The floribunda and polyantha roses are the worst for greenfly here so when they get really bad I just hose them down, this early in the season the ladybirds take time to catch up with the greenfly and I find this helps to even things up.
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Gorgeous and sexy roses. Love them.
Re David Austin. I sent them an email saying I was in SW France and they responded with a list of suggestions. Some of which I bought and planted last winter. They are just finding their feet now. Still a bit too early to see if they’re really happy.
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Thank you for the plant identification! Verbena b. is on “the watch list” for my state (Washington) but so is Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s Mantle), which is a favortite of mine as a rose companion. My mollys tend to die out every other year when the winter weather veers from our usual mild maritime clime so I feel comfortable with growing it.
Love my DA roses and of course davidaustinroses dot com is my go-to porn site. 
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I’ve honestly been too scared as a newbie gardener to put roses in! Maybe I need to get brave and find someone who will let me take cuttings!
Don’t be! They are (mostly) extremely forgiving. In fact, treat them tough - prune hard - and they reward you wonderfully.
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I’ll second what Sue says about that! My experience is that I do tend to get bored waiting for rose cuttings to take though as they are not quick like cuttings of herbaceous perennials! However, if you have patience, that will be fine. Alternatively, I bought the most beautiful rose from Lidl a few weeks back at Lidl sort of prices 
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I so agree. Their roses have been magnificent - some of my biggest, strongest roses have been from Lidl, including the one on the left here. Not a good photo, but you can get an idea of the number of blooms. No idea what it is, I just call it Lidl’s pink!
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I’d never noticed before that Lidl had roses but the one I bought a few weeks back is magnificent!
That’s a lovely photo, Sue - do they have a good scent as well?
That is really good to know. I have looked at them as that is about all I can afford but TBH I presumed they’d be a bit crap (which is silly as I buy so much there and 90% of the time I’m very pleased, my best lavender is from there!). Too late this year no doubt!
Yes I would like to know about scent too Angela and Sue, do the Lidl ones smell nice? although with that magnificent pink it coudl get away with not 
Just going out to sniff mine…
Back again - it’s pale pink and smells wonderful - it’s called Renaissance…
This is it at a non-Lidl price…
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Also @toryroo - looks like Lidl have another rose in from next Wednesday - scented but red - you could see whether you like it?
Al the plants I’ve bought from Lidl have been great with one exception - around the time of the rose, they had hydrangeas = mine took about a week to die and clearly had some sort of fungal infection I hadn’t noticed (but should have…)
This particular one doesn’t (just a very faint one) but I forgive it that because it does so much else so well. Very healthy and strong. Its cuttings root (I already have its daughters round the garden). Its buds are a beautiful shape, full blooms gorgeous and it dies beautifully. I’ll find its three stages and post some photos.
No way. Small, yes. So be patient, it may take a couple of years for them to really establish, but I’d buy as many as I could from Lidl but for the fact that I already have masses and I have a brilliant organic rose grower ten minutes drive away who needs my custom to survive. 
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Lucky you (can’t find an envy smilie) but we do have a couple of little nurseries that are great for perennials - young enthusiastic people!
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Lovely, Sue!
I’m probably too late for this year now but will work out where I cna plant them and get some next time I see them!
Ohhhh , I’ll have a look at the online catalogue, this weeks only goes to next Tuesday.
Planting them at this time of year, they will need thorough watering if it suddenly goes dry.
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No chance of that here at the moment, Sue but of course you (and Tory) are a lot further south!
It’s surprising what survives if you water assiduously - we were daft enough to buy a substantial tree a few years back in August (don’t ask) and it certainly needed watering but it’s magnificent now…
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