Kathryn asked me to show some pics of my roses in pots with the pennyroyal. So, here they are. Looking rather bare and spindly. (which is why I avoided them before)

In everyone's defence here (that is, mainly mine) they take a beating in summer with the sun and salt laden south easter and I've probably not been feeding them enough either.

No roses (small detail) - but no aphids either, which is a first (considering I haven't sprayed since I planted the Pennyroyal). And I see there are lots of new leaves. I have also been wondering wether they need bigger pots. They have been in these for a bit more than two years. My usual best performer is the Papa Meiland but it is also the most sheltered of the five:

Royal Zulu

Queen Elizabeth

Papa Meiland

Julia's Rose

Dainty Bess

On a happier note, this is what they bring to my table before being roughed-up by me and the weather. The only one missing is Dainty Bess.

Penny Wise

Quite a while ago I mentioned that I was planting Pennyroyal under my roses as an aphid detterent. Well, it seems to be working pretty well. I noticed a few aphids about a month ago but since then they have disappeared. My roses are in pots and ants used to be a huge problem, again, I have noticed a big decline. (Maybe I should consider it as ground cover for my lavender in pots as I've noticed the ants have moved in!)

Pennyroyal has a helleva reputation. It's reportoir ranges from ant & flea detterent to poison and abortafacient

What I'm not sure of is how much the pennyroyal is competing with the roses for food, as it is so invasive. And talking about invasive - Kathryn, it's to early to tell wether my garlic chives are going to be a problem or not. I'm not sure how much I'll mind either, because I to like the flowers.

The good doctor & other interesting things

I live my country & country garden life vicariously through the Country Life magazine, they have some great plant features. Bush Medicine by Heather Dugmore and Julia Lloyd on Herbs being two of them. In the November issue Julia wrote a great article on the virtues of Yarrow as an anti-bug plant for the organic garden. (By now you all know that this is like gadgets to a man for me.)

Yarrow

"It has a strange pungent (love that word) smell

that many pests can't bear (love that even more),

but ladybugs and wasps love and that means an

end to aphids" and the crowd goes wild..

There was also an article on the marsh rose 'Rose from the dead.' A species of protea that has twice been declared extinct, and is only found in two small areas in the mountains above Betty's Bay and Hermanus. Just look at it! Oh my, the Cape Floral Kingdom is quite something.

'Marsh Rose'

I'm off to buy some Yarrow and the next issue.

P.S. The beautiful pics are also courtesy South African Country Life.