Kudos on your green thumb. Very nice plants. My grandmother also had a green thumb that alas I have not inherited. I have more of a black thumb and my plants tend to die. Even plants people have told you can't kill like hostas and hens and chicks did not survive. I look forward to reading your blog in hopes what is left has some chance of survival. Thanks for the article I enjoyed it.
Oh dear. Green thumbs are actually quite easy to acquire: they require good observation and education, that is all. Know your plants and what they need, then observe their condition closely and adjust things like watering and light accordingly. Don't be shy to ask for tips
You may have opened Pandora's box by allowing me unlimited questions. Lol.
I do have one question to start. In my garden is a tea rose plant that refuses to flower. Instead it puts out shoots that end up being six feet in height. I've been cutting them back in the hopes the plant will instead produce flowers or at least spread out. Thank you in advance.
It sounds to me like the graft has died and the long stems are suckers from the rootstock. Are they very thorny?
Basically, the flowering roses we buy have fairly weak roots so instead the stems are grafted on to wild rose root systems. Those may send out shoots occasionally but if that is all you are seeing, the graft isn't doing anything any more. If you know someone who knows roses, get them to look at it to ascertain whether the graft is dead or perhaps was overpruned and is still there but needs nurturing
If the graft is the woody center section that part is dead for sure. I was looking at it yesterday and it is growing some sort of mushrooms. I think I may have to just dig that one up and start with a fresh one. I've had it for nearly 20 years. Thank you for the reply.
Mushrooms are a bad sign. Sounds like you need a new plant. I hate it when such old plants die. After all that time, they feel like old friends
Especially as it was a mother's day gift from my children when we moved into our house. For sentimentalities sake I may move it to a less visible are, let it grow those suckers and put a new one in its place.
That is also a plan. You may get briar roses in time