O
clicker...if you were growing this in the US, I would be inclined to agree with
contadino and seriously consider the possibility of Rose Rosette Disease (although there are other symptoms, such as canes becoming limp and rubbery, leaves looking malformed and a general flushing of red. However, this has not, afaik, arrived in the UK. Some years ago, I grew an Austin rose, 'Compte de Champagne' which also threw up anomalous canes most seasons. While I never really got to the bottom of why, it didn't seem to have deleterious effects on the rose itself. There are some possible reasons including herbicide drift, cane damage (with a hoe) or, as already mentioned, the rootstock throwing a sucker. The canes which arise from the rootstock are always different to the normal foliage (from the named scion).Paler, matte surface, more sets of leaves (as mentioned by
Leafster) If you could take a picture of the leaves, it would be helpful. I wouldn't immediately assume it was problematic.
Ah, I had zero germination from thunbergia alata,
gentlegreen. I seem to recall the same happening last year apart from a single seedling which didn't get going till November. I had one feeble bloom on Xmas day!
Nasturtiums are one of my guaranteed self-seeders,
iona. Californian poppies, limnanthese, nigella, , corncockles, calendulas, forget-me-nots are all totally reliable while cornflowers and larkspur seem to need a bit of assistance. Cosmos and nicotianas are useful volunteers in a mild winter.
So sweetheart held my hand at the allotment today, offering emotional support to this stressed gardener (after the gloom of the weekend). We did all the apples, weeded the strawberries, grubbed out a tattered box (box moth) and hacked a way through a chaos of bindweed, bramble, wild oats, mallow and fat hen, which had run amok under cover of an immense tree paeony, and a jumble of mint, lavender and sweet cicely. I had to be quite brutal with a lot of volunteers (lychnis, anthemis, ox-eye daisies and campanulas...to make way for later summer flowers
I can't get in my shed at the moment because daughter went off with my keys. Mostly because the shed is buried under 3 gigantic, roses. Can't get to my tea-making tackle so had to nip the shop to buy beer, which was definitely a good idea. I also noticed several forgotten plants, like meeting old friends. Especially my pink umbellifer, pimpinella rosea (took me a long time and several attempts to grow one of these). I came home much cheerier. I Have a plan for the roses, I think.
