Le Vesuve still looks great! What a champion.

..the photos are wonderful even though a sad story behind them with the drought... it looks almost a desert to me... I do love that Sea Lavender plant...
..and I'm expecting to receive Le Vesuve in a week or two, own root. No idea how it will do here, it's supposed to be best in a greenhouse but I'll give it a go outside... I've read that it'll grow on anything...and needs no attention... I'm very impressed with yours...

I just looked at the radar -- I agree with Ingrid, looks like it's going to happen for sure after 8 PM. I'd be fine if it held off until tomorrow so I could take down my pumpkins, spiders, webs, etc., etc., but on the other hand I can't wait. In my end of the San Fernando Valley, wind is always rare (except during four days a year, when the Santa Anas blow), but the air becomes stiller than ever before a rain. The plants, the grass, the trees all seem open-mouthed and panting, afraid to move in fear of spooking the gift from the skies.
Let it rain!
Sylvia

Ingrid, I am so looking forward to the 'After the Rain' shots! Hope you get a good, steady fall.

Trish.

Rain!!!

It is really raining here

There was some real rain here for the first time in quite a while as well. Great to see and hear now and it'll be even better to see in the coming weeks I'm sure.

Jay

This post was edited by ArbutusOmnedo on Sat, Nov 1, 14 at 15:19

Ingrid I am hoping to hear that you got some rain.

Yes, my friends, it did rain here overnight, although not as much as I'd like, but they're saying there might be more, so my fingers and toes are crossed. So happy that some of you had rain too; we all need it.

OF COURSE there will be after pictures. I'm afraid you're all doomed to see my same old garden in endless permutations until they pry the camera from my dying hands.

Ingrid

Marlorena - if you are in zone 8 I cannot think of a reason why Le Vesuve would not be fine outdoors - glad that is what you are planning. There was a huge old Le Vesuve in our garden - we think it was almost 100 years old when it finally gave up the ghost. During its life, it got no care whatever for at least 30 years, and did great anyway. Happy in partial shade, and in full sun after we took out the pine tree which was shading it.

Luckily I was able to root cuttings from the ancient one, and have 3 of its babies growing in the garden still - all doing great.

From anecdotal evidence such as Ingrid's I have seen, it appears to be a rose that is determined to thrive and bloom no matter what, as long as it is not in a cold climate. Mine bloom 12 months of the year - of course not as much as the Spring flush, but enough to notice. There seems to be some difference of opinion about whether it is a china, a tea, or a hybrid bourbon, but everyone agrees it was hybridized in 1825. It is a survivor, for sure. You will enjoy yours. Just plant it where it has enough space to grow - mine get 8 ft tall by 8 ft wide by 6 ft deep in a very few years.

Jackie

Ingrid - so very glad to hear that you finally got some rain! That must have been a very large storm - we got rain all day yesterday, which then paused for several hours to accommodate the trick or treaters, then more overnight. Just gentle & light, but that it what we need now to open up the ground so that it will absorb more later. So far this Oct has been our "normal" rain pattern, so I have hopes.

Jackie

hi Jackie, great to hear from you, and I was delighted to read of your old Le Vesuve..what a rose !..... and that you have 3 of its babies....

...I knew nothing of it and just ordered the other day on a whim really,...and then I started reading on here of several California gardeners growing it, and then I started to worry that it won't like it over here, so that's reassuring...
...I have already prepared a spot for it so it gets maximum sun all year and I have treated it to the best soil conditions...really a prime spot.. but I hope to train it along a picket fence rather than upwards too much.... if it's still alive come next March I shall be very happy....maybe I give it some winter protection with fleece for this year...we sometimes get a pile of snow and -10 deg.C.... not often though...

..I ordered it as a China rose.. so wasn't aware of the differing opinion... I'm also getting one with a funny name that took my eye...L19 Laos...no idea what this one is all about but I'm not daring to plant it out until next Spring... if at all... I think it arrived here in Europe from China a few years ago...

..California gardens fascinate me as it's all so different although I've only ever seen them in L.A.... but the rainfall issue would make me panic somewhat... we worry if it doesn't rain for 2 weeks... delighted to hear that the heavens are starting to open again for some of you...

Yes, CA has a climate which is more similar to Southern France or Greece.

The only thing I would caution you about Le Vesuve is that it might not be amenable to being trained "along a picket fence" rather than up. It is not a classic climbing rose which will go up or sideways. It tends to be a dense free standing bush. Its growth habit is that of a china rose - canes sprouting out of canes at all weird angles. Our old one, which actually turned out to be TWO bushes (it had tip rooted at some time in the past, and the second bush planted itself about 6 feet away from the original one - garden design by rose!), was growing behind a fence. Here is a pic. See the fence? No, you don't, because it ate the fence. In your climate I presume you could keep it smaller, but it will probably still have a mind of its own.

Jackie

..oh my goodness isn't that gorgeous?... but I see what you mean... I shall have my work cut out if it likes it here... but I have a feeling the winters might stop it even before I do.... so we shall see on that one...it'll be interesting to find out I think just which way it goes for me....

..terrific help Jackie...thanks again..

edit:
I've just done some more research here Jackie, (I know I should have done this before)... and 3 UK nurseries are showing it as growing about 1 metre by 1 metre, one has it just over that, and needs a warm aspect to thrive. My local-ish nursery is Beales and they also have it as 3 foot by 3 foot. So it seems unlikely to become the monster over here that it does for Californians...

...I have to say I'm a little relieved at that..lol... but obviously we are missing out somewhat on its splendour...

This post was edited by Marlorena on Sat, Nov 1, 14 at 17:19

Belinda after the rain

We got about an inch

I'm glad some of you had a good rain. We had just over half an inch and it's raining again right now so no complaints here. To have gotten any rain after being without for such a long time is a big thrill, and I hope this will be the beginning of much more to come.

Marlorena, I'll be very interested to see how Le Vesuve does for you. It had never occurred to me that this rose could be grown in England. I hope you'll keep us posted on its progress. Mine are more wide than high and seem to do best when it's warm but they have enough water. Without adequate water there is considerable reduction in bloom, especially since the humidity here is usually between 12 and 20 degrees for most of the year. I don't suppose you'll encounter that very often in England. Your biggest issue might be lack of sun and heat, but I understand England has had some fairly high temperatures in the last few years. It will certainly be an interesting experience.

Ingrid

We got a half inch also. It was lovely.

I'm so relieved to hear you've all had some rain at last.

Ingrid, thanks for your reply... I have found out some more about Le Vesuve as it grows here. They have it at the famous rose gardens at Mottisfont in southern England where it seems to grow about 3 or 4 foot and they have a group of 3 together by the looks of the photo I've seen. I have also read that it is recommended to plant 3 or 5 together for maximum effect.

...If they can grow it at Mottisfont I should be able to here. My soil is very rich and fertile and if there is any sunshine going we usually get as much as anywhere... can get quite warm in summer and for lengthy periods...

...I wonder if American gardeners use a product called Mycorrhizal Fungi? it is recommended for use here when planting roses... I'm not convinced of its worth, and that it's another ploy to get us to part with some more cash... Austin roses seem to do their own version of it and it's always on display where their roses are sold... I think it helps when you are replanting in a hole where another rose was growing...

..Le Vesuve will be getting some as I have a packet.. so yes, it will be exciting to see how it gets along and even if it doesn't reach the heights as it does for Californians, it's presence alone will make it worthwhile I think..

I can't imagine planting three or five of Le Vesuve; there wouldn't be much garden left. Obviously this rose has miniature proportions compared to here. I wonder if the walls at Mottisfont make for a more hospitable environment for the more tender roses.

Yes, we do have Mycorrhizal Fungi have but I've not used it. You might try using the Search feature here to learn more about it. We don't have a problem here replanting new roses where others have been taken out but it does seem to be an issue in Europe.

Ingrid

Yes I expect those walls make a difference but I have become really interested in this rose which I had no idea was being sold here nor had been grown here outdoors.

I have just read in one of Graham Stuart Thomas's Rose books that he first found it in a garden in Berkshire, England which is west of London, and can be quite a cold area in winter, of course it may have been in a sheltered spot, as mine will be. After many, many years the rose had grown to 5 foot tall. So you're right that it remains a compact bush rose for us so it seems...

At least I now know that it should be quite hardy in my climate, which is a relief. I thought I might have to wrap it up in cotton wool... I'm so looking forward to it Ingrid.

Beautiful blooms, Ingrid. I hope you get more rain!

Thank you, Krista. No more rain, I'm afraid, and it will be heating up again, but I'm so grateful for the half inch we had. The ground is still moist and I'm sure it gave a real boost to the roses that were planted a few weeks ago.

Ingrid