If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need

The title is a quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman consul, lawyer, orator, philosopher and presumably, lover of gardens. My last two sessions of gardening have been enlivened by a series of lectures by Professor Garrett G. Fagan on the History of Ancient Rome. Professor Fagan presents a well-paced overview of the long history of Rome and there is not one dull minute.

Today I planted the salvia nemorosa, perovskia atriplicifolia and nepeta "Six Hills Giant".

I am instructed to cut the nepeta to the ground after Christmas and in late autumn.

Rose feeding

I've read lots of different advice about feeding roses. I'm going to try the advice given by Magic Garden Roses, which is to feed in September, December and February with a four in one mix consisting of chicken manure, seaweed extract, fish meal and blood & bone and mulch with cow manure. I'll mulch with lucerne hay.