall. I'm planting the bulbs as soon as I get them.
ReplyDeleteI also took a look at the fig website you suggested to someone else and I'm going to dig up my Brown Turkey and transplant it into a large (24") container so I can use that space for more daylilies.
You're giving me some great ideas this spring for my 70 square foot garden. Thanks!