I have just been listening to this week’s Gardener’s World. Oh my gosh how can you say our lovely shrub roses only flower for 4 weeks. No way, my David Austin New English shrub roses go on all summer. I have had buds in the autumn if I keep dead heading!
What a great choice of plants Monty planted underneath. Rozanne geranium, Salvia caradonna and Nepeta Walkers Low. That is exactly what I planted underneath mine, he’s been peaking!
I must correct him though. Walkers Low is not a low growing nepeta. ‘Low’ refers to a hill in Yorkshire! Walkers Low is described by the RHS as growing to 60-90cm. Nepeta Six Hills Giant 50cm to 1m, both with the same 50cm-1m spread. I find them hard to tell apart, there is not much in it. Having said that I love and do and will continue to plant nepeta under all my roses. It looks pretty, it’s a tough perennial and It helps deter pests but beware cats low it eat it roll in it and find it rather soporific.
Salvia caradonna spires of blue always look grand, they are an absolute favourite perennial possibly after the all-time favourite Verbena Bonariensis, though I frequently must replace it after a wet cold winter, Salvias really want well drained warm conditions but a so worth planting.
Multi award winning Rozanne geraniums just flower and flower all summer more so than most of the other blue geraniums that honestly do look similar but are over sooner. Though I would consider (Jolly Bee which may be Rozanne) and Orion.
As Rozanne gets a few years old it seams to get taller and may need a Chelsea chop. That being a chop on the week of Chelsea Flower Show in May to make it grow stronger. I am not going to argue whether you chop it low or just snip the tops as how much you should Chelsea chop appears to incur a lot of debate and opinions from different top gardeners I have spoken to.
Top tip for your nepeta flopping problem is to Chelsea chop the front stems so they grow stiffer and act as a support to the foliage and flowers behind.
