Rain, roses and bees

We've had some torrential rain this week so everything seems to be growing like mad and there is as much propping up and cutting back as anything else to be attended to.   This includes cutting back some rampant geranium phaeums to make space for planting out dahlias brought on in the greenhouse.   They are definitely much further ahead than those which successfully over-wintered in the ground which I am trying hard to protect from slugs and snails.

The roses are fabulous this year although many are dooping, the stems not being strong enough to support the open blooms.   Is this my problem or does everyone have it?   Some are worse than others - cream Madame Alfred Carriere and deep apricot Pat Austen amongst the worst.   But they are beautiful nonetheless and as I feel there are sufficient to justify picking some I have been taking some in to work.   The scent of a single bloom of thornless pink Zepherin Drouhin - the second rose I bought for the garden and incredibly long-suffering of being moved about and being planted in semi-shade - scented the "washroom" so strongly as to draw comments!   The scent of roses is so often missed in the garden, particularly when the weather is windy as it has been lately.   Another gem which is flowering well this year is a many-petalled little old-fashioned white rosa alba plena seen here about to be engulfed by a rampant golden hop tendril!

One thing I am really chuffed about is how many bees are in the garden.   They seem particularly fond of the raspberry flowers - the canes are simply buzzing with them.    But I do wish they would keep out of the greenhouse - or accept help to get out a little more willingly!