Rose Slug Sawfly

Rose sawflies are a common pest that can wreak havoc on your beautiful rose plants, like the Rosa ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ that I grow in a pot at the front of my house. Recently, I had a firsthand experience with the damage these pesky insects can cause to my beloved plant.

Sawflies are small, flying insects that lay their eggs on the leaves of roses. When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the foliage, causing significant damage to the plant. The larvae can skeletonize the leaves, leaving them looking chewed up and lacy. If left untreated, sawfly infestations can lead to defoliation and weaken the overall health of the plant. Look out for signs of damage from between June and October.

In my case, I noticed the distinctive signs of sawfly damage on my ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ rose. The leaves had been chewed up and had a lacy appearance, with small green larvae visible on the foliage. It was clear that immediate action was needed to save my plant from further damage.

There are various options for controlling these pests, including handpicking the larvae off the plant, or applying chemical insecticides. I should point out, that most roses will tolerate an attack from the sawfly and recover without any need for treatment.

I hand picked larvae from the plant, but they are small and hard to spot, so I must have missed some. More holes have appeared, I will be more vigilant and look for more larvae on the undersides of the leaves.

If you are using an insecticide as a treatment for your rose sawfly problem, you can use Resolva Bug Killer, but this should be a last resort, if using insecticides follow the instructions and apply in early morning or late evening when pollinators are not active.

In conclusion, dealing with rose sawflies can be a challenge for amateur gardeners, but with the right treatment and proactive approach, you can protect your plants from these destructive pests. Stay vigilant, be prepared to take action when necessary, and your roses will thrive in a healthy and pest-free environment, and don’t panic, usually they do not cause any lasting damage, and at most the damage is cosmetic.

Hydrangea ‘Avantgarde’

It has been a somewhat frustrating summer, the weather has never really warmed up and we have not yet had a decent stretch of good weather, the best we have had is the odd nice day between the cooler and wetter days.

One plant doing exceptionally well this year, is the Hydrangea ‘Avantgarde’ in a pot. I have another one planted in the patio garden, but there is not a sign of a flower on it, I don’t understand why not…

Hydrangea ‘Avantgarde’ in pot
Hydrangea ‘Avantgarde’
Hydrangea ‘Avantgarde’ in the patio garden
Hydrangea ‘Avantgarde’ with view of  the patio garden
Hydrangea ‘Avantgarde’ in the patio garden with Erigeron karvinskianus under Fuchsia magellanica
Hydrangea ‘Avantgarde’ in the patio garden
Hydrangea ‘Avantgarde’ has big flower heads

Name: Hydrangea ‘Avantgarde’

Type: Flowering shrub

Height: Up to 1.2 meters (4 feet) 4 feet tall

Spread: Approximately 1 meter (3.3 feet)
3.3 feet wide

Flowering Period:Summer to early autumn

Flowers: Large, showy blooms in shades of pink and blue Can be affected by soil pH levels

Foliage: Dark green, glossy leaves
Deciduous

Care Requirements: Partial shade to full sun
Moist, well-drained soil
Prune after flowering to promote new growth

Hardiness: RHS hardiness rating: H4
Hardy in most areas of the UK down to -10°C (14°F)

Ideal Uses:

Borders and beds
Containers
Cottage gardens

Other Benefits:

Attracts bees and butterflies
Low maintenance

Dwarf Mock Orange Blossom

Discovering Philadelphia Microphyllus: A Gardener’s Delight

Today, I want to share some thoughts about a particular gem in my garden – Philadelphia microphyllus. For the past four years, I’ve had the joy of admiring this beauty.

Growing My Philadelphia Microphyllus

When I first planted my Philadelphia microphyllus, I was captivated by its delicate, tiny leaves and the way its branches seemed to flow gracefully. Fast forward to today, and my plant proudly stands at around 1 meter high, which is approximately 3.3 feet for those who prefer imperial measurements. It’s amazing to see how much it has grown over the years!

Hardiness: Thriving Through the Seasons

Philadelphia microphyllus is  robust and hardy. According to the USDA Hardiness Zones, this plant thrives best in zones 5 through 8. That’s roughly anywhere from -20°F to 20°F (-29°C to -6°C). .

Care Tips for Your Philadelphia Microphyllus

  1. Sunlight: This plant prefers a mix of sunlight and partial shade.
  2. Watering: Once established there is no need to water, in our garden..
  3. Soil: Well-drained soil is essential. I found that adding some mulch has helped maintain the soil’s moisture and temperature.not fussy about pH.
  4. Pruning: Occasional pruning helps maintain its shape and encourage healthier growth.prune after flowering.

Watch My Video for More Insights

If you’re as curious about the Philadelphia microphyllus as I was when I first got it, check out the video I made showcasing it.

Love plants

Euryops pectinatus ‘Variegatus’

Foliage, flowers, structure, texture, presence, shape, form, outline, colour; terms used to describe aspects of plants and their use in garden design.

Plants are so varied, and there are so many to love.

Each day, I take a walk in the garden, it may be just a few minutes before work in the morning, or a summer evening stroll, stopping every five paces to pluck out a weed. Each day I notice something different, the light is different, I might notice one plant that did not register the day before, or maybe new flower buds have appeared.

Plants are diverse, and a diverse range of plants brings a diversity of life to the garden, birds, bees and other insects.

Here are a few plants that caught my attention yesterday.

Phormium ‘Back Adder’
Phormium Chocomint’ and Gomphostigma virgata
Phormium, and gabions
Scabiosa ‘Pink Mist’
Scabiosa ‘Pink Mist’
Scabiosa ‘Pink Mist’
Scabiosa ‘Pink Mist’
Calendula Power Daisy
Euryops pectinatus ‘Variegatus’
Euryops pectinatus ‘Variegatus’
Knautia macedonica
Valeriana officinalis
Valeriana officinalis
Philadelphus ‘Erectus’
Baccharis genistelloides
Sambucus Nigra ‘Black Lace’
Love Plants

Rosa ‘Ritausma’ and The Devil

Walking around the garden two evenings ago, the weather was mild and calm. The scent from Rosa ‘Ritausma’ was strong and sweet.

Rosa ‘Ritausma’

It is a large shrub rose, a R. Rugosa hybrid, with typical ruffled leaves, repeat flowering and never troubled by disease.

I bought it in Estonia, it was bred in Latvia, back in 1963. It is my kind of rose, trouble free and perfumed like Turkish delight.

Beside it grows Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo d’Or’, a wonderful foliage plant, dark copper leaves that have a golden tingle when emerging in spring. The flowers at this time of year are a bonus, the icing on this devilishly good cake, Diabolo means Devil.

Physocarpus is also known as nine bark, it has attractive peeling bark, adding winter interest to this deciduous shrub. Mine is trained on a stem, which did from a cutting, but I am glad to see that there are plants now available in the garden centre of stem trained Physocarpus. (In Johnstown Garden Centre).

In front of the rose and Physocarpus are a couple of alliums, the dark purple Allium atropurpureum and a new variety for my called Allium ‘Violet Beauty’.

Allium ‘Atropurpureum’
Allium ‘Violet Beauty’
Allium ‘Atropurpureum’
Allium ‘Atropurpureum’
Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo d’Or’ and Rosa ‘Ritausma’
Rosa ‘Ritausma’
Rosa ‘Ritausma’
Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo d’Or’ and Rosa ‘Ritausma’

New Project

Tulbaghia violacea

Last month we bounced the trampoline, it has gone to a good and loving home, where three little girls will give it the love that it deserves.

The trampoline, so seldom used

I had been mounding soil around the trampoline, soil taken from clearing sods when making beds in the garden. With the trampoline moved it looks like a ring fort, but they are so old-fashioned, too BC, and a fake one would be too, well, fake.

So, I revised the plan, and started remodelling the mound, smoothing the inclines and raising adjacent areas with even more soil that I had stored from previous garden developments such as the creation of the Patio Garden that started it all.

Reclaimed brick with Phormium ‘Back in Black’

The central part is 5 metres in diameter, and the plant is to have a dome or similar greenhouse construction in place, something modern, a place to sit in and grow less hardy plants.

I have been acquiring plants over the last few months in preparation for planting, and most have been planted, but more will be needed.

I am using a weed control membrane, the entire area will be covered in stone chippings. I looked for an affordable alternative to woven plastic membrane, one from a plastic alternative that would still last 5 years until ground cover plants had covered the surface, but none were to be found. 

Populous X wilsocarpa ‘Beloni’ with brick edge and new planting

In places around the inner circle I am using reclaimed brick from a friend’s garden to help retain stone chippings on more acute slopes, the intention is that they will look like remnants of an old wall. I am also breaking some of them up with a lump hammer to scatter around in the stone chippings.  I use the lump hammer to break their edges and corners too, to make them more distressed looking.

Mangave ‘Macho Mocha’

As for the plants: I have planted a number of  shrubs. Cornus ‘Summer Flair, Staphylea ‘Black Tower’, Cornus kousa ‘Flower Tower’ three different varieties of Arbutus unedo, a couple of Pseudopanax, Acacia pravissima, Catapla bignonioides ‘Nana’. These compliment some existing trees.

A lot of planting done , luckily the pots can be recycled

There are a number of Hedychium, restios, Yucca, Beschorneria yucciodes, Cannas, Phormium, Astelia, kniphofia and other exotics that are pushing the boundaries of hardiness, experiments that may fail.

Foliage of Staphylea ‘Black Tower’ – I can’t find much information about this plant.

The aim is to have a mix of strong structural plants, bright flowers and year round interest. A new area to plant is fun and exciting, and I enjoy taking a bit of a risk with the plant range to learn what can be grown, and to try new plants combinations and styles.

10 mm stone chippings, 2 down, lots more to come