Why my roses don't grow very well

@JudyEv (326100)
Rockingham, Australia
March 2, 2018 5:54pm CST
I had no intention of writing a ‘kangaroo discussion’ when I first logged on. I sat down at my computer, logged on, pulled back the curtain and to the right of the birdbath was a doe helping herself to my roses. There is netting around the roses but with this one the mesh is very big and, although it is wrapped around the bush several times, mama ‘roo was pushing her head through the gaps. You can see a black object by her hind leg. That is a piece of her poo. There are more ‘pebbles’ hidden by her leg and body. Their poo is quite hard and fibrous luckily as there is lots of it on our paddocks. By the time she left she had eaten up all the old blooms and had left me just one bud. I guess I should count myself lucky I have that! And I suppose today’s chore will be finding better netting to protect my roses. Do you find it hard to grow roses?
21 people like this
20 responses
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
3 Mar 18
All I have to worry about is aphids!
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
3 Mar 18
@JudyEv True
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
At least I can easily see my pests!
1 person likes this
@just4him (306724)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
3 Mar 18
That's one determined doe. I'm glad she left you a bud. I don't grow any outdoor plants very well. Indoor, I'm good with. The plant I bought for Mother's Day is still doing well. The poinsettia from last year still has lots of new leaves on it, and the poinsettia I got for Christmas is still in the red.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
I'm not much good with plants indoor or out but the roses are quite hardy - if the roos would just leave them alone.
1 person likes this
@just4him (306724)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
3 Mar 18
@JudyEv That does seem to be a problem.
1 person likes this
• Chicago, Illinois
3 Mar 18
What do you think are the easiest plants to grow inside? I'm in a cold weather climate like you are and don't get a lot of direct sunlight and I'd like a shot at something living despite my pitiful brown thumb.
2 people like this
@youless (112123)
• Guangzhou, China
3 Mar 18
Perhaps you can grow some cactus nearby?
1 person likes this
@youless (112123)
• Guangzhou, China
3 Mar 18
@JudyEv Yeah, it shall work.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
That's a good idea. Or maybe I'll plant bouganvillea all around the rose bushes. That might stop them.
1 person likes this
• Preston, England
3 Mar 18
beautiful deer - shame she eats the roses
1 person likes this
• Preston, England
3 Mar 18
@JudyEv sounds a good plan - good luck
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
I'll just have to get some better netting and keep them out.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
@arthurchappell We've redone the netting on two. I'll do the other tomorrow.
1 person likes this
@Madshadi (8841)
• Brussels, Belgium
3 Mar 18
There are several roses left by previous house owners that still bloom. Luckily they don’t need much attention.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
They seem to be very tough plants, don't you think?
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458730)
• Switzerland
3 Mar 18
There are some bugs that eat the leaves of my roses in summer. There are no aphids, I still have to understand what insects eat my leaves. I think that are the big locusts, there are a few in summer.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458730)
• Switzerland
3 Mar 18
@JudyEv According to your description I think it is the same caterpillars that chews the leaves of my roses.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
We have what is called a cut-leaf caterpillar which chews crescent shapes out of the leaves of roses.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71662)
• United States
3 Mar 18
Oh boy that wire netting didn't work at all I enjoyed the picture though so her munching on your flowers gave me a smile lol
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
There is several rounds of mesh but she just carefully poked her head through until she would reach. I'm glad she made you smile.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (170296)
• United States
3 Mar 18
Your roos are like the deer we have around here. They tend to eat everything!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
The deer probably need higher fencing than the roos do.
@sjvg1976 (41131)
• Delhi, India
3 Mar 18
That may be irritating as roses had taken time to bloom.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
Luckily she left the bud and I've now put more netting around them.
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
3 Mar 18
Oops naughty Kangaroo! In our previous house we had lots of Roses. I do not like them so took them all up! Maybe I should have got myself a Kangaroo to help me get rid of them. I must say I do like to see a formal rose garden though. The different colours and smells are beautiful!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
It's lovely to walk through an area and have the scent all around you. My friend has over 300 roses (she has a 5 acre garden) and they really are quite magnificent.
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
3 Mar 18
I can grow roses bu the deer eat my vegetables!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
I am thinking of just netting the gardens. I don't know if they'd knock them down or not.
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
9 Mar 18
Always nice to find a tasty snack when you are a kangaroo!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Mar 18
The next day a rabbit were eating the bark of the roses then the skink started eating my butternut. There seems to be no end to the pests!
1 person likes this
@JustBhem (70555)
• Davao, Philippines
3 Mar 18
I always wanted to have my flower garden. But we don't have space around here. And roses are one of my favorite flowers. You are lucky you can have a rose.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
Hopefully one day you'll be able to have a garden.
1 person likes this
@JustBhem (70555)
• Davao, Philippines
3 Mar 18
@JudyEv It's one on my Bucket list @JudyEv
1 person likes this
@aureliah (24321)
• Kenya
3 Mar 18
I see the reason and he seems determined to frustrate you.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
He does doesn't he? But I am just as determined that she won't beat me.
@aureliah (24321)
• Kenya
3 Mar 18
@JudyEv you better be smarter because she is watching your every move
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130063)
• India
3 Mar 18
Surprising that thorns do not come in their way. Roses in general are a fussy lot specially when it comes to their feeding. They need good food once every fortnight. I see how poorly they perform when they are not fed properly. They also need a good trimming too.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
The roos must nibble round the thorns. They take the leaves too as well as the flowers.
@topffer (42156)
• France
3 Mar 18
It reminds me a quote by Oscar Wilde "Ah, flowers, these vegetables that women like so much !"
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
I've never read much by Oscar Wilde. I know there are some great quotes from him.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247103)
• United States
3 Mar 18
I have to worry about deer.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
I can imagine they would be very destructive too.
1 person likes this
@cintol (11261)
• United States
3 Mar 18
Great picture. I had roses all around my old house, I love growing them an never had much trouble.
@franxav (13605)
• India
3 Mar 18
We grow roses but we have to protect them from goats from our own farm. If some of them stray into the rose garden they express their love for roses not by seeing them but consuming them.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
I know my pet goat loved roses too. There was nothing she liked better.
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
3 Mar 18
You need to use finer mesh to prevent the head from poking inside.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326100)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Mar 18
That's true and that's what I'll be doing. I thought because I'd wound the netting several times around the tree that they wouldn't poke their heads through but that was a mistake.
1 person likes this