I just want to add, the plant growing amongst the roses are Linaria Purpurea, Toadflax. It's all gone to seed too, which would mean possible new plants next year in that area whether you leave it like that or cultivate the soil. Might be best to weed more often or get a hoe to help in larger areas. It's a nice plant, and unlikely to be that deep rooted due your soil being quite heavy. So should be easy to dig out.
I think it is sensible to give up on the first 2 roses. They are very weak, and will take a minimum of 3 years to revive if you are that patient. The soil is very heavy and compacted, and you will need to add masses of well rotted manure or compost to nourish that soil as mentioned by Obelixx. Although roses do well in clay soils, they still need a yearly top dressing of rotted manure or compost.
Well spotted @Borderline. I never can tell the difference when there are just leaves. Silly cos we have loads of wild purple and yellow forms of toadflax here.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Thanks @Borderline, is this Toadflax a weed or something previously planted? I only really started paying attention to this bed/border lately.
I am trying to train a wisteria tree in here and growing an AP Trompenburg and a couple of other shrubs in there.
The spaces at the moment are filled with those sick roses, Toadflax and some one or two herbaceous perennials.
I was thinking to remove the Toadflax and old woody Roses and replace with Lavender Roses and some wildflowers as this is a full sun area for the whole day.
Toadflax are wildflowers so only a weed if you don't like them. Wildflowers do best in poor, unimproved soil and are not compatible with roses which need rich soils to do well.
If you're planning to remove poor roses and plant new lavender coloured roses you need to do some serious soil improvement to provide all the nutrients they need. Then underplant with something like hardy geraniums. If you want wildflowers, choose a corner of your garden with poor soil and good drainage unless you want a bog garden or water meadow style.
Just in case I've misundertood and you're thinking of planting lavender, they need alkaline soil to do best and good drainage especially in winter.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
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"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
I think it is sensible to give up on the first 2 roses. They are very weak, and will take a minimum of 3 years to revive if you are that patient. The soil is very heavy and compacted, and you will need to add masses of well rotted manure or compost to nourish that soil as mentioned by Obelixx. Although roses do well in clay soils, they still need a yearly top dressing of rotted manure or compost.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
I am trying to train a wisteria tree in here and growing an AP Trompenburg and a couple of other shrubs in there.
I was thinking to remove the Toadflax and old woody Roses and replace with Lavender Roses and some wildflowers as this is a full sun area for the whole day.
If you're planning to remove poor roses and plant new lavender coloured roses you need to do some serious soil improvement to provide all the nutrients they need. Then underplant with something like hardy geraniums. If you want wildflowers, choose a corner of your garden with poor soil and good drainage unless you want a bog garden or water meadow style.
Just in case I've misundertood and you're thinking of planting lavender, they need alkaline soil to do best and good drainage especially in winter.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw