In the Dahlia beds of the Memorial gardens there are four roses that are supposed to climb over Metal obelisks and for some reason that have never done very well so we’ve decided to replace them with some new one. I got the replacements before Christmas but have yet to plants them as I wanted to do it when I changed the soil in the greenhouse border because when you plant new roses where old ones have been you need to renew the soil as well so as I needed to change the soil in the greenhouse border as well it would be a good chance to sort both jobs out at the same time. So today the time had come to do this and I was surprised when I started to dig out the old roses to find them sitting on top of six inches of concrete.
Before removal.
This isn't right surely!
Whoever put in the obelisks had concreted them in to the ground and then planted the roses on top of the concrete. I don’t pretend to be a rose expert but to my mind this doesn’t seem right – I don’t know what you all think. If you look close at the pictures you can see the roots of the roses all curled up like that would love to go deeper but can’t get. Anyway unless someone tells me that is how they’re supposed to grow then I’m going to be knocking hell out of that concrete before returning the obelisks and planting the new roses.
I guess another alternative would be to plant the roses to the side and train them in to the middle as they grow, I think I’m going to try and bash the concrete off though.
5 comments:
I love roses, grow lots of them -yes even here in frigid MI, and NOOOOOO you are not suposed to do that! Who ever did that should be shot. Well okay I am being a bit dramatic but really. So I hope you can find a good home for the old roses rather than just resign them to the compost pile. I am sure they would grow splendidly if given half a chance.
Can't wait to see them blooming. We got another winter storm here, they predicted 16 inches, thankfully so far only about 3 inches...but more expected through the night. sigh. I can't wait for
SPRING!!
Roses can be so finicky. I had so many at our last house, they were the *fancy* kinds...such babies really. They needed sprays and treatments, fussy, fussy, fussy. I so prefer old fashioned roses. Happy always, sprawling, blooming without a care in the world...no spray needed, just magnificient shows for everyone to enjoy.
Hope your cement smashing goes without hitch Bob.
Kimmie
mama to 7
one homemade and 6 adopted
*expecting again...from Ethiopia
Not much of a gardener to plant on top of concrete Bob - no wonder the roses were not thriving. I think your idea of planting at the side of the concrete is a good one - although there would still be a place where the roots wouldn't be able to go wouldn't there.
I say, bash away! Those poor roots!
I'm no genius of a gardener, but concret? Good grief! Roses are a bit too precious, not to mention costly, for such treatment. Frankly such an act boggles the mind. Do those oblisks require that much footing?
Good luck with your bashing.
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