Self care by growing a garden

Not good about the rose @Former-Member. If it's growing on its own roots or a low down graft, you may be able to retrain a new shoot into a standatd, but it the trunk is the "rootstock" ...

Yep, sorry to say @Former-Member

The rose will probably re-sprout from the base (they do that after damage).

The re-sprout (new growth) will probably be the rootstock - with a totally different flower-type from what you had (the top).

Most rootstock species are only once a year flowerers (not recurrent), although still gorgeous.

I love Bromeliads @Smc Although I don't have any at the moment.

A tradesman stomped over the last one, a few years ago (& it died).

My parents had many flourishing Bromeliads in the garden, where I grew up.

Adge

I think I will count rose as a loss @Adge @Smc. I have not tried to grow bromeliads myself, none of my gardens have been in a suitable climate for them.

@Former-Member, the broms I brought back earlier in the year survived a "mild" winter here, but I'm not sure if they'll like it when we get one with -6 or lower nights. Mum kept most of them in a shadehouse, but they don't get quite as cold up their way as we do here. Maybe -3 or -4 at worst.
It's one of the odd "silver linings" about the things we're bringing back from their garden. Anything that needed care in the form of regular watering or frost protection is gone. What's left are the "tough as" survivors, and it's still a rather nice selection.

@Smc@Former-Member

@Adge@outlander

@Appleblossom

I've got a predicament on my hands. I've got a whopping big brown turkey fig tree growing. And I'm not sure if i should let it grow into a full sized ornamental / shade tree. Or keep it pruned back as a food tree. It's the first fig tree I've ever grown, I've researched online stuff to help me understand what to do; I'm thinking next winter-i need to prune it right back to basically nothing, and get a good frame work of branches growing; I'm unsure if the second crop of figs will even be able to ripen up in this climate; I've got about 24 semi grown figs on there at the moment; at present it's about 11 feet tall and 6 feet wide, however, i think I'd like more or a shrub/bush like shape, so it's easier to maintain and harvest from. Also I'm thinking i could get the pruned pieces to grow in pots, by dipping small 10 inch cuttings into rooting hormone. And then give them out as presents. Am thinking will just have to prune right back to a 5foot base and grow a whole new frame work. Am also thinking about taking advice i got 'if you can't eat it! Don't grow it!'

Wow @eudemonism you are thorough.

The reality is that fruit trees often produce more than one person can eat. So I would not take statements like that seriously. Just someone having a bad day. Great idea to take them to a barter place or just give them away.

We had 2 figs when my girls were little and they loved climbing them. We pruned them hard but they always bounced back.

Have fun.

I am in the garden a bit at the moment, trimming and watering to develop deep roots for summer.

I'd probably go with the idea of pruning it back @eudemonism. Fruit producing trees that get too tall to pick are kind of frustrating. The high up fruit ends up attracting fruit eating birds or possums, which then continue on to raid other trees too, and when it falls the rats move in. Better to keep it to a size where you can happily reach the ripe fruit.

I do love my edibles, and would always prefer a fruit tree over an ornamental (so many are both at once too!) but keeping them small-ish often means you can put in other trees that produce at different times of the year. I've got about five varieties of peaches in our garden which all fruit at slightly different times, other stone fruits, apples, pears, figs and others. I'm trying to get enough variety that there's something fresh most months of the year. I usually get to preserving some too. Bottled fruit, jams, sauces, chutneys, sometimes dried fruit. If there's too much fresh fruit to eat and/or preserve, I try to give it to others. That in itself is well worthwhile, because it encourages people to get into the habit of sharing produce, and sometimes I've had people do likewise with their surplus. We received a very welcome box of plums last year when our trees were having an "off" year and didn't bear much, so a few got eaten, and the rest are in preserving bottles in our pantry. I've used up a couple of them, should see if I can get through most of the remainder before the next season's ripen.

I have no experience with figs @eudemonism, but see that @Smc and @Appleblossom have shared their tips. Thanks @Smc and @Adge for tips on the rose. I might leave the stump in and if the rootstock turns out to be a pretty plant I will keep it.

The war on weeds is gaining momentum, Mr Darcy is keen to see our place looking nice. Yesterday he finished weeding a large bed he had previously started and then did a small bed which had been weeded before. I continued to liberate plants that are unable to be seen due to long grass, two of which were clumping perennials (whose name escapes me); these were moved and now occupy the small bed which has been finished off with mulch; in due course they should fill the bed and make a good showing. The larger bed still needs some final touches before we can move the irises into it. Most of the irises have been overtaken by long grass and have not thrived, the few that have been looked after are flowering beautifully.

This mornining I saw a hen heading purposefully toward our blue pacific shrub (also surrounded by weeds) and in due course the cackles started. I went out to investigate and pulled out a few weeds in the vicinity to see if I could see the nest but to no avail, time of the essence so will head out later on.

Blue Pacific - our's not so upright.

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