"Dave Poole" wrote in message
Well, I wouldn't say that growing them is a waste of time - they
positively flourish on the rich red Devon soil. The only problem is
the air is so clean and humidity levels so high that fungal diseases
are in their element - rusts and black spot abound.

Don't know if you noticed years ago that the Harry Wheatcroft & Sons nursery
was downwind of the local coal burning power station and fungal diseases
weren't a big problem except on some varieties that shouldn't have made it
to the catalogues. Once when they found rust on something they took us all
up the field to look at it!

You need to be a
bit selective about the varieties grown or simply turn a blind eye.
That's a very fine border of roses, which I think I recognise

Not unless you crept in whileI wasn't looking ;-))

where is it BTW?

http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

This website is quite out of date now but I hope to rebuild it soon -
possibly next winter.

The building in the picture is 'Porth Mawr' and is referred to in the CADW
notes on the site.

We replanted the rose garden in early 2002. During the previous 2 or 3
summers it was getting very threadbare and any attempts at replanting were
being foiled by replant disease - It's been a rose garden since the end of
WWI, though old plans show some sort of formal garden there (including the
pond & fountain) going back at least 2 centuries. The design is mine with
substantial input on choice of varieties from Keith Jones of C & K Jones
http://www.jonestherose.com/

Phil and the assistant who was working with us at the time dug out all of
the beds to about 50cm and replaced the topsoil. The ropes and lavender
hedges conceal a wire netting fence to keep the bunnies out. It's beeen
particularly good this year over quite a long period.

BTW the topsoil is from development sites where Chester is expanding towards
the Dee estuary, nice rich silty stuff - not a million miles from the old
Bees Nursery site at Sealand.

--
Rod

My real address is rodtheweedygardeneratmyweedyisp
Just remove the weedy bits
and transplant the appropriate symbol at.