Fashions

Same was said about hydrangea. It is an old fashion shrub, but now it's all the rage again, and the ZZ plant. What's old is new again. I ignore fads anyway.

I think fewer people are giving space to lots of roses in their gardens because they need so much cossetting to look good and many don't have the time or interest. By this time of year most are ravaged by blackspot even if they are described as "disease-resistant". The sight of a few miserable twigs with a single flower on top is not a pretty thing.. I for one, have dug out a lot in the last few years 'cos I couldn't bear to look at them by this end of the year.
As for what's replaced them? Grasses? Prairie planting? Jungle planting as weather warms up? Not sure, really. Definitely plants for ease of maintenance that you see repeated over and over again 'cos that's all the GC's sell.... Presumably it's a vicious circle, because these are the only plants newbies see, so that's what they ask for.

I don't follow what's en vogue in gardens...I tend to suddenly realise how beautiful a certain plant is by chance having not given it much attention for awhile. This happened with the Hebes.Now they are one of the favourites.
Roses will always be up there for me despite the constant attention they require. Who couldn't resist them.

Thanks Bathgate for your views and I agree but I was interested to know what our British friends are replacing roses with. What is considered "modern" English garden these days.
Not in negative way. Monty is a followed gardener and he did not mentioned what is popular so that is why I popped the question.
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Thanks Anget for chiming in. I do see lots of salvias and pestemons and grasses posted here and they can be attractive in masses . But I cannot honestly say look at that beautiful flower. And I agree that growing roses is more demanding than some other plants. People also stepped away from formality they represent??? Maybe?? I personally would love to grow more roses....maybe mingled with few pretty grasses. My deer would love me for that! I am the girl who still like laces and crystal. Very outdated....at least around here. Our climate is really not ideal for growing them either. Too wet.
Thanks again for your opinion.

Thanks Medowland. Are Hebes popular now? What else?

I'm with you re. sparkle. I'm still drawn to glitter on Christmas cards. (don't laugh...)

I usually make my own mind up about what I like and don't like, and I have several roses in my garden. I also see plenty of roses in local gardens around here (but this is Wales, maybe it's different in England)
I was told by one garden centre owner that Fuchsias are also out of fashion, but I still like them.

I honestly don't care at all about what's in fashion. I do love roses but only have one now,- it makes up for that by being great all summer and is still flowering now.
A few years ago we all seemed to be buying Physocarpus diablo or Lady in Red but never hear a cheep about it now (probably all too busy trying to keep it withing bounds...)
Andrew's blog reminds me though - we do hear a lot more about Salvias than we used to. Hywel I never realised we had been in fashion with our fuchsias for a while - the fashions come and go but the plants go on delivering their best and cheering us up!

Many people want gardens that are easy to look after but look good over a long period, so long-flowering plants are 'in'. Salvias fit into that category as do geraniums and hydrangeas. 'Naturalistic' is also the latest trend so grasses and wild flowers are also popular

I think roses will always be up there, most of my clients if buying a rose seem to go for the climbers and ramblers, years gone by most gardens I have worked in always had a rose border but the younger generations are going for low maintenance type gardens where it’s either grassed ,slabbed or decked over, this bloke I work for who has a couple of acres has three huge rose borders, in one he has just one type of rose called Eileen Fison ,they were planted in 1957 and just go on and on, standout plants which are popular these days are sambucus black lace and salvia hot lips with bamboo still popular.

I have quite a few roses and don't worry too much about a bit of blackspot. The older roses tend to suffer from it but have the best perfume so it's worth putting up with. Nobody to please but myself so don't much go for what's trending. I like it or I don't and I love roses

Hywel: I am happy to know that you will keep your rose but I know that you do not care about fashions and your knowledge in fuchsias is admirable.

Stera, (if you do not mind) Physocarpus diablo is a nice bush but not a replacement for a rose. At least not in my mind. Please keep your rose happy. We do not want them to become endangered species.

AndrewR, I consider you as a plantsman or plant collector rather than a gardener. I am sure that I would find your garden very interesting but I would have to visit to see if I would call it beautiful. Do you have a rose in your garden?

Julien, you should know what is in fashion and what people want to replace their roses with. I noticed that people are using clematis (more and more) instead of climbing rose here. I was curious about Eileen Fison but could only find Evelyn Fison, bright red floribunda?
Thanks for mentioning sambucus black lace, salvia hot lips and bamboo as desirable plants of today. I do like bamboo.

You are right on, Thorneyside. Tanks for your note.

It is good to see so many rose lovers here. I am in the good company.

Klahanie - I have six different roses in my garden, all old varieties. They are growing in different parts of the garden among other plants
'Leverkusen' is climbing on an arch
'Souvenir Du Docteur Jamain' and 'Complicata' are trained against fences
I also have 'The Fairy' (small pink flowers blooming from July), rosa x odorata 'Viridiflora' (an oddity with green flowers), and rosa glauca which I grow for its foliage

I don’t really follow gardening trends, often seen on the annual Chelsea flower show. They always discuss what’s ‘in fashion or popular’ that year.
I do have favourite plants like everyone else on the site. I think I just go with what I fancy in the garden. I do like roses, although I only have the one climbing..rambling..
I’ve a small garden so I’m limited. I do like ferns, acers and hydrangeas.

I did not expect you having so many roses AndrewR but the 'Viridiflora' shows your plant collector's ambition. :-)

Kate, you have lovely garden. Very photogenic.

What a good blog Klahanie and very thought provoking. I don't garden with fashion in mind as so many plants seem to been the 'best plant in the world' then a few years later it is relegated. I grow what I like and what will grow in my quite shady garden.
I am going to commit blasphemy now so apologies in advance ; I don't like Monty at all. Don't know why.

I have several roses but they all have a memory linked to them. As to what replaced them in the face of the public well 10-15 yrs ago it was Phygelius, Miscanthus Alliums, Heuchera etc. I have a Heuchera from my late mums garden that dates back to the late 30's obviously in fashion then, then out of favour etc.

LOL SBG, you do not have to apologize for not liking.
Would it be terrible if we all would like the same thing or the same man (god forbid).
Thanks for mentioning some plants which you think replaced roses. Talk about the other end of the spectrum....
Every plant is nice in its own way , but not a replacement for a rose, in my opinion.

We have fairly famous and extensive gardens in Victoria, called Butchart's Gardens . I like to visit in early summer just to see the rose garden (which originally was Mrs. Butchart's "kitchen garden) and I am not alone. there are buses of tourists (mainly Asian) and the rose garden is always most crowded part . Obviously people still love to see the beauty of a rose....especially Asians. Then in the fall I like their more casual display of dahlias. Fabulous riot of colours. But not everybody likes dahlias either.

ThNk you Klahanie, really lovely message! 😊

Late arriving but have to comment as I'm an avid fan of roses, love them all, have quite a lot even miniatures, I even have one really old one that was in the garden when we moved in, it has to be over 60yrs old, a very deep red, the perfume is gorgeous., I don't agree with Monty, I doubt the rose growers do either, personally don't think anything will ever replace the rose, not all that long ago it was voted our favourite of all flowers in our gardens..
I've never actually followed a trend as regards my garden, it evolved gradually over 48yrs, changing during that time as I learned what grew and also what we needed at the time as the children grew up, then years later when we shared with grandchildren, if I like something and have the room I will plant it....
I have noticed that since gardening groups and forums came on the web, people tend to copy more, which definitely accounts for trends and the changing of a certain look to our gardens, it's a bit like "Keeping up with the Jones's" annoying part about that is the price of what was a cheap bulb/plant to purchase then doubles...

I appreciate your thoughtful note lincslass. I also think that no plant can replace a rose in the garden and the social media has a huge influence on trends and peoples minds. That is for sure.

Klahanie, I think it is just the media who like to say that certain plants are “in fashion”. As you can see, most of us amateur gardeners simply grow what we like. In my case that’s six cherry trees (!), shrubs, trees, perennials, grasses, and a few roses.

Maybe a plant becomes popular when it is named ‘plant of the year’ at Chelsea. Certainly such plants are reliable as well as lovely ... and I just happen to have Geranium Rozanne, Anemone Wild Swan, and Viburnum Kilimanjaro 🙂.

Sheila, cherry trees are so beautiful when in bloom. I do not think I have enough of them. Thank you for naming few specific plants that are considered part of modern garden.
That is what I was originally after. Your garden is lovely.

I inherited white Japanese anemones 'Honorine Jobert' and soft pink ones which I do not have name for . I think they look lovely dancing and swaying in the breeze.

Thanks Klahanie, and you would love Anemone Ruffled Swan - white with mauve markings on the backs like Wild Swan.