As some of you know I have ( had ) a huge collection of roses. Ever since I started gardening seriously, about 30 years ago, I have had a passion for them. Collecting for type, colour or form or just for the name of them, the amount grew. But over the last few years we have had serious problems with Rose Sawfly. This infestation has decimated around half of my stock. I not only get one attack it is repeated several times in a season. So now I am wondering about a change, I have already taken out around 15 or so plants and destroyed them as they are getting weaker and weaker.
One rose in question is Blue Moon. Not a favourite anyway, but a bit of a novelty, only having a few blooms and getting so eaten the appearance is dreadful. This particular bloom is held up with a cocktail stick and sellotape,the flies have laid their eggs on the stem and once hatched the stem has got so weak it hung down looking so forlorn I had to pick it for my Vase on Monday .
So now I am left with a bit of a quandary, what am I going to replace all these roses with….do I see this as the start of another collection…….mmmmm let me think…. 🙂
from sewing room to potting shed 
Sorry to hear about the loss of your rose collection. I’m guessing you’re going to be busy this winter perusing gardening blogs and catalogues looking for your next gardening passion. You have some wonderful blogs listed here but I’d also suggest visiting Frustrated Gardener – I think you’d like him and his plant collections. 🙂
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How sad if you have to give up on your roses, maybe having more of a mixture of plants would deter the pests. I have the same problem with lily beetle which is worse than ever this year.
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I have loads of different plants but I just think having so many roses makes for a banquet…I really am digging up such a lot….some don’t seem to be bothered with the problem, but some get infested every year….it’s a challenge but then that’s gardening …
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Very much like us with the deer, have given up now as the poor roses manage to muster up a few leaves or even the odd bloom only to be mercilessly munched again. Maybe give it a few years break and try again.
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sounds good to me …I had a similar problem with viburnum a few years ago …treated them with provado and had 3 years of flowers..it broke the cycle but forgetting one year and back to square one again…I don’t want this with the roses as we have built up such a varied amount of bird life I wouldn’t want to upset the balance now so out most will go.. 😦
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Such a shame….. Go round reputable nurseries and buy plants that capture your imagination to replace the roses lost. That’s what I’m doing to fill my garden. You never know what you might discover!
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Chin up, it was easy we wouldn’t do it! You will fill the gaps with more wonderful plants and when the time is right reintroduce your beloved roses. Look forward to seeing the progress x ps did the pelargonium arrive?
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It certainly did …did you get my email…It arrived on the sat’ after you posted it .How you doing ?
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No didn’t get the email! Got the week off, some breathing space and catching up on life. All OK at the moment thanks. 🙂
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Missed an “if” out there, tired ……. 🙂
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Sorry about your rose collection that has to go. But, on the positive side, this gives you more space to try quite a few new species! There is a moment when letting go is hard but afterwards change it will feel sooo good!
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Oh dear, your poor roses. There is always some bug out to get our beauties. This is one I haven’ t seen yet. Terrible to have to dig up roses. I hope you will have fun finding lovely plants to replace them.
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That’s so heartbreaking…there’s always something with gardening, isn’t there? Challenges galore, but we keep persevering!
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