On 2009-05-20 08:24:06 +0100, K said:

just say no to wimples and chastity belts writes
For those who don't know it, rosa rugosa is totally hardy and disease
free, will grow in sand, and if you keep deadheading it flowers all
summer.

Alternatively, if you leave it to its own devices it produces
gobstopper-sized hips which attract greenfinches and make excellent
rose hip syrup. You can make up for lost flowers by growing a late
flowering honeysuckle through it.

The hips really are a huge bonus, aren't they? Those lovely fruits,
just glowing with colour are fabulous and the birds compete wildly to
get at them. I used to have a couple of these plants in a previous
garden and it was so entertaining to watch the birds gorging themselves
but also lovely to think it was building them up for the winter to come.
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Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials
South Devon