A rose is a rose is a rose

I’m sure you’re all dying for the latest news from the constantly frustrated gardener.

Before we get to the edibles, let’s talk about the roses.

As previously discussed, last year wasn’t a great year for the roses in my garden. Unusually for me, I actually sought advice from friends whose roses suggest they know what they’re doing and back in April I did some serious feeding. I thought this was going to be a bumper year.

There is one bush that always produces the first flower. (I took a picture of it at the time, but now of course I can’t find it.) It’s a very pale pink – not my favourite colour-wise, but, oh, my lord, what a lovely scent it has.

Things were looking good when the yellow (my favourite) rose bush, which didn’t produce a single flower last summer, produced not one but two!

And, yes, there is a dark pink rose from another bush also opening.

Oh, happy day! A yellow rose in the dark blue bud vase. (It’s actually a candlestick, but it does the job.)

There was also a beautiful dark red rose from Clancy’s bush.

It all seemed to be going so well.

Since then, nada. Not a single bud on Angie’s bush, which for years has been the most reliable.

Not a sign of a bloom forming on the Blueberry Hill, my second favourite. (This photo was taken in 2010, the year I planted the bush. It has not seen quite so many flowers since.)

Argh!!!! Why aren’t there more roses?

Did I not give them enough manure? There are still bags of it in the shed. (It was on offer when I went to the garden shop.) Should I give them another feed? Is it too late? Have I somehow fucked up again? Why aren’t there more roses?????????

Decide yesterday that more manure can’t hurt. (Or can it? No fucking idea.) Divide a bag up between them.

A rose is a rose is a rose. Except when there aren’t any. Sniff.

Fingers crossed. Watch this space.