Jelly Bean Garden Roses

In the early days, roses along the house side of the Jelly Bean Border would cover the fence-line with colour in summer. Phyllis Bide would start off with her fluffy pink and apricot flowers, followed by red Dublin Bay, yellow Graham Thomas, and the trusty white Iceberg.

 The fence has helped a lot to prop up the roses.
roses along the fence-line - summer 2003

My early photographs show masses of blooms on strong, healthy shrubs. The Jelly Bean Border was generally sunnier then, and the Liquidambar tree above the fence was only a juvenile.

 Graham Thomas grows rather tall, and I tie in the canes to the fence-line.
roses along the fence-line - summer 1998

Dublin Bay was an original planting by the fence-line. But, alas, this rose can get badly rusted in my garden, and this particular shrub is no more. I've reprieved another of the originals, though.

 A non-fragrant red.
Dublin Bay on the Fence

Because the Jelly Bean Border is now relatively shady, the other original roses are not in a very good state. Maybe the big Eucalyptus tree on the nearby lawn is just too greedy for soil nutrients. Memo to self - some compost and some serious rose care this coming winter.