I posted about tariffs affecting bulb prices in my gardening group. Then the stupidity began. I do not give a damn about someone’s political views but keep them out of my garden and gardening group.

Tariffs might be a political hot button but they are in fact a REAL thing affecting consumers in this country.

I buy bulbs from small lot US growers but do you think their bulbs were originally from the US or they grew them from seed? That would be no and no. And to add to my posting about bulbs increasing in price came the idiots delight comment about this is why natives are better. Native plants are not part of the equation in this particular conversation, and they are not the be all and end all to a lot of gardens, nor do they have to be.

Pause before you are tempted to say stupid things, especially when it comes to what I choose for my garden. Also when I am trying to pass along information I glean to other gardeners, kindly don’t make it about what it’s not. I’m not bringing politics into the garden, ugly politics are invading our gardens like weeds in the form of tariffs and I think that’s wrong.

These tariffs are increasing BULB prices 10 -25%. This is why I bought a lot of my fall bulbs before the tariffs went into effect. But some I could not. And I am continuing to work on my Stinzenplanten or Stinzen lawn which is a Dutch gardening tradition where a lawn is planted with masses of early-spring, naturalizing flower bulbs to create a beautiful display of color. Does that make me now un-American in the eyes of some? Well that would be stupid, wouldn’t it?

I realize that to most I am not the average gardener. And the majority of the bulbs (including lilies) I buy are heirloom and antique. I also scatter red clover seeds in my lawn because I don’t worship the lawn gods and I have a diverse garden that is honestly quite beautiful and IMHO while it has some natives, it doesn’t have to be all natives and for the record some of what people categorize as “native” started somewhere else.

Plant material and supplies in general have increased exponentially. I find that frustrating, and I can’t imagine how this makes growers and nursery folks feel.

Another example? Potted roses have gotten so incredibly expensive so I am glad I am comfortable with bare root. Just a couple of years ago maybe they were $49 for an Austin in a nursery, now they are around $69!

I have been plodding along in my garden, and every day there is something new. One new thing is I actually have a mountain hydrangea beginning it’s blooming and it’s not even June! Tell me again climate change is not real. (No, you don’t have to really, it’s sarcasm. )

I planted two more roses. I bought them own root from Antique Rose Emporium. One is a “found” rose called Moroccan Rose. According to Antique Rose Emporium :

This upright shrub, “Moroccan Rose” was collected by an international rose rustler. He tells us that the original bush was found growing in Morocco, hence its unusual study name. Its is very reminiscent of the Hybrid Perpetual class, in that its fragrant pink flowers are borne on the end of the long canes. The foliage is quite Damask-like, as are the many fine bristles found all along the cane. It seems highly probable therefore that this lovely rose belongs to the Portland class.

The other rose I purchased from them is called Wicked Sister. Wicked Sister is in the Pioneer class and is a seedling that came from Abraham Darby, a David Austin rose of all things. She is further described as:

She possesses all of the old-garden charm with her quartered flower shape but has an iron clad constitution when it comes to disease resistance.

Funny thing is that I love Abraham Darby. But this is on a list of retired roses. I have one that was originally not doing well so I plunked it in a spot in the garden that was like my plant hospital. And now? The bush is HUGE and completely recovered! Funny how nature is.

I also have a David Austin “Mary Rose” I did the same thing with. Both were floundering in original spots and then I moved them, figuring maybe they would make it, maybe they wouldn’t and here they are.

And in the nature is funny was the supposedly own root bare root Eden Climber I bought from David Austin a few years ago. Well either I bought grafted and am getting root stock or it has a rather odd sport:

It’s like 2 bushes in one right now. The plant is ridiculously healthy so whatever it is I will live with it and love it instead of digging it all out.

My Pink Leda has started to bloom. She is pre-1827 according to some European rosarians (and has been growing at Wyck House in the Germantown section of Philadelphia since the late 18th century) and is a once blooming Damask. She was gifted to me by someone who used to be the rosarian at Wyck House in Germantown. She was a cutting from the Pink Leda there. You see her in the UK, but not so much here in the US.

I want to buy a Champney’s Pink Cluster next. It was the first American hybrid rose, dating to 1811. She was created by a South Carolina rice planter.

Now back to David Austin roses. Here is the list I have found of the roses. They are no longer producing. They take them out of circulation from time to time for a variety of reasons. Here is the list as I know it:

A Shropshire Lad
Abraham Darby
Ann
Bow Bells
Cottage Rose
Crown Princess Margareta
Dove
Francine Austin
Graham Stuart Thomas
Happy Child
Jude the Obscure
Kathryn Morley
Lady Emma Hamilton
Lucetta
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene 
Mary Webb 
Mayor of Casterbridge 
Munstead Wood
Othello 
Pat Austin
Pegasus
Potter and Moore
The Alexandra Rose
The Prince
The Reeve

And no it doesn’t mean you should rip these roses out. They are just retired as of now. I know I have said it before but the antique roses grow best of all in my garden, once established.

I have planted a lot of my pots and still doing mostly herbs. And some marigolds. BloomBox had gotten these really cool white/cream marigolds and I bought some to add to a couple of pots. And I am not normally a marigold person!

I am also adding a couple of new hydrangea and witch hazels. The witch hazels came from one of my favorite places, RareFind Nursery in New Jersey. They are small and really busy and they sent me a list and then I called them and gave them my order over the phone the old-fashioned way. I purchased Amethyst (red-purple), Athena (red), and Havon (orange). I forget where the hydrangeas came from but they are a pair of Eclipse.

My seedlings are slow but moving along. I want to put them on, but so many of them don’t have adult leaves yet. I grow tomatoes, basil, and chili peppers from seed.

Projects I need to complete are mulch in some places , the seemingly endless weeding, and a friend gifted me these really cool wood tiles to create a path with in the woodland beds.

I think I’ve given away over 100 ferns so far this spring. They are so prolific and if I don’t pay attention, they crowd out a lot of plants, and these are just the ostrich ferns and sensitive ferns.

One thing I am concerned about is a couple of the more immature beech trees in the woods seem to have Beech wilt. I hope not but I’m pretty sure at least one tree does.

Anyway, that’s it for me. It’s late and tomorrow is another gardening day. so far, I really have an opened my garden up for any open garden days this year, I’m pretty much doing it depending upon my schedule if people ask. I’m just not feeling like opening the whole thing up right now. It’s fairly ready for viewing. I just don’t always feel like having people tromping through my gardens.

Please let me know how your garden is growing this year.