The new Forest Pansy garden

The new Forest Pansy garden is situated behind the garage and below the water tanks.  The soil isn't great and it slopes down to the fence.  However, it is sheltered.  Either end of the garden is a tree - the beautiful Ceris Forest Pansy is one end and the other end is a Tasmanian shrub/tree Drimys winteri.  It's a multi stemmed affair and not the prettiest specimen but does retain its leaves in the winter. There is another young tree at the lowest and dampest part of the garden Myrtus luma, also evergreen.  This was purchased as a shrub and I am encouraging it to make a leader.  It should become a beautiful small tree with glorious cinnamon bark.

I have planted four roses in the bed - well not counting what I think is Buff Beauty that flowers through Forest Pansy.  There is a nice contrast between the purple leaves and the apricot/buff of the rose.  I usually look for what I think is the best site - colour combinations haven't featured too much in my placement decisions to date. From the Forest Pansy end there are four roses newly planted last spring - the shrub roses Penelope and Rosy Cushion - both propagated from Floral Art friend Jocelyn's garden.  Next comes a new purchase with a Christmas voucher from Kaye and Robin (Lawston Farm - where I work in the spring)).  Young Lycidas is a David Austin shrub rose, purplish pink, with a lovely fragrance.  At present its flowers are bending its stems over and it might become a candidate for support.  Next comes a rose that outgrew its space at friend Nikki's house.  It is supposed to be the miniature orange-brown rose Teddy Bear.  There is nothing miniature about its height and it might have been better against a fence.  It had a mass of flowers early in the season and is beginning to repeat.  I guess it is more of a shrub too.  We are experiencing some very hot days and the roses are not lasting any time at all and in La Nina weather cycle so it is very dry too.  This garden very much a work in progress and the odd dock is still coming through.  

Young Lycidas

Rosy Cushion

Teddy Bear