Rambling roses with spring and autumn interest

Ramblers are vigorous roses, in general they reach a height from 4m - 10m. They are very useful to cover walls, hide unsightly buildings and do well climbing up trees. They mostly flower just once a year, in spring, for about a month and many of the below mentioned varieties have spectacular rose hips in autumn.

Besides all the above they are very resistant to illness, don't need to be pruned. The cheapest way to buy them is bare rooted. From November to beginning of April is the time to plant them.

There are plenty of ramblers to choose from. The following varieties have been recommended by various outlets: France 2 (Telematin), Rustica magazine and the below mentioned rose growers:

American Pillar - single carmine pink flowers with white centres in huge clusters.

Apple Blossom - lightly scented pink flowers that resemble apple blossom.

Belle de Remalard - semi double clear pink flowers with red rose hips in autumn.

Bobbie James - clusters of semi-double white flowers with red/orange rose hips in autumn.

Chateau du Rivau (rose of the year 2005 in France) - a rambler that has it all, beautiful semi-double white flowers with large yellow stamens, lovely hips in autumn.

Francis F. Lester - single white pink flushed rose, bloom is not spectacular, but this variety is known for its scent and its profusion of red/orange hips in autumn.

Kew Rambler - single, small pink flowers with white centre, growing in clusters, strong fragrance, orange rose hips.

Kiftsgate - single, creamy white flowers grown in large clusters, well scented, small decorative rose hips in profusion. It takes sometimes 3 years after planting for Kiftsgate to flower.

Lijiang - Pink rose with a beautiful perfume. Just recently introduced. Originally from China.

Sir Cedric Morris - single, scented white flowers, orange/red rose hips in autumn.

Wilderode - semi double deep pink bunches of flowers, colour is unusual as most ramblers vary from white to a middle pink colour.

All these roses except "Wilderode" are available by mail order from Andre Eve (www.roses-anciennes-eve.com) at 15.90€ each.

Rosa "Wilderode" can be ordered from Lens Roses - www.lens-roses.be at 11€ each.

Media/Bibliography: France 2, Telematin/Rustica November issue/Andre Eve/Lens Roses

Les Oliviers en Provence

Kiwifrui/Actinidia deliciosa

Ever after seeing the Kiwi flowers in the Navarro's garden in La Garde last May I wanted to know more about the fruit and how to grow them successfully in Southern France.

My interest was rekindled by reading an article on Actinidia deliciosa (kiwifruit) recently. The following are a few details on the origin of the kiwi:

The Actinidia deliciosa is a native to Southern China. It is grown mainly in the mountainous area upstream of the Yangtze River, as well as in other parts of China including Sichuan. Other species of Actinidia deliciosa are found in India, Japan and south-eastern Siberia.

In the early 20th century seeds of the Actinidia deliciosa were introduced into New Zealand by the principal of "Wanganui Girls Collage", who was visiting mission schools in China. The seeds were subsequently planted by a Wanganui nurseryman, Alexander Allison in 1906. In 1910 his vines produced their first fruits. Since then its popularity has spread and spread.

Initially it was known by the name of "Chinese gooseberry", but the name was changed by New Zealand exporters for marketing reasons in the 1950's to "kiwifruit". The name has stuck and is now known world wide as "kiwi" short for "kiwifruit". Italy is the principal producer of kiwifruit in the world, followed by New Zealand, Chili, France, Greece, Japan and the USA.

The kiwi is a climber that grows up to 2m per year. The average height of the kiwi is 4m. The climber needs a strong structure as support. Lateral shoots must not be allowed to twin around supporting poles. struts or battons; they will constrict and thinken to cause distortion or damage.

Training the kiwi on a southern facing wall is ideal, an espalier form is suitable, with a verticle central stem, and tiers of horizontal arms trained on wires 30cm apart.

Alternatively, train the kiwi across the top of a pergola, or on a tripod of stout poles.

Pruning is done in winter. The kiwifruit vines require vigorous pruning, similar to that of grapevines. Fruit is borne on one-year-old and older canes, but production declines as each cane ages. Canes should be pruned off and replaced after their third year.

In general, to pruduce kiwifruit you need a female and a male plant. If you want to plant several kiwi's, 1 male plant will suffice for 3-5 female plants. Some well known varieties are: "Kiwi Hayward", "Kiwi Chico" and "Kiwi Saanichten 12". A kiwi available in France that has yellow flesh instead of green is "Kiwi Yellow River", 20€ per 2 litre pot.

Self-fertilising kiwi's do exist, to mention a few: "Kiwi Jenny", "Kiwi Oriental Delight". A readily available self-fertilising variety in France is "Kiwi Renact", price about 12€ for a pot of 2 litres.

Not only do kiwi's look good in fruit salads and taste good, they are a rich source of vitamin C, its potassium content by weight is slightly less than that of a banana. It also contains vitamin E and a small amount of vitamin A.

Bibliography: Bob Flowerdew: All about fruit, RHS Pruning & Training, Rustica: Arbres fruitiers et petits fruits, Wikipedia 'Kiwifruit'.

Flassans sur Isole

L'automne sera l'occasion pour le village de Flassans sur Issole (après le Luc) d'accueillir
une manifestation commerciale autour du jardinage et du bricolage

DIMANCHE 31 OCTOBRE

PLACE JEAN JAURES
DE 9 H à 17 H

Exposants :

grossiste en matériel (tondeuses)
pépiniéristes - pisciniste - fabricant gazon synthétique - paysagistes

Ateliers :

la préparation du jardin à l'hiver, du travail du sol, de l'hivernage des végétaux
conseils de tailles d'automne
construction de nichoirs, les légumes d'hiver et la biodiversité.

un marché paysan et un marché de produits artisanaux en relation avec le jardin.

Our visit on 24/10/10 to Pepiniere de l'Armalette

Last Tuesday morning the Garden Group visited Pepiniere de l'Armalette in Sillans la Cascade. The nursery specialises in plants suitable for the climate in our area i.e. winter temperatures to minus 12 degrees C, with hot, dry summers.

The owner, Mr. Benoit Beauvallet guarantees that all his plants will survive the summer without watering, as long as they have been watered the first year. His assortment is quite unique. Most of the plants are hard to find elsewhere.

He mentioned that most Mediterranean plants do not flower in the summer. When you do see a plant flowering in the summer it most likely comes from California.

After our visit to the nursery, Jacquelyne Hodkinson invited us back to her house in Sillans la Cascade. I think we all thoroughly enjoyed the coffee, wine, cakes and sandwiches she and her husband had provided for us. We were very lucky that it was a sunny day and we could appreciate her lovely garden and beautiful views from her terrace.

I've made a list of the plants I can remember we came across. Please let me know what is missing and I'll add them to the list.

Artemisia lanata

Bupleurum fruticescens

Centaurea spinosissima, lovely rounded grey-green shrub:

Large selection of Cistus, to mention a few:

Cistus x purpureus

Cistus x skanbergii

Epolobium

Eragrostis trichodes - a grass, he suggested to mix with Zauschneria californica for effect.

Erodium manescaul 'Merstham Pink'

Large selection of Euphorbia to mention a few-

Euphorbia rigida:

Euphorbia amygdaloides

Euphorbia myrsinites

Euphorbia ceratocarpa

Glaucium flavum - a yellow poppy with leathery grey, indented leaves:

Glaucium rubrum

Iberis linifolia, a bi-annual, first year just the leaves, second year these lovely flowers:

Marrubium incanum

Onosma alborosea

Phlomis grandiflora

Putoria

Rhus typhyna

Rosa bracteata

Rosa sempervirens prostrata, a single white flowering rose that makes a lovely rounded shrub, 2 to 3 meter in diametre:

Rosa xanthina

Large selection of Salvia's to mention a few:

Salvia greggii

Salvia x jamensis 'Cherry Queen'

Salvia x jamensis 'Irene'

Salvia x jamensis 'Red Velvet'

Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips':

Salvia spathaceae

Large selection of Santolina's to mention a few:

Santolina chamaecyparissus subsp. squarrosa

Santolina pinnata

Satureja amdena

Sempervivum 'Flamingo'

Scabiosa cretica

Stachys cretica - forms a cushion with deep green leaves. (looks quite a lot like a Salvia)

Stachys byzantina

Tanacetum densum

Zauschneria californica:

Photo's: Gerda Nagtegaal