The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 455

OBSERVATIONS GARDENS Proper English Musings of England's Most Popular Garden Writer From "The Well-Chosen Garden, by ing roses into other parts of my garden Christopher Lloyd. Copyright 1984 by by way of the mixed borders. Christopher Lloyd. Reprinted by permis- There are not many red-flowered harsion of Harper Row, Publishers, Inc. dy perennials, and most of those have a short season, so a red rose can be an Roses Need Company invaluable supplier of this colour.

At the The vast majority of roses make ugly lower end of my long border, 'Florence bushes. To herd them into borders and May Morse' can be seen in front of the gardens on their own is merely to em- Mt. Etna broom, Genista aethnensis. phasize their defects. The only point in The latter flowers in July and is an exits favour is that a monoculture enables ceptionally long-lived comthe grower to concentrate on a compre- pared with most brooms, which pack up hensive spraying programme for the after a few years.

Furthermore, it casts so control of their numerous pests and dis- little shade that you can plant right uneases. It should, however, be remem- derneath it. The red and yellow combibered that the greater the numbers and nation could be a bit hot, but does not density of any single crop or creature, seem so because of the genista's flowers the greater the field day for the parasites being so very small. They pile up like a and disease organisms to which they are luminous thundercloud. 'Florence May a prey.

Your efforts to keep on top will Morse' is a straightforward shade of red be in a state of progressive escalation. without any blue or orange in it. The On the other hand, the greater the flowers are not endearingly shaped, but variety of plants you grow, the fewer will they show up and are borne in two big be your problems with any one of them. flushes, summer and autumn. It grows It would be good if roses ceased to be eight or more feet tall, with me, and is big business and gardeners abandoned pruned and tied once a year to a chestrose worship in favour of regarding nut post.

I should perhaps say that none them as just another shrub that it is nice, of the roses in my borders are ever indeed necessary, to own, but in reason- sprayed and they don't seem to need it, able numbers. There will then cease to holding their leaves well into autumn. be any need to segregate them. Or, if Any that needed treatment for ailments you do fancy a rose garden, it could would be discarded. consist up to half of shrub roses having a 'The a small double, pink polyreasonably pleasing habit and, for the antha pompon, bears long trusses of rest, plants that extend the former's sea- blossom from mid-July till November in son and contrast with the round blobs a setting of glossy, healthy foliage.

The which are the rose's typical shape. Cle- habit is arching rather than upright, and matis, delphiniums, lilies, campanulas, at two feet it is well suited to the border cranesbills and Japanese anemones all front. The August-September flowering associate particularly well with roses, Chinese chives, Allium tuberosum, but the possibilities are unlimited. I seeds itself around the rose's crowns, realize, of course, that it is intellectually and I like its white umbels showing far easier to settle for a garden of roses through the pink rosettes. An apron of than to have to work out a scheme the prostrate, glaucous Acaena affinis where they are only one among perhaps laps over the paving in front of these a dozen or 20 ingredients.

But the more two. taxing approach is also the more stimu- Rosa moyesii and R. setipoda are dual lating and will give you greater pleasure purpose- -single flowers in May- June, in the long run. long red hips in August-September. The Lloyd now has to confess that he has a former has a stiff, gaunt habit, readily rose garden himself; it was there before absorbed by planting something bushy, I was born, was designed as such and like hydrangeas, in front of it.

Stiff stems would be difficult to use in any other also suggest the drapery of a clematis, way. But my preference is for introduc- Continued LOS ANGELES TIMES MAGAZINE, A GREAT DEAL FROM COLEMAN Mr. Sheldon Coleman Chairman of the Board BUY A SPA NOW AND GET ALL OF THESE GREAT OUTDOOR PRODUCTS FREE! Fluorescent lantern 48 qt. cooler 2 liter jug 4 gal. cooler 2 burner stove and two 4 lb.

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