We are great obelisk gardeners and have a number of competitor obelisks going strong, some a bit flaky by now. However when you introduced your obelisks we had two and then two more as they are far superior to the competitor ones and are sturdier and easier to erect ! We have David Austin hybrid roses trained up them and they are now in flower.
Two views of 'Scepter'd Isle' rose on the patio that spent a
lot of its time with its face on the ground until we gave it
this support and we are thrilled by the display this year.
Two views of 'Strawberry Hill' rose against a wall in the
front garden .
Two views of 'The Pilgrim' rose in an island bed in the
front garden. Again it flopped around, finished up in
the yew tree etc until I gave it an obelisk last year.
What a reward!
A view of 'Buttercup' rose against the back fence on a raised bed in the back garden.
Two views of 'Gentle Hermione' rose before and
after! The obelisk arrived on the 26th June. On
the 27th June I erected the obelisk, put it in
place, pruned the rose very heavily to finish up
with stems that I could tie in to the obelisk.
There is therefore much less flower than in the
first photo but next year it will look much more
like Scepter'd Isle or The Pilgrim.
Harrod Obelisks supporting two different 'Lichfield
Angel' roses from David Austin. This a very
beautiful and vigorous rose, that outgrows its
ability to support its own growth. The first one is
five years old and is sited in the woodland walk,
where it is competing for light and very tall, but
falling all over the place! The second one, three
years old, has outgrown a small flimsy obelisk and
is now much more secure on its new obelisk. I have
given it clematis 'Niobe' as a companion - you can
just see a flower or two at the bottom, but it will
of course grow up and mix in with the rose in
due course.
Many thanks to Mr Theobald, Nottinghamshire for this case study.
