Plants in Our Garden – The Gardening Register Rose

For my birthday in 2008 I received a Name a Rose Gift Box which contained a number of rose seeds, a label and some instructions.

I sowed the seeds, following the instructions, and was very surprised that a number of them germinated. From those that did I managed to get two decent sized seedlings.

This photograph was taken in July 2009 when the plants were very small. I looked after them through the very cold winter and this summer I have two very good, healthy rose bushes, one with pink flowers, one with white.

In the Autumn I will prune them and re-pot them and hope for bigger specimens next year.

The final step in the gift process is to register the rose … so welcome to The Gardening Register. Whether I will ever be able to propagate more plants will remain to be seen but I’m very proud of the two I have managed to nurture of the past two years.

The photograph above is the property of Linda Peppin and must not be copied or used in any public work without her express permission.

Plant of the Month – Camelia

Camellias are wonderful plants giving amazing splashes of colour on bleak February days. This year, in my garden at least, the Camellias are very late in flowering due to the exceptionally cold winter and early Spring.

Despite the late flowers the glossy dark green foliage, which remains throughout the year, has been a welcome sight.

The camellia in the picture has been growing in a container in my North facing garden for about eight years and always rewards me with lots of these deep pink flowers during late Winter and early Spring which I’m really looking forward to. The variety is Camellia x Williamsii Debbie which you can buy from Gardening Express for just £12.95 for a 3.5l plant.

Camellias are well suited for pots and containers, but they need acid compost, a reasonably large pot and regular watering to thrive. Once the flowers have faded they drop off the plant meaning no dead-heading, making this shrub a practically maintenance free plant.

Below are a selection of Camellia on sale at Crocus.co.uk, click on the pictures for more information: 

Tree Dahlia

I have just come across an amazing Dahlia from Suttons.

This amazing plant Dahlia imperialis or Tree Dahlia can grow up to 20 foot tall in just one season.

Bought as tubers and treated like any other Dahlia they flower each year around November and December and have thick, bamboo-like stems and dramatic foliage as well as the lovely pink flowers.

If there is an early frost and the plants begin to turn black just cut it down, give it a good mulch and it will come back again next year.

Suttons are currently offering 3 tubers for £19.95 or buy any 4 packs of summer flowering bulbs and get a FREE Tree Dahlia as well as 20% discount.