Campanulas, echinops, gloriosa daisies, lupines, lamium, siberian and bearded iris, perennial geraniums, roses, gooseneck and yellow loosestrife, pulmonaria.....they are all going crazy in my garden this year!

Cathy

Hi Cathy,

What roses are you growing? I've been wanting to add some but have been hesitant because of the cold winters and dieback. I planted three of the Canadian Explorer series roses this year (2 William Baffin and another I can't remember right now) which are supposed to be completely hardy and very disease resistant. Thanks for the info on the things that are doing well, did you have anything supposedly hardy that gave up the ghost?

Over here, Spiraea did great, as well as hydrangea, privet, hostas, astilbes, bleeding heart, climbing roses, and anything that dies back to the ground like tiger lilies, asiatics and daylilies. My yarrows and other tall spindlies like german chamomile are fine too.

Everyone I've talked to said they lost their lamb's ears. but I think I saw a little new growth last week or so. That was before the weeds got higher than the plants. But I bought the smaller "silver carpet" variety, which I had before and lost, to replace the common kind, which I thought I had completely lost.

No surprises on what survived that I can remember.

Marie

My lamb's ear did okay, what there is of it.

Cybertrek, I have Theresa Bugnet (dk. pink, semi double flowers. Red stems and almost thornless. Some repeat blooming) and Harrison Yellow (smallish deep yellow flowers, early, once blooming. Very thorny) I have a Henry Kelsey, but it pretty much dies back to the ground (it's suppose to be a climber???) pinky/red flowers. I think I just need to move it into a spot that gets more sun? The first two have almost no die back. I have Iceberg, just planted last year that is still quite small, but has lots of white blooms right now. I bought two Jackson & Perkins roses from the local Agway (I worked in the GH on weekends and got them for 1/2 price $10 each)One was a pale pink cabbage type, but can't remember the name. It bloomed once so far. The other is a climber called America with beautiful salmon pink flowers. It bloomed shortly after I brought it home and is getting ready to bloom again. I don't know if these two will be winter hardy for me, but I figure it's nothing to spend $10 on a bunch of annuals, it was worth it for these even if they only live this summer. I also have four mini roses. The one that stands out and does the best is a deep red one called "Red Cascade" It's called a climber even tho it is only suppose to get 3ft tall. I let it grow prostrate so it has a 3ft spread and is about 6 inches tall. It's just starting to bloom now and will bloom right up until snowfall! I've had it probably 5-6 years now. I've found it quite easy to root cuttings from it. I've given some away, if I had any sense I'd make more for myself and plant them throughout my own garden! That is all I have so far, always looking to try some more tho.

You know, I also bought a red tree peony at Hidden Gardens in Searsport last summer and it did great this year and even had a single flower! I'm expecting it to do even better next year? I didn't give it any special protection either.

I hope this link works?

Cathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Harrison Yellow rose

A lot of plants did well, I was more surprised at what didn't. As in thyme, lambs ears, and oregano. The lambs ears and oregano really throught me for a loop. Thought you couldn't kill them. Assumed thyme was very hardy as well. Was also surprised at the amount of bulbs that didn't come up. I planted a lot of tulips and daffodils last fall, and in some places they made no appearance at all.

For roses, the only ones in my garden that were cane-hardy were William Baffin and Champlain. Champlain is a nice red that blooms all summer and only needed a little tip pruning. William Baffin's canes were alive all the way up to the tips, which really amazed me. But both roses are scentless. For Austins, Tamora and Mary Rose only had to be pruned down about 8". Abe Darby died back to ground level but has bounced back nicely. Heritage and Graham Thomas struggled to make an appearance this spring, but eventually kicked the bucket (which surprised me, because they were supposed to be two of the hardiest DAs).

I am not going to dwell on what I lost, or what did well, as I am chalking up last winter to a fluke and am crossing my fingers we don't get another one like that for a very long time.

Thanks for the rose advice guys, I feel inspired. I am very new to gardening and am still just feeling my way along looking for information and advice while I gain experience. Next year will be better.

Veilchen,

I have a Champlain that has done super for the last 4 years or so, but this winter it was chopped down to the ground. Starting to develop branches now, but usually blooming by now (I think) and all summer. But Joseph's Coat fared worse. Couldn't even feel a stub underneath the geranium macrorhizome underplanting.

Funny thing tho. I have a new year (or happy new year) that I bought from WalM. The year after. Never got over 3 feet, although I think it was supposed to be a climber. I had it planted behind a wicker arch shelf thing that is usually used in bathrooms. When I went outside late winter to do the first inspection, and the wicker thingy had been blow over, breaking off the rose. But now it almost tops the 4 ft or so thingy and has never looked so good. No flowers yet tho.

And I have 2 antique rosebushes, Harrison's yellow and a pink one I never could remember the name. Misunderstanding the seller as to hardiness, I planted then at the foundations, and haven't had time to move them out to more sun on the hillside.The pink one has a few nice blooms every year, but they usually face in to the house (no window there to enjoy them from inside tho).Harrison has a few more cute little flowers, but usually the foliage gets buggy and looks awful. Was tempted to prune it severely about a month ago, but then fresh green leaves appeared, so I left it alone. The bird planted blackberry vines are crowding out everything in that bed and the adjacent one, but I love the fruit so much I can't cut down the new canes.

The birds also gave me a black raspberry bush that is just ripening. Yum yum, but they both do complicate weeding. But I guess it is a good excuse not to even try.

My maiden and divorced last name is Rose, but they don't do all that well for me.

Marie