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TasV
assistant gardener
Australia
157 Posts |
 Posted - 18/11/2008 : 20:33:59
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Wondering if anyone grows the good Duchesse that might have some full plant photos they might share? I have picked up a small tube of a cutting grown 'D de B' ($3!!!! BARGIN!!!), potted it into a larger pot for now and am wondering how much room to leave it (have a spot in mind but trying to remove the jungle first  ). Wondering how well Teas will go down here in Tas too???
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 18/11/2008 : 21:42:01
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I have the Duchesse as a plant and also a climber. The climber is meant to be good at covering whole buildings - almost :-) But the plant is not that large, so far, about up to my chin and as wide as she is high but I have seen her taller. Her width is the thing and I would allow space for her to spread her wings/ branches. She does root easily and also suckers a bit, but not in a problematic way. Her blooms nod and so in an ideal world, I'd plant her so she was on a little rise so that I do not always look down on her nodding blooms. One day I noticed a low branch of the Duchesse had rooted so I dug it up and gave to a neighbour.
I will take a photo when I can get out into the garden. You might like some cuttings of Climbing Duchesse de Brabant in autumn pr now if you want - I think she will be wonderful.
I saw Susan Irvine's garden and she had a few teas I think - will need to check my photos. Teas will do better in Queensland than in NSW and better in NSW than Tassie but then you can achieve wonders with most roses in Tassie - I could not believe the magnificence of all the rose gardens I saw there.
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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Cree
assistant gardener
Australia
76 Posts |
Posted - 19/11/2008 : 08:43:31
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Hi Tasv
Lucky you! The Duchesse (now correctly know as Comtesse de Labarthe) is a beautiful tea. I do not have a full grow shrub to show you but if you look at HMF you should find some photos. It will form a rounded shrub with foliage to the ground an bloom over the entire shrub. 100's of blooms at one time on a mature shrub.
Teas need heat. In the temperate and cold districts of Australia, WA SA NSW and VIC in the dry areas they reach their peak of performance. High humidity areas are still tolerable for them and they will perform better than most roses, with winter being their best season. Tasmania will be a bit cool for them and the season will be shorter for them. They will not grow as big as they would in the hotter zones. I would plant it in the hottest place in the garden, next to a wall that reflects heat would good. I would think 6 ft in width would be about right.
Teas do not take kindly to pruning. Their growth is twiggy and it is from the tiny node on the pedicel, just below (about 1") the last flower, that they set the next flowering wood. So disbudding (just snap off the hip) is really all they need. At times they send out a longer cane that looks out of place. Do not prune it down, just leave it and be patient, soon the rest of the bush will catch up and again it form a rounded shrub. They should never be pruned hard like a HT. If you feel you just have to tidy it up, just clip very lightly with hedge clippers. |
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